Surprise inspections

[brooksbeefarm]

Went through 15 hives today (Hey perry it was 70+F today ), found two dead outs that looked like they had dwindled and froze. The other 13 has brood, eggs and i thought it was to early, but  also found capped drone cells? ( Hey Woody, you got any drone cells yet?). One hive had four shallow frames of drone brood and one frame was hatching, watched 2 drones crawl out. All the hives are strong and had 40 to 50 pounds of stores still on them and a frame or two of fresh nectar they got from something? There hasn't been that many flying days the last to weeks I'm  going io have to keep an eye on them or they will get swarm on there minds, i don't put supers on till the dandelion bloom, but with the crazy weather everyone seems to be having who knows Jack

[blueblood]

Sounds good and I know Perry is gonna love the temp bragging...ha! He had snow packed all around him.

[iddee]

You are about level with me, Jack, and we have had a couple swarms in the area. There are drones walking around in most hives. I had the beginning of queen cells Thursday, and plan to split them Tues. Thursday was 70 F., we had snow flakes this morning, and it's forecast to be 72 F. tomorrow. 80 F. Wednesday. Craziest weather I have ever seen.

[Woody Roberts]

Jack
Went thru three hives yesterday. Got lots of capped drone brood but haven't seen any drones yet. Had heavy frost last two mornings but today was pretty nice.

[G3farms]

Will go through mine again tomorrow to look for drone brood.

Got dandelions blooming out everywhere here, saw red buds Friday.

[apisbees]

One hive had four shallow frames of drone brood and one frame was hatching

Perry wasn't here to say it . Don't you wish you used plastic foundation so the bees would draw worker size cells and not waste all of the early spring resources building drones.

[Lburou]

In mid March, I had hundreds, probably thousands, of drones in one hive.   For grins, I put two new drone frames in the second super last Fall.  Two weeks ago I found one of the two drone frames drawn out and full of capped drone cells, with evidence that there was a good start on the second round of drone brood on both sides of the frame.  Did not see one drone outside the hive, but plenty inside.  Was a good thing I think, but will be careful making drone frames available next spring.  This is my best hive, and there was six+ frames of worker brood lest you get the wrong idea. 

[brooksbeefarm]

Nice try Apis , That was a shallow comb honey super i put on this single deep brood box that the queen had layed in and i  had all the comb honey i wanted and was tired of extracting. That bottom brood box had four and a half full frames of worker brood, i put another deep of drawn comb from one of the dead outs on top of the other deep and put the shallow super with the drone brood on top with the 7 frames of honey it had. Yes perry might put plastic foundation in a comb honey super, but i don't like it that tough. Jack

[apisbees]

Jack And Lburou
You could have pulled and froze the drone comb as a means or mite control. It is a good point to remember that what we leave on top in the fall for them for winter is where they will end up in the spring to start the brood laying. A frame or 4 of drone comb is not where we want to find the bees during the first inspection in the spring.

[brooksbeefarm]

With the fast build up and rain predicted for the next four days with the temps. in the 65F+, look out when the rain stops . I'm with you iddee, with the drones coming on i think i'll split and make nucs (with egg frames) from the strong hives. My bees are mutts, but i have been buying Carniolan queens for years and they are bad about early swarming. Hope Larry can send my queens within the next two weeks. Jack

[iddee]

In don't think anyone around here has even grafted yet. We just found drones a week ago and today is the first warm day since then.It will likely be a month or more before Larry has the first queen. I'll try to call him tonight and see where he is at with the queens.