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East Surrey Bees

In the Apiary this month

 
 
 May
 A month ago I was optimistic that the warm weather was just around the corner, but I haven't noticed much yet!  I have however, seen preparation for swarming and many of our colonies have been artificially swarmed so that we don't loose the work force.  Swarming is a natural phenomena and is the only way that the species can reproduce itself. So work with the bees and allow them rear a new queen in an artificial swarm while you  keep the old queen safe at least until you have a new and proved laying queen then you can either unite the colonies or increase your stock.  Don't forget to make sure the colony has plenty of space in which to expand the brood nest and store the surplice nectar, supers  should go on now even if it isn't very warm yet. Don't forget to keep checking on the level of varroa in your hive and implement Integrated Pest Management  techniques.  At East Surrey Bees we offer practical courses for beekeepers who want to develop their bee keeping skills where both IPM and management  techniques, like artificial swarming, are demonstrated and explained. See the courses pages for details.
 
 April
 
Spring is here -  at long last!   As soon as the sun shines the girls will be out and about. Most important at this time of year is the collection of fresh pollen for all the new brood being raised.
 Now is the time for a good spring clean. Mouse guards should be removed so that bees have unhindered access and the pollen is not dislodged. If you operate on solid floors a clean floor is essential, even on open mesh many colonies will have dead bees and debris that they haven't cleared. Transferring the combs into a clean hive box I think is a minimum requirement as most colonies will have put propolis and brace comb in all sorts of odd places over the winter and they are then difficult to inspect. You should also consider giving your colonies new comb to work on now and April is a good month for a Bailey Comb Change or a shook swarm.
Despite the cold weather outside the bees have maintained a temperature of 35 degrees inside and brood reading has been  increasing for weeks now and it won't be long before many colonies are thinking about  swarming if they don't have enough room.
 
 
March

March weather is likely to be very changeable and it can be a dangerous month for our colonies.  Stores will be dwindling and many colonies that have managed to survive the cold can die out at this time of year, through lack of food. So if in doubt do check. If the weather is not very good then don’t disturb the brood nest but you can look through the super or outside frames to check the quantity and state of the stores. If in doubt then you can feed candy or fondant but not syrup while it is cold, the bees won’t be able to process it properly. By the end of the month it may become warm enough to use syrup but as I write this it seems a long way off!One job you should be doing now is to get things prepared ready for when things really kick off! Making up new frames, checking stored equipment and cleaning your smoker are all jobs that can be done now to avoid a mad panic and sometimes disastrous consequences, if you don’t have things in prime condition just when you want them! Clearing the area around the hives of vegetation is probably best done in the coldest months of December and January when moving around close to the hives doesn’t invite our little friends out to investigate but do it now if you haven’t yet, tripping up over brambles is never fun but can be very awkward in the apiary!


February

We may not always see much of our bees this month but inside the hive there will be  a lot going on.  The queens rate of lay will be increasing and as soon as the weather allows the workers will be out collecting fresh pollen.
It is at this time of year that flowers in your garden that come into their own; later on in the season the bees are likely to do most of their foraging much further afield. Winter aconites, snowdrops and the early crocus are all important producers of pollen and suitable for even the smallest gardens. There are a few useful shrubs also in flower at this time of year, I particularly like the Christmas Box Sarcococca and the winter honesuckle Lonicera fragrantissima both of which have fantastic fragrance and are used by the bees. Trees such as willow and hazel will also provide fresh pollen in much larger quantities.
It is this time of year the bees will be using their stores and will need water to be able to do so.  So just like the birds, make sure that your bees have a reliable source of water. One of the easiest ways is to use an old grow bag with the top removed and kept moist. The dark colour of the peaty soil warms up quickly if there is any early spring sunshine and there is no risk of the bees drowning as they do in buckets or water butts; these need to be covered with something like an old net curtain so that bees can drink without falling in and chilling too much to fly.

 


Email : enquire@eastsurreybees.co.uk