Spring is right around the corner here in Austin, and the weather is nice enough now to do my first full inspection of the season. Plants and trees are also starting to bloom including Texas Redbuds which are one of my favorites and a true indication that spring is finally here.
As the girls had plenty of honey from my last quick look, the main goal of the first inspection is to make sure Large Marge is still laying, and brood frames are still present. I may also reverse some of my boxes to encourage the bees to redistribute honey, brood, and pollen evenly in the hive. Bees generally like to move up in a hive, especially in winter, so reversing boxes will make sure they are using all parts of the hives evenly. It also makes them feel like they have more room to hopefully prevent a swarm.
As I was struck down with a nasty cold this past weekend, I’m hoping the beautiful sunny weather holds out until the end of the week. I also need to start preparing the area for the 2nd hive as I was totally lazy over the winter. April is fast approaching so I need to make sure I’m ready when the new package shows up.
Urban Beekeeping in Austin, Texas 