Package bees and Beekeeping in Alaska

When should I get my packages?

Heres a graph showing the idealized growth of package bees under good spring
conditions. Youll notice that the population decreases for the first three weeks, thats
because the package bees are dying off and the new adults havent been emerging (3
weeks - egg to adult). You can also see the benefits of getting bees early - shift the graph
over to the first week of May and youll see your population does not maximize until late
July. Then remember that it is adult foragers who bring in the honey crop (bees begin
foraging at about 3 weeks) so were into mid-August with our maximum population - the
end of the honey flow!
The answer? Early bees are better especially if you have drawn comb with some
honey and pollen from the previous season. Warm the equipment for 2-3 days before
hiving the bees, arrange the frames for maximum bee benefit, feed 1:1 sugar water syrup,
and feed pollen substitute or disease free pollen collected and frozen from last year. Wrap
the bees with some insulation and hope for early spring!
If starting with bare foundation, get your bees on a later shipment- your first year
may be spent getting the equipment built up with a lesser honey yield. Protect your
equipment its an investment that will last for years.

Bees make honey - boxes dont

In the graph above and the following table take notice of the numbers of foragers
vs. total colony population; this is why a single strong colony of 60,000 bees will produce
more honey than two medium-strength colonies of 30,000 bees. The 60 K colony has
39K potential foragers while the two 30K colonies have a combined population of only
24,000 bees.

In a Wisconsin study, honey production was compared to colony populations. In

brief more bees equal more honey; two hives of equal population will produce less
honey than one supercolony of an equal population as illustrated below.
Total number of bees Number of foragers Percentage of foragers Honey production
60,000
39,000
66%
154 lbs
30,000
12,000
40%
68 lbs
15,000
2,250
15%
25 lbs
So if 30K bees produced 68 pounds of honey in this study, 2 hives would have
produced 136 pounds; 18 pounds less than the one colony with 60,000 bees. It may pay to
combine colonies at the beginning of the honey flow (late-June, early-July) to maximize
the adult foraging populations.

What size package?

Bees, fresh from their efforts at pollinating California almonds, are shipped to
Alaska during the month of April and early May in 3 or 4-pound packages. Some
suppliers offer a four-pound package with two queens; these are designed to be equally
divided between two colonies with a queen in each. So does size matter? There is no
straight answer; it is more dependent on weather than any other factor except perhaps
your pocketbook.
A study performed in Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada (near the beginning of the
Alaska Highway) in 1969 and 1970 looked at package size and honey production in the
Peace River area, an area with very similar climatic conditions to Alaskas Interior. This
information is excerpted from an article Colonies Initiated with Four Package Sizes on
One Date written by Don Nelson and Cameron Jay of the Agriculture Research Station
in Beaverlodge, Alberta.
Methods
Packages consisting of 1, 2, 3, and 4 pounds of Italian bees from one supplier
were hived on May 3, 1969 and May 2, 1970 (the late end of our time slot here in
Fairbanks). Measurements of sealed brood, adult numbers, and honey production were
recorded during the spring and summer. The colonies were managed according to
commercial honey production methods common to the area (see the Beekeeping in
Western Canada book).
Results
Maximum amounts of sealed brood were produced 86 days after hiving in 1969
and 63 days after hiving in 1970. The month of June was characterized as cool in 1969;
this may explain the difference in time to maximum brood area. As would be expected,
the amount of brood was directly proportion to the size of the packages i.e. 4>3>2>1.
Adult numbers in the study colonies were still increasing when the study was
completed 100 days after hiving the bees. The table below illustrates the impact of
package size on adult bee populations after 100 days (about the first week of August).

Package size (lbs)

