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Welcome to East of Scotland Beekeepers
SPRING MANAGEMENT March 2006
If we get some really good warm weather in April this could be the start of the active beekeeping season. Because of the longer hours and hopefully warmer temperatures the bees will be stimulated to increase brood production. During the winter months you will, of course, have prepared all your equipment for the coming season and made sure they had enough stores to keep them alive to this point at least. Stores in the