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!
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.