1
2
3
4
2-year average # of Adults
41,250
42,740
50,860
51,200
Honey Production 1969 (lbs)*
55 6.7
93.4 5.3 86.8 19.1 118.3 7.8
Honey Production 1970 (lbs)* 224.6 16.7 320.7 1.9 289.0 19.4 248.5 24.3
*Mean standard error
It is obvious that there was a significant difference in honey production between
the two years (most likely due to weather conditions). It is less obvious if the package
size made a significant difference in the honey production. According to the paper and
some statistical analysis there is some significant difference (P 0.05) in 1969 between 1
& 2, 1 & 4, and 2 & 4-pound packages but no significant differences between 1 & 3, 2 &
3, 3 & 4-pound packages. In 1970 there were only significant differences between the 1
and 2-pound packages; the other packages did not show a significant difference in honey
production. In 1969 honey production was in the order of 4>2>3>1 pound packages; in
1970 the order was 2>3>4>1.
Discussion and Conclusions
Beekeeping for a honey crop may be defined as the ability to manage a colony
of honeybees so as to obtain the maximum adult foraging population to coincide with
the beginning of the major nectar flows in the area. In this study, the necessary large
adult populations were not attained until near the end of the honey season (i.e. 100 days
after hiving or about August 10-15). This is a good reason to start bees in early April or,
if you must start later in the season, to purchase nucs (a nuc is several frames of emerging
brood with adhering bees and a queen).
Recommendations
Ordering a four-pound package with two queens early in April, providing
stimulation (i.e. a simulated nectar flow (1:1 sugar water) and pollen (frames, supplement
or substitute), keeping the colonies warm and combining the colonies at the beginning of
the honey flow are management techniques appropriate for Interior Alaska beekeeping.
Beekeepers must be familiar with colony needs during the spring build up and take
appropriate measure to ensure the health of the colonies.

Which kind of Queen should I get?

Which bee? The best bee is the one that survives YOUR management!
Twenty-five thousand different kinds of bees have been described and divided
into eleven families, numerous subfamilies, tribes and genera, and still more numerous
species and subspecies. Honey bees belong to the family Apidae, which includes other
social bees such as bumblebees (Bombinae), and stingless bees (Meliponinae). The
subfamily Apinae consists of one tribe Apini, comprising one genus, Apis. There are nine
species within the genus but only two are suitable for apiculture in modern, movable
comb hives. Some two-dozen geographic races of the Western Honeybee, Apis mellifera,
have been recognized. They are adapted to a wide range of environments ranging from

the cold continental climate of Eastern Europe, through the moist temperate climate of
the Atlantic seaboard, the warmth of the Mediterranean, and the heat of the tropics and
semi-deserts. Several of these races are important for apiculture in a cool temperate
climate namely A. m. ligustica (Italian), A.m. carnica (Carniolan), A. m. caucasica
(Caucasian), and the native bee of the British Isles and Northern Europe, A. m. mellifera
(Black bee). Several of these races have been transported, combined, and selected for
decades around the world; our Russian bees are an example (see below).
It was formerly believed not only by ordinary beekeepers but also by some
notable scientists, that improvements in the desirable attributes of honeybees,
productivity, docility, resistance to disease, for example, could be achieved by
crossbreeding different races. It is well known in other fields of bioculture that a first or
second cross of two different breeds or strains will often produce progeny that are
superior to either progenitor in some desirable character. It is also known that such
hybrids are generally unsuitable for further breeding as the results are frequently
unpredictable and generally inferior particularly if continued through several generations.
So it is with honeybees; first or second crosses sometimes produce colonies that give
exceptional performance, "hybrid vigor", but succeeding generations seldom repeat this
performance. Moreover, crossing of any of the four races mentioned is likely to result in
hybrids with very undesirable characters, namely excessive stinginess and a predilection
to "following." It is now widely accepted that the best way to get improvement in bee
stocks is by selective breeding within a single subspecies.
Apis mellifera ligustica (Italian)
The Italian honeybee is the most widely distributed of all honeybees, and has
proved adaptable to most climates from subtropical to cool temperate, but it is less
satisfactory in humid tropical regions or our cold northern climates. It is very prolific but
brood rearing starts late and lasts long into late summer or autumn, irrespective of nectar
flow. It is therefore to its greatest advantage in those regions where favorable weather
prevails throughout the summer, and there is a long, uninterrupted supply of nectar. It is
less satisfactory where the main nectar flow occurs in spring, or where the weather is
uncertain, as in the cool maritime regions. In poorer districts a honey crop may only be
obtainable at the expense of heavy autumn feeding.
Italian bees, having been conditioned to the warmer climate of the central
Mediterranean, are less able to cope with the "hard" winters and cool, wet springs of
more northern latitudes. Their bodies are smaller and their overhairs shorter than those of
the darker races, and they do not form such tight winter clusters. More food has to be
consumed to compensate for the greater heat loss from the cluster. The tendency to raise
brood late in fall also increases food consumption. They are unable to retain feces in the
gut for long periods and require more frequent cleaning flights than the dark bees; they
are more likely to be lured out of the hive by bright winter sunshine.
Ligustica tends to forage over shorter distances than either Carnica or Mellifera,
and may, therefore, be less effective in poorer nectar flows. Italian bees are much more

