bushkill ✝️ (@bushkill_)

It’s been a while since I posted, but yesterday we finally hit near 40F  — warm enough to check bees for the first time since early October. We’ve had a real winter. Many nights below zero. Daytime temps stuck in the 20s. It’s amazing how different yards can perform under the same conditions — same equipment, same treatments. Best yard: 1 loss out of 10. Doubles still heavy — no feed needed. Two singles got sugar bricks. Strong populations. Looking great. The one loss showed no mites, no dysentery, no starvation. Good cluster sitting on capped honey. I’m chalking that one up to fall brood failure — likely not enough fat winter bees. Some colonies just don’t ramp up enough in the fall. I wish there was a clear way to spot that ahead of time. Another yard: A couple starvation losses. All needed sugar bricks. Slight dysentery signs across most hives. The insulated hives are doing their job. All hives were dry. Many had icicles hanging from the entrances — which I was happy to see. The bees are keeping the brood area warm & humid, harvesting condensation, and letting excess moisture run out. Overall loss: 25% Given this winter, I’m pleased. At last night’s bee group meeting, most members reported similar numbers. Worst was 2 of 5. Best was 0 of 5. Everyone is still in a sustainable position — ready to recover with spring splits. Spring isn’t far off. 🐝