Welcome back to the Bee Sanctuary! There is nothing more exciting for a beekeeper than the first inspection of the season where you see the colony waking up. We recently checked in on a hive that had us quite concerned; last time we opened this box, there was absolutely no brood to be found.

But today, nature gave us some great news. The hive is officially preparing for the Spring flow, and we caught them at exactly the right moment.

The Inspection: Signs of Life

As we worked through the frames, we followed our golden rule: Always stand to the back or the side. Never block the “front door” (the entrance), or you’ll have a lot of confused and frustrated foragers bumping into you!

What we found:

• Festooning: We saw the bees “festooning”—clinging together in lace-like chains at the bottom of the frames. This is a beautiful sight and a sure sign they are ready to build new comb.
• The Brood is Back: We finally spotted what we were looking for: fresh eggs and capped brood. The Queen has started laying again!
• Drone Detail: We noticed some larger cells containing “drones” (the male bees). It’s fascinating to watch the Queen at work; she uses her antennae to measure each cell. If it’s a large cell, she lays an unfertilized egg for a drone; if it’s standard, she lays a fertilized egg for a worker.

The Strategy: Triggering the “Spring Growth”

While the Queen has started laying, she hasn’t filled the frames yet. To give her a nudge, we’ve implemented a feeding strategy.

• The “Artificial Flow”: We are providing the bees with a sugar water bottle. This trick mimics a natural nectar flow, which signals to the Queen that resources are abundant and it’s safe to ramp up egg production.
• Placement is Key: We placed the feeder bottle over a hole in the back corner of the inner lid. Why the corner? We want to ensure that if the bottle drips, it lands on an empty frame rather than directly onto the sensitive brood nest.

Technical Tweaks: Out with the Old

During the inspection, we identified an old, poor-quality frame that wasn’t serving the colony well. We swapped it out for a fresh frame with a wax starter strip. Fresh wax is like a clean canvas for the bees, and the Queen much prefers laying in brand-new comb.

Mission Accomplished

This hive has gone from a “broodless” concern to a thriving colony on the verge of a population explosion. We’ve even added a super on top to give them plenty of room to store the incoming Spring bounty.

Want to see how fast this colony grows with the new feeder?

Make sure to Subscribe to the Bee Sanctuary and hit the Like button! Your support helps us keep these colonies healthy and strong as they head into the busiest time of the year.

Quick Question: Do you prefer using internal feeders or top-bottle feeders like the one we used today? Let’s talk pros and cons in the comments!