|
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.
|
|
January
Do check the
hives regularly to make sure that they are still up right and haven't been the object of the green woodpeckers attention.If
you have them in your area it is worth covering the hives with netting to protect them. Having said that, we are in an area
with a thriving population of green woodpeckers and until last year didn't have any trouble at all. Last winter however
one attacked the stack of empty supers and didn't touch the hives with bees in at all. The books all say that they tap
on hives to make sure that there are bees inside before they bother to break in - obviously our population aren't very
bright! If we have a mild day anytime this month do look inside breifly to check for adequate stores. Many colonies
will begin to run short in the next month or two and will
need feeding with candy. In our apiary this weekend many of the colonies were flying,
especially our Langstroth hive which looked very strong, but most interestingly when looking at the WBC I saw a drone come out and fly off!
|