prone to drifting and robbing than the other principal races of Europe. They have a
reputation for gentleness, but hybrids with the darker races can be especially vicious.
Apis mellifera carnica (Carniolan)
The Carniolan bee of Slovenia and Austria is a near relative of the Italian, but it is
larger and darker, the characteristic yellow rings of ligustica being replaced by dark
bands. The carnica territory covers a large area of Southeastern Europe, and there are
numerous regional variations. The characteristic brood rhythm is a rapid build-up in
spring, followed by a slow decline and an early cessation of brood rearing in the autumn.
It is particularly suited to an early spring honey flow. Like A. m. mellifera it can survive
hard winters with a small winter cluster.
Carniolan bees are said to be more prone to swarming than Italian bees, but
selective breeding can reduce this tendency. In recent years, selective breeding has also
been used to great effect in both Austria and Germany to improve the productivity of the
bees.
A. m. carnica are reputed to have better homing ability than any of the other
major races and are much less prone to drifting (and presumably to robbing). They are
sparing in the use of propolis. Carniolan bees have a well-deserved reputation for
gentleness and quietness on the comb, but their hybrids with both mellifera and ligustica
are said to be particularly vicious.
Apis mellifera caucasica (Caucasian)
The Caucasian bee closely resembles A. m. carnica in general appearance, and
may not be easily distinguished from the latter except by morphometric examination (a
longer proboscis, cubital index of about 2 on average). Indeed, it has been alleged that
many bees sold as "Caucasians" were, in fact, Caucasica-Carnica hybrids.
A. m. caucasica is autochthonous (the original sub-species) to the mountain range
and southern valleys of the Caucasus, and to the eastern end of the Black Sea coast in
Anatolia (Turkey). The climate varies from humid subtropical on the coast to cool
temperate in the mountains, and local strains reflect the different climates, the bees from
the mountains being larger and darker, with longer over hairs than those from the lowland
region.
The Caucasian bee is noteworthy for the length of its proboscis, being the longest
of all the mellifera races. One might expect that this would give it an advantage over
shorter-tongued races from a foraging point of view, but this does not seem to be borne
out in practice.
Brood rearing generally starts late and the spring build-up is slow, leading to a
medium population size in summer and autumn. The swarming tendency is said to be
low, and the number of swarm cells moderate. Caucasian bees are said to be at their best

in protracted slight nectar flows; they seem to be unable to cope with short heavy flows,
most of which is stored in the brood chamber rather than the supers. Honey cells are
"wet" capped, i.e. there is no air space between the honey and the capping, and this may
lead to "weeping" of the comb.
Caucasian bees are notorious for their heavy use of propolis, especially at the hive
entrance. In winter the entrance may be almost completely closed by a curtain of resin,
leaving only a few small holes for ventilation and flight activity. Caucasian bees have
poor resistance to Nosema disease and this may lead to heavy winter losses.
Apis mellifera mellifera (Black bee)
The "A. mellifera" (1758) or "A. mellifica" (1761) of Linnaeus is but one small
section of the Dark European Honeybee whose natural territory included the island of
Corsica and ranged from the Pyrenees over Europe north of the Alps to the Ural
Mountains in the east, included Great Britain, Ireland, and southern Sweden. Although
there is no historical record of honeybees in Norway before 1775, it is known from
archeological evidence that A. m. mellifera was present in southern Norway circa 1200
A.D.
It is well adapted to survive in a harsh climate. It is thrifty in its use of stores;
brood rearing is reduced when the nectar flow is interrupted. It forages over longer
distances than the Italian bee and can make better use of meager food resources. It will be
observed foraging both earlier and later than A. m. ligustica, and will fly in dull and
drizzly weather that would keep Italian bees indoors. It may also be that mating can take
place at lower temperatures than in the case of the southern races. Although less prolific
than Italians, the workers live longer and there is a higher ratio of foraging bees to hive
bees. The wintering capabilities of the Dark bee are excellent; although colony size is at
all times moderate, and the winter cluster is small, heat is conserved by the tightness of
the cluster and the large bodies and long over hairs of the bees. The "winter" bees of the
northern race have the ability to retain feces in the gut for long periods, due apparently to
a greater production of catalase by the rectal gland in autumn. They are thus less
dependent on cleaning flights. They are also less likely to be lured out of the hive by
bright winter sunshine than Italian bees.
A. m. mellifera forms a compact brood nest with pollen stored as close to the
brood as possible, sometimes below as well as above the brood. Honey is stored outside
the pollen circle. The swarming behavior of A. m. mellifera is variable, depending on the
region.
The Black bee is renowned for the whiteness of the sealed honeycomb. The
cappings are convex and a small air space is left between the honey and the capping. This
prevents "weeping" and reduces the risk of fermentation that might give rise to dysentery.

