Larry from Indiana wrote me March 30 about spring approaching at his side of the globe on about 39° latitude:
Mother Nature continues to exact her winter revenge in the Midwest USA. Once again rain mixed with snow dominates the day. I have yet to see foragers returning with pollen in my northern (40° N) yards this year. The local growing degree days are at only 36% of that of the same period last year and have increased only so slightly in the last 2 1/2 weeks.
Tomorrow’s forecast is a calm and sunny 12° C so on this rainy morning, despite leaving ample amounts of honey on my colonies last fall, I began preparation to feed my emergency rations of honey (my own) and MegaBee supplement. I will check each colony tomorrow and feed as needed..
Larry, you’ve had a severe winter, while we here in Sweden on (59° latitude where I live) have had an unusually mild one, only real winter in the latter part of January though bees have been confined to the hives without cleansing flights for four months, instead of five. Here bees have normally plenty of stores. I never feed pollen collected the year before or pollen substitutes. Enough good quality pollen normally comes in, especially when willow starts to bloom.