Last fall, we installed extra ventilation in our beehives and converted their honey supers into quilt boxes to place at the top, providing added insulation and moisture control inside the hive. As a result, for the first time since we became beekeepers, our honeybees were equipped to survive the harsh cold of winter. We are so excited to see them coming out of their hives with the warmer spring weather, foraging for nectar and pollen. As I stand looking at the hives, I can see bees flying back to the entrances, the pollen saddlebags on their legs full of bright orange pollen. The bees have especially enjoyed the grape hyacinth growing in our flower beds. The bees also love the purple deadnettle and white chickweed flowers. There are many flowering cherry and plum trees around us, and the maple trees are putting off nectar and pollen. These are just a few of the flowers blooming around us. It is truly a smorgasbord for the honeybees this time of year, and it only gets better as the weat