The season starts here

For no particular reason I take the bee keeping season to start on 1st March.
Its still too cold to do a full inspection on the hives but in the next week or so I might lift the crown boards [the roof under the roof of the hive] to see whats going on and how they have dealt with the winter. I'm always a little nervous about this after my catastrophic winter of 2011/12 when all five colonies starved.

Dead bees

I have been much better with the winter feeding this year and the Scald End bees scoffed the fondant I put on with Tillia 3 weeks ago and they were all replaced yesterday. The Ravensden bees have also been taking the fondant.
Speaking to a local bee keeper he said his bees never touched the fondant he put in the hives but except for one small colony the others seem OK.
Is this because my bees have eaten their stores or are they just lazy and prefer to feed on the fondant which is just above them?

The high winds were a bit of a worry. The Ravensden bees are in a copse and so protected from the wind but the Scald End bees are more exposed. When I got there one hives had had its roof blown off but other than that things were OK.

There is no rational reason for this but I've painted the hives and supers different colours. Its not uncommon to do this and there's suggestions it helps stop the bees from 'drifting' where bees go to the wrong hive.
Bees have colour vision although can't see red. [unlike me].

The swarming season doesn't start until May but I've been getting ready..
Last year I was only involved in 4 swarms. One in Stevington was at the top of a tall tree and I don't do heights so in case the same thing happens this year I have made a bucket on a stick. Its a water machine container with the bottom cut off and mounted on an extending pole.
Also, although in a way I hope I don't have to use it, I have made a bee vac which is what it sounds like, a modified vacuum that enables you to get to a swarm thats in a difficult place, under floorboards, chimney etc. The suction on the vac is reduced so the bees are harmed.
More as the swarming season approaches.