Here we are in January!  At least that's when I am writing this.  I've been
keeping records on the weather for years and looked back to see if we have
had this much snow in a while.  We're just about double the accumulation of
any of the past several years.  It looks like this will be a good old
fashioned New England Winter! Better still if all of this snow brings us a
great honey flow!

How are your bees?  At the January meeting everyone was concerned about the
impact of the cold weather.  Will this year's losses be more severe than
previous years?  Only time will tell, but you can do several things now to
improve their chances.  Make sure that entrances are free and clear of snow
and ice.  It may be hard to believe, but we always get a mid-Winter thaw for
a couple of days and when it does warm up the bees will want to get out and
spot the snow with yellow drops!  You can also heft your hive to see if it
is still heavy.  If you think it is too light you can put a piece of
newspaper on the frames and pour on some granulated sugar.  Make sure the
newspaper is a small enough footprint to allow the bees to get up onto it.
Fondant, which is made with granulated sugar and corn syrup, can be shaved
into slices and put right on the top bars above the cluster.  Instead of
making it, you can buy fondant from J.A.R. Bakers Supply in Lincoln.  Can
you open your hives in the winter?  Sure! But don't take out any of the
frames or disturb the cluster.  Just lift the covers on a warm'ish day and
take a peak.

On a brighter note, this is a great time to start planning your new honey
season.  I like to jot down a few goals.  Maybe it's a new skill that I want
to learn, or perhaps it's a colony expansion plan.  I am always amazed at
how many times I think I have plenty of time and before you know it spring
is here and I don't have enough hive bodies made! I also want to encourage
you to think about splitting your own hives this year instead of buying
additional packages or nucs.  Splits are easy and you can't beat the
feelings of satisfaction you will get when you see your splits building up
for the honey flows.  And best of all is that you will save money!  Send me
an email or call me if you would like to have a meeting dedicated to "how to
make splits."

See you at the February meeting!