A. m .mellifera makes abundant use of propolis to seal up small fissures and small
gaps, and may even construct curtains at the hive entrance in the manner of Caucasian
bees, although in general it is not as free in its use of the resin as the latter.
The Dark European Honeybees generally have a reputation for aggressive
behavior, but this was not the reputation of the British bee as reported by earlier writers.
Pure strains of A. m. mellifera from different parts of Britain have been found to be docile
and easily handled. Hybrids with other races are often highly productive, but they
frequently show a fierce temperament and proneness to "following"(chasing intruders far
from the hive) both highly objectionable characteristics in densely populated areas. The
gentle behavior of the major races of honeybee may be due, of course, to selection for
this quality over many generations; even the "skep" beekeepers of former days would, no
doubt, tend to destroy the worst tempered bees and retain the gentler colonies. One
character of the Dark bee on which all authors seem to agree is its nervous behavior when
the hive is disturbed. It usually manifests itself by the bees running to the bottom of the
comb where they hang in a cluster when a frame is removed from the brood chamber.
Russian Bees
I feel these are the most appropriate bee for Alaska; they are not a true race but
a combination of a couple of races who happened to show valuable characteristics. To
give a brief history these bees were brought to Russians Far East (Primorsky region) in
the 1850s by new settlers utilizing the recently constructed Trans-Siberian railroad from
west of the Ural Mountains. Opinions vary on the races that were transported- some
claim they were Carniolans, some the German Black bee and others say it was a
Macedonian race. In any case, it was in the Russian Far East that they bumped up against
the Asian hive bee Apis cerana and the parasitic mite Varroa destructor (formerly known
as Varroa jacobsonii). This is the mite that is currently causing such problems for world
beekeepers.
These Russian bees suffered through 150 years of selection of survivor stock,
i.e. bees that would tolerate infestations by varroa mites in Russia. In the early 1990s
scientists from the Baton Rouge Bee Research lab traveled to Vladivostok and did some
trials. After a couple of years, they brought breeding stock back to an isolated breeding
island off the coast of Louisiana for further assessment. The Russian bees were
released to selected bee breeders who were licensed to sell the progeny. My supplier,
Tom Parisian, was involved in the program thus, we were offered this breed. He has for
several years sent queens to Kirk Webster of Middlebury, Vermont for further
assessment. Since 2003 Kirk has used no chemicals in his operation to control mites and
regularly overwinters his bees in Vermont. Its not a Fairbanks winter but it does get cold
in Vermont if youre going to try and overwinter bees this is the best chance.
What of the future?
The most urgent problem in apiculture throughout the world is that of protecting
the Western honeybee against extermination by the varroa mite or the recent CCD

(Colony Collapse Disorder). The only commercial method (but rapidly losing efficacy)
for mite control at the present time is using chemical acaricides such as Miticure,
Coumaphos, or Apistan, but these become less effective as immune strains of the mite
evolve, and there must be constant research to develop new products. Research on the
biology of the mite is proceeding, and alternative methods of treatment are being sought.
The ultimate hope is that varroa-resistant strains of bees may evolve, but at best this
likely to be a very long-term solution to the problem. If, as is supposed, the separation of
the cerana and mellifera species occurred in (relatively) recent times, the gene which
enabled cerana to develop a defense against varroa may still be lurking somewhere
among the genes of the mellifera races. There is a danger that the development of
resistance among apiary stocks might be concealed by the normal anti-varroa treatments
and that a resistant strain might be lost through the death of the queens. A case might be
made for encouraging feral colonies in suitable areas. In due course most feral colonies
may be wiped out by varroa, and the argument that they would act as centers of reinfection of mites for managed colonies need scarcely be considered as they would never
exist in sufficient numbers to threaten apiary stocks - unless of course a resistant strain
evolved in the wild, in which case they might transmit through the drones resistance to
the apiary colonies.
The long-term solution to many (if not all) of the bee problems is genetic.
Commercial operations cannot afford the huge financial losses associated with a 90% loss
of colonies and rebuild from survivor stock. The beekeeping industry cannot afford
some of the chemical scares that have hit other food industries (remember Alar and
apples?) and maintain the cachet of pure honey. As beekeepers, it is our obligation to
maintain healthy colonies and educate ourselves on diseases so we can be beekeepers
instead of bee-havers.

