The hives are on a hilltop immediately surrounded by pasture, old field and row-crop field (corn-soybean rotation). Nearby are substantial stands of mixed, mesophytic hardwood forest and a few acres of wetland. The site is on the edge of the Wisconsin glacial advance and underlying bedrock is Mississippian sandstones and shales.
Scale is an old Fairbanks platform beam scale, 18"x27” 1000 lb capacity, .5 increments, leveled on wooden platform raised 12” on 4x4 posts.
Typically two deeps with Italian or Carniolan stock. The queen was a year old in 2008.
As far as forage, early in the season we expect wildflower mix and tree pollen (especially cherry); later there will be substantial goldenrod and aster contribution.