Finally we are getting to the point where we can get out with the bees. The weather is still a "little" cold so don't get carried away and take out frames. You can open the cover to see if they are alive. If you don't see them in the top box you can crack open the top box to see if they are below and alive. It is not a good idea to remove frames until temperature gets up to 40-50 degrees F. You can look down between the frames to see if you see any brood down there.
If the colony is alive now is the time to give them a pollen patty (5 - 8 oz. approximately). This is insurance. Remember we tried to get pollen into that top box by doing a reversal last summer. Just in case that did not work you should give them the pollen patty. If they were down below put the pollen patty between the two boxes. The pollen patty must be in contact with the cluster for them to be able to use it. The bees need pollen to fuel their glands to produce brood food. Check their honey stores. If you left them enough honey last fall they will be ok. If they are starving (not enough honey to last until your next inspection) then you have to feed them. If they have 2 full frames (or 4 half full frames) they should be fine. The best feed at this time of year is frames of honey. If you had a colony die that still had honey you can use that after you verify it did not die from AFB. If you add frames of honey add it at the edge of the cluster. Do not put a cold frame of honey into the middle of the cluster. Ideally if you have a box of frames with honey you can add it to the top. If you do not have any frames of honey put dry sugar between the inner cover and the moisture board or a candy patty on top of the frames. They cannot take syrup very well at this time because it is too cold. Do not feed them unless they really need it. You do not want to "stimulate" with sugar to raise brood.
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I want to emphasize you should not provide sugar unless they really need it. When you give them sugar this time of year they "think" there is a honey flow and will start to raise an unusual amount of brood. Then they have to keep a larger area warm eating more stores. In addition there will be fewer cells under the cluster to store honey because of the brood. If we get a cold spell (and we will) the colony can die from lack of food in the cluster. So if they are starving you have to feed them. BUT if you feed sugar they did not need this time of the season you will do more harm than good.
If they are dead close them up so mice and/or bees cannot get in. You do not want other bees robbing the honey. If the colony died from a disease such as American foulbrood the robbers can pick up the disease spores with the honey and bring back to their hive and they will die. Of course you do not want the mice to go in and ruin combs. Once you know the colony did not die from AFB you can use the equipment and honey for a new package or divide. You can also use the honey to feed a live colony that made it through winter without enough food reserves.
A couple weeks after your first inspection (mentioned above) you should go back and do the same thing again. Check the feed and give more pollen substitute if they have eaten most of the first one. If the first one is still there but moldy remove it and give them a fresh but smaller piece.
You should clean out any dead out equipment before it starts to thaw. The longer you wait the more unpleasant it will be. When cleaning out dead bees you should just brush away any between the frames. Do not try to get them out of the cells. You will do more damage than good.
If you need packages order them soon to arrive in mid-April arrival. We recommend starting with a 2# package of bees. Some suppliers no longer have 2# packages. The smallest is a 3# package. If that is the case go with the 3#package. I won't hurt, may help and just costs a little more. Start getting your equipment ready now.
