March: What's going on in the hives right now
March is the first month in the year when the bees become properly active. Pussy willow catkins are in abundance at this time of year and this is an early source of pollen for the bees to bring back to the hive to feed the first new larva produced by the queen. So from this point the bee numbers increase from around 10,000 to 50,000 in peak Summer.
The mouse guards are removed from hives (yes, mice do like to hibernate in a beehive and eat the wax!) and the first inspections may be possible if the temperature gets above 14 degrees. This is the first opportunity to check all is well and the colony has successfully overwintered.
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