What a Difference a Year Makes

Yesterday was very exciting - the first day this year that it was warm enough to open up my hives!  Here's an obligatory action shot:

Both hives are doing really well and are very busy.  To compare with last year, here's what both the hives looked like in early May 2016:

... and this was Caroline's hive yesterday:

As you can see, there are lots more bees!  In fact, Caroline's hive is so busy, I had to put another box of frames (super) on to give them more space.  This is the first time I've ever had to add a super to a hive during the first inspection of the year.  It could be a bumper crop this year...!