First Hive Check of 2026 | Gees Bees Apiary Update

On March 14, 2026, I stopped by the world headquarters of Gees Bees in Locust Grove, Virginia to take a look at the hives and see how things are shaping up as we head toward spring.

It wasn’t a full hive inspection. Instead, I was mostly standing back and watching the bees and seeing what they were doing. The temperature was only around 55–60 degrees, which means the bees weren’t very active yet. At those temperatures they tend to stay clustered in the hive and only a few workers venture out.

Even when the bees aren’t flying heavily, it’s still a good time to spend some time in the bee yard and start getting everything ready for the upcoming season.

Watching the Bees Wake Up

One of the simplest but most satisfying parts of beekeeping is just standing in the yard and observing the hives. Early in the season you’re looking for small signs of life — a few bees at the entrance, occasional flights, and the general feeling that the colonies made it through the winter.

On this particular afternoon things were pretty quiet, which isn’t unusual for mid-March in Virginia. Once the temperatures start pushing into the upper 60s and 70s, the yard will look completely different with bees flying and bringing in pollen.

Getting the Bee Yard Ready

This time of year is also perfect for cleaning up and organizing equipment.

During the fall, most beekeepers are tired from the long season and equipment often just gets stacked somewhere until spring. Now is the time to go back through everything, clean it up, and get organized before the bees really start building up.

While walking through the yard I noticed the top of my solar wax melter has started to rot. Whoever was in charge of painting it clearly didn’t do a great job — and unfortunately that person was probably me.

So that’s another small project to add to the list before the season really kicks into gear.

Bee Season Is Almost Here

Spring beekeeping season is just around the corner, and things are about to get busy.

We have package bees arriving soon, and the apiary will start growing as new colonies are installed. If you’re in the Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg, or Orange County area and are looking to start or expand your hives this year, now is the time to reserve your packages.

I only have around twenty packages remaining, and once those are spoken for there won’t be extras.

Looking Ahead to the 2026 Season

The 2026 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for Gees Bees. In addition to the existing apiaries, there is a possibility that we may be adding another bee yard, which would bring the total up to three locations.

For a beekeeper, expanding the number of yards means more opportunities for healthy colonies, honey production, and helping support local pollination.

And honestly, it’s just exciting to see another season getting started.

After a long winter, the bees will be building up quickly, and before long the apiary will be buzzing again.

Stay tuned for more updates from the yard as the 2026 beekeeping season gets underway.