Feed Your Package Bees

With this long spell of rain here in the Willamette Valley, bees have a hard time acquiring enough forage.  You can assess their food storage by tilting the back of the hive from the cup handle.  If it feels heavy, they are probably OK.  If light, you should supplement their food.  Package bees are especially vulnerable since they have had insufficient time to build up stores. The package bees in our field lab are devouring all the food we give them.