First Signs of Spring

It has been a month since I checked the hives at the apiary. It was a little difficult to ski down because there was a layer of ice on top of the snow. When I arrived I didn't see dead bees on the snow, but I did see staining spots on the snow where bees had been out flying on potty breaks. I thought I heard a bee buzzing, and sure enough, there was one on the horizontal hive! Directly behind the horizontal hive there was a pile of dead bees. It has been windy, so I am not sure if they blew there, or if they were looking for early pollen back there. I also wondered if the wind blew away any dead bees near the hives since the top of the snow was just ice and very slippery. So, I know for sure the horizontal long hive is alive!! I am pretty sure the other two are also based on staining in the snow around them, but it is possible that was from the bees coming out of the long hive. Since it is so difficult to navigate down there it will be a bit before I get back to check.