SOME TIMELY RECOMMENDATIONS

Follow this link to some timely recommendations for new and overwintered colonies.

http://naturesnectar.blogspot.com/

Mid-May

Things are really starting to pick up.  We are finally getting warm weather and less rain.   Plum, black cherry, oak and birch are in bloom in addition to dandelions.   A few of the stronger overwintered hives are even putting something in the honey supers. 

I have been primarily focusing on getting the new packages and winter nucs installed and fed.  It appears the winter nucs are about 4 weeks ahead of my mid-April packages in hive buildup.  The winter nucs have managed to fill both brood chambers at this point, while the new packages are still working on the first brood chamber.  This means the hives made from winter nucs will be able to gather more honey than those made with packages.  I need to remember this fact this fall when making my winter plans. 

In my last report I discussed making bee and brood transfusions into a few of the weaker overwintered hives.  This was simply transferring in 2 frames of bees and brood from strong hives to weak hives. Two of the three hives getting the transfusions have started to boom.  Unfortunately, the third went queenless. 

While stealing larvae for queen rearing, I noted one of the strong hives had several swarm cells at the bottom of frames.  Some were capped and some uncapped with viable larvae in them.  The hive appeared to be set to swarm in about one weeks time; weather permitting.  I transferred the frames with queen cells to the above mentioned queenless hive.  This action will delay swarming of the strong hive, but probably not stop it.  So I then went in and removed 3 frames of bees and capped brood.  These frames were installed in a new package hive to speed its buildup. 

Now that I am seeing swarm cells I will be putting out several swarm traps in hopes o catching swarms from my hives that I may not catch overwise.  

I have also been randomly checking hives to verify they are queenright.  In the past week I found two that were not.  One was queenless and the second had a queen but she was not laying.  Previously both hives had multiple frames full of capped brood.  Now most of the brood has emerged.   

Here’s what you should be doing in the next few weeks.

1) From the above you can see the importance of checking your hives every other week to verify that they are queenright.  You need to do this to prevent a laying worker situation.

2) The stronger hives also need to be monitored for swarm cells, especially for about the next six weeks when the prime swarm season is upon us. 

3) Get your honey supers ready and get them installed on strong hives.  This will lessen crowding, prevent the brood frames from getting honey bound and also maximize your honey crop. 

4) Putting out swarm traps baited with brood comb and an attractant. 

ECWBA CLUB MEETING REMINDER

This Saturday, May 18th, there will be a club meeting at the Caestecker Public Library in Green Lake at 9:30AM.  See you there.

What's Happening in the Hive

This article is from the Stillwater Minnesota area, but has been having weather similar to ours.  There are several helpful hints in the article.

naturesnectar.blogspot.com/

EARLY MAY

We have now built up to 14 hours of daylight!  If you hadn’t noticed, the bee population also builds up to a maximum at about the same time as the summer solstice which is the longest day on about June 21^st.    In our area this also coincides with the height of the honey flow.  Over the eons the bees have amazingly got their population cycle in sync with the sunlight and honey flow. 


All of my winter nucs and new packages have been installed in hives.  At this time the winter nucs appear to be about three (3) weeks ahead of the packages in their population build-up.  Both the new package and winter nuc hives will be fed 1:1 sugar syrup until the start of the honey flow.  Then the feeding will stop and honey supers will be installed.  


All overwintered colonies have been inspected to verify they are queenright and growing.  In my apiary one colony was found to be queenless and I installed my last winter nuc in that hive.  I thought 4 colonies were building up slowly.  After verifying they were queenright I transferred in 2 frames of brood and bees from strong colonies.  This is called “equalizing”.  It weakens the overly strong colonies and hopefully prevents the strong colonies from swarming.  It also gives the weak colonies a boost and will hopefully get them up to strength prior to the honey flow.  The weak colonies have no problem with integrating the bees and brood into the hive.  The combination of less swarming and more strong colonies will help increase the honey crop. 


The overwintered colonies are bringing in some nectar.  I don’t know the source.  To even out my work load I will be installing the honey supers on these colonies soon even though the main honey flow has not yet started.  The first nectar flow will be from black locusts in my area.  This will probably occur in the second half of May. 


I also just finished the second of two oxalic vapor treatments on my overwintered colonies.  Its important to stay ahead of the mites.  The new colonies, made with either new packages or winter nucs, did not get this spring mite treatment, but will get treated in early summer.
   

In the past weak all colonies have been hauling in a lot of pollen.  This bodes well for population buildup.  If only we could get a week of warm, dry and sunny weather.  

The photo shows approximately 50% of the bees have full pollen baskets.  The other bees are probably taking orientation flights.  


So far, during my colony inspections I have seen no queen cells.  Of course, it is still several weeks away from the swarm season.   On about May 15^th I will be putting out my swarm traps.  The traps should be installed at least one hundred yards away from your apiary if you hoping to catch swarms emanating from your apiary.   For wild swarms you can place your swarm trap almost anywhere.
For about 30 days after May 15^th I will try to visit my apiary at about 10am each warm morning to look for swarms hanging in nearby trees.  Several empty hives and nucs are always kept in reserve to house captured swarms.  Remember the Boy Scout motto: “Bee Prepared”.  Well something like that.