# May be jumping the gun, but...



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Have you checked the stores levels in your hives? With the warm winter and early brooding, they may be low on stores so are checking out everything in the area for any scrap they can find. Yes, the swarm traps are a good idea as well, it's nice to have them out all season long!


----------



## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

RayMarler said:


> Have you checked the stores levels in your hives?


 Good point, RayMarler. I haven't, but I have community feeders out with Syrup and UltraBee. They have been working on that pretty well, and finding pollen. Foragers coming back with a great deal of pollen. Our Azaleas are in full bloom, so I'd think they are finding enough, but if brood production is ramping up it may not be. Thanks!


----------



## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

are you seeing any drone brood yet? around here swarming usually follows the first drone brood by a few weeks.


----------



## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

Going to get into them in the morning and check. Most tell me here we don't see our first swarms until the last week of Feb/1st week of March but everything is early this year. I'm still a newb, but with that comes excitement!


----------



## TMoore (Feb 8, 2014)

squarepeg said:


> are you seeing any drone brood yet? around here swarming usually follows the first drone brood by a few weeks.



I found capped drone cells in several of my hives last Monday.


----------



## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

Whoa! TMoore, you just planned my weekend! Finishing traps and getting them out!


----------



## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

RedHalo said:


> ... but I have community feeders out with Syrup and UltraBee.


That I didn't know, that's why they flying around checking everything in sight.


----------

