It’s early February and it’s winter. But winter in northern Ohio is a lot different than winter in the south, where bees are flying, foraging and raising brood. And where it’s cold, you can’t be doing things with your bees, but you can be doing things for your bees: Getting ready for spring.

Food can be a problem right now. How much did you leave last fall? It’s tough to look, but if you can get a glimpse inside, how would you feed them if you had to? Fondant works, usually, by cracking a super and sliding it in right next to the cluster. Candy boards might work, but they can be too far away.

What about protein? Same way. If you’re in the south and you open a colony up, robbing may get started. Not a lot of food out there maybe, but bees will be hungry.

What about your varroa load? Do you know? How were they going into winter? You can’t even sample up north, but you can in the south.

Finally - do the pests in a beehive die when the bees die?

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Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. BetterBee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, BetterBee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

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Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast.

Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus, original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott

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