Giving Your Bees the Edge on Spring

Spring weather in Alaska can be unpredictable. One week in early April can be
sunny and warm with the pussy willows blooming and three weeks later we can have
snow and cold such that the bees cant fly. Theyve invested a lot of energy raising brood
its a shame to have their activity curtailed or flop. Remember, beekeeping is the ability
to produce a large number of adult foragers to coincide with the beginning of the honey
flow in late June or early July. Here are some management tips from the Interior.
Order bees early for arrival the first week or ten days of April. Even though we
may have a cool spring the bees, if properly cared for, will begin raising brood within
days after hiving. If youre new and hiving bees on foundation get in on the second or
third shipment. There are about 13,000 bees in a four-pound package; that number has to
be up to 40,000+ bees at the beginning of the honey flow to secure a decent crop.
Perform regular queen checks (best done weekly until mid-June). Colonies
can be saved if queen problems are detected early and build up will continue with just a
small glitch. If you wait until you have laying workers youve waited too long.

Feeding is probably the most important factor. Bees, as do all living things, need
carbohydrates, protein, and water.
Below- bees have nearly consumed the pollen
Carbohydrates can be in the form of honey
patty in the zip-loc bag; frame feeders give easy
in frames, incoming nectar from early
access to sugar syrup.
blooming plants, or sugar syrup provided by
the beekeeper. Feeding some 1:1 sugar
syrup in the spring is necessary regardless
of the honey stores present in the colony.
This accomplishes several important
factors; it simulates a nectar flow
encouraging the queen to lay more eggs, it
provides moisture necessary to humidify the
colony atmosphere so young eggs and
larvae dont dry out, extra liquid is
necessary to reconstitute crystallized honey,
and it provides a vehicle for delivery of
medications such as Fumagilin-B for the
treatment of Nosema apis. I feed sugar
syrup up until early-to-mid May, that way
the bees have the brood nest full of stores
and will place the incoming nectar from the
honey flow in the honey supers (where I
want it!) instead of the periphery of the
brood nest.
Frames of pollen, properly stored
from last year, best meet protein
requirements, necessary for the
development of the hypopharyngeal glands
in the heads of young bees that produce royal jelly. If you are short on real pollen stores,
pollen substitutes such as Bee-Pro mixed with 2:1 sugar syrup to a bread-dough
consistency and fed on the top bars will meet the protein requirements. If you trapped and
froze pollen from a prior season it may be fed to the bees or mixed with the pollen
substitute to make it more attractive to the bees. Its good for a year under freezer
conditions.
Water initially bees
will get moisture from the 1:1
sugar syrup. When break up
comes youll see them sipping
from meltwater puddles which
may have been contaminated with
Nosema spores during cleansing
flights. Providing a constant
source of fresh clean water
improves colony health and
reduces the nuisance factor of
bees visiting the neighbors dog

