SPRING IS HERE

Spring is here; at least today.  Next week looks like another chance of snow!!!  But on this spring like day I was out treating survivor colonies with Oxalic acid vapor.  While out and about I heard and saw the honey bees up in maple trees gathering pollen.  They were returning to their hives with a pale gray/yellow load in their pollen baskets.  I also received reports that pussy willows are now in bloom.

I had just finished gassing this hive with oxalic acid vapor.  When I had plugged the upper hole and bottom entrance there were only about 10 bees present.  This crowd of bees returned in only the 5 minutes of the treatment.  They must have been furiously working nearby maple trees.