Nearly 100% how about you?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Happy to report 100% too, which is a big relief after losing everything last winter. All flying well today, taking fondant and bringing back lots of pollen. As I have never had bees at this point in the year before, what do people advise on feeding syrup? When should I start?

September

I started feeding my mini nucs and next week will be feeding some light colonies with syrup but only if really needed

 

[Beefriendly]

Poorly mated queens... seems to be a problem with bees in North West...
Willie has something to say about it in various journals.
Yeghes da

She stopped laying on the heather because the bees filled all the emerged brood behind her, there was no room. A frequent problem come heather time. Otherwise she was a very productive queen in her second year ...I thought she had laid in enough brood on her return, but possibly not, or something else happened.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Happy to report 100% too, which is a big relief after losing everything last winter. All flying well today, taking fondant and bringing back lots of pollen. As I have never had bees at this point in the year before, what do people advise on feeding syrup? When should I start?

Have you been keeping an eye on stores through the winter?
They probably don't need it especially as they are out foraging well.
My colonies are bringing in willow pollen and nectar. While stores have dipped significantly in the last 10 days I know they have enough left.
If you haven't done it through your first winter make sure you know how much (roughly) your colony weighs going in to winter, and have the means to keep track of the weights after Christmas, then you can relax knowing when they might need feeding.
Me? I'm with JBM....barring prolonged miserable weather my bees will get Invert in September

 

[gregior]

Not too clever for mine this year took 6 into winter,haven't inspected them yet but 4 seem to be doing well.
Of the other 2 one has had drones since Feb which isn't right so I opened them up for a look today and no Q or young brood,just a few sealed drone brood cells so i shook them out .
Not looked in the other dodgy one yet but I spotted a dead Q outside it in Jan, was hoping it was supercedure but there was no pollen atall going in today so guessing they are Q- so will shake those out too.

Not a fantastic start to the season but at least I shouldn't run out of equipment this year!

 

[biggles]

Glad to hear most people have got their bees through the winter and lots of advice (good and Bad) and even got people posting that haven't for a while.

Have a good bee year folks