water dish or kiddys pool. With all feeding, it is important to have a continuous supply
to insure steady build up. Beekeepers that feed their bees on a start and stop basis do the
same thing to the brood development.
Wrapping and Insulation A warm bee is a happy bee. Depending on the local
climate it pays to wrap the colony with insulation. Rigid foam (blue board or R-Max
type) is easier to work with than fiberglass. Any real Alaskan has scraps around the
house. A colony quilt from Better Bee is another alternative. At the very minimum look
at wind protection with some tarpaper. Full frames of honey serve a dual purpose- they
are an emergency store of food and they act as a heat sink much like the logs in a log
cabin radiate heat after the wood stove is out. Insulated follower boards, which are just a
frame with a one-inch piece of blue foam in lieu of foundation, are especially useful
when hiving bees on bare foundation- they can reduce the size of the brood nest and can
be moved to any position in the hive. Insulation can come off in mid-May.
Boosting Boosting package bees or weaker overwintered colonies will help maintain
the colony population of young bees. If bee suppliers in your area bring in several
shipments sign up for the first
shipment and then another 2-3
weeks later.
Do you have just one or two
colonies? Split the package with a
friend (no arguments over He got
more bees than me!). Bank the
queen and use her or sell her for a
cool $25 to recoup some of your
costs. Remember, the bees you get
in a package are house bees,
hopefully, less than 2-3 weeks old.
By the time new bees are hatching
out (3 weeks after the queen begins
Above- insulation provides wind protection and decreases
to lay) the package bees are
heat loss from the colony. Below a two-pound boost of
becoming oldies. A one or twopackage bees three weeks after the initial hiving will boost
pound boost of young bees added
the dwindling population with young bees. Bees are
three weeks after the initial hiving
allowed to crawl in the front of the hive after being
will make up for losses and provide
sprayed with sugar syrup.
healthy nurse bees. To boost - smoke
the recipient colony to mask colony identification odors and confuse the guards. Spray
the new bees with sugar syrup to minimize flying and increase acceptance and dump
them in front of the hive on a scrap piece of plywood so theyll crawl in the bottom.
In our short-time slot for colony build up its important to provide every
advantage to the colony to maximize the population; bees make honey - boxes dont!

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Frame Arrangement for Installing Package Bees on Drawn Comb

If youve kept bees before and have taken care of your equipment chances are youll
be installing your newly arrived package of bees on drawn comb. Here are a few tips that
will help you with package installation.
Have the equipment at room temperature bring it inside to a warm room at least
24 hours before hiving the bees. Our spring weather is often marginal and
dumping bees into a cold hive is like coming home to a cabin with the stove out
it takes a while to warm up!
Arrange your frames as shown below; allow space (empty cells) in the center for
the new queen to lay, place frames of pollen close to the brood nest, keep the
frame feeder close to the brood nest, and use full frames of honey/sugar water as
insulation.
Clean frames of burr comb and excess wax, make minor repairs and make sure
frames are well nailed. Scrape off propolis and any bee doo doo.
Inspect for signs of brood disease DO NOT install bees on diseased frames!
A typical arrangement might look like this:

#1

10

Feeder with 1:1 sugar water

Frames #1 & #10 are honey/sugar stores from last year. They serve both as heat
banks retaining heat generated by the cluster and as emergency food supplies. It is best
if this honey is NOT crystallized if it is scratch the cappings so as to expose the honey
to the bees. Frames #2 & #8 are dark empty cells for the storage of sugar water or
eventual egg laying by the queen. Frames #3 & #7 are frames with good pollen stores if
only one side is full of pollen face it toward the brood nest. Frames #4, #5, & #6 are
frames with a bit of honey in the corners, a band of pollen, and clean dark cells ready for
the queen to lay eggs in. The frame feeder may be placed in the #8 or #9 positions.

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Frame Arrangement for Hiving bees on Bare Foundation

Insulation

Insulation

Feeder with 1:1 sugar water

Use insulated follower board to reduce

the volume that needs to be heated by
the cluster of bees. You can pop the
foundation from a frame and replace it
with 1 foam; make sure to cover the
foam with something like aluminum foil
this will serve a dual purpose; the shiny
surface will reflect heat back toward the
cluster and it will prevent the bees from
chewing on the foam.
As the bees draw out the
foundation on one side of the frame turn
it around 180 so they can work the
opposite side. Be sure not to reverse the
frame if it has eggs or larvae that needs
to stay warm and in contact with the
brood nest.
When both sides of the
foundation are drawn out they can be
moved further away from the brood nest. As the season progresses the insulated follower
boards are rotated toward the periphery of the brood nest eventually ending up in the #1
and #10 positions.
We strive to allow the bees to expand horizontally filling the brood box. Never
split the brood nest by placing a sheet of foundation or an empty comb in the middle of
the brood nest; bare foundation is best drawn out adjacent to the brood nest. Keep the
bees wrapped up with insulation until they cover 4-6 frames and have 3-4 frames of
capped brood.

In a nutshellAs mentioned before the best bee is the one that survives your management- in
the spring we need to assist the bees by feeding a 1:1 sugar: water feed plus frames of
pollen that have been properly stored, frozen pollen trapped the previous season or a
pollen substitute. Keep the bees warm by adding insulation, monitor the performance of
the queen and take steps to remedy a failing situation as soon as its noted. Good luck!

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