0 You always have to light the bee smoker twice

That's my experience anyway.  I could use liquid oxygen, rocket fuel and a welding torch on the first attempt and the smoker will go out every time.  The second attempt will be successful even with a paper match.  Go figure.  One friend suggested that I abandon making the first attempt and skip straight to the second attempt.  Right.  That's why I quit trying to explain math to some people.

Anyway...

All 5 colonies made it through the winter, which is more a testament to mild weather than to my beekeeping skills.  It was an awful, horrid summer last year and the bees went into winter much weaker than usual.  Of course there is always opportunity for disaster, but at the moment things couldn't look better.  I'll be feeding the girls as weather permits and hoping for seasonal precipitation and temperatures this summer.  And by the way there is a new threat this year.  The feral pigs have been sighted less than a mile away.  I may have to go into the boar-trapping business. Another steaming pile of good news...