Perry
So what did you do right this last winter? 
I have been very fortunate to have had two fantastic over wintering results in a row. I wish I could say with any certainty that I knew why, because I would simply just repeat.
I believe the largest part of my apparent success is because I have an incredibly supportive wife who is clearly the main breadwinner of the family, which allows me to devote myself fully to my passion. I am lucky enough that most times I can catch problems
as they occur, not
after. This was thrown back a bit this spring when I took on the inspection duties at the expense of my own hives, resulting in swarming like I've never witnessed before. The one good thing to come out of it though, was that I am much more certain I have found my comfort level numbers-wise. While I could somewhat easily expand, especially if I took advantage of the Pollinator Expansion Program (available to those having 50 hives or more), it would put me where I don't really have a desire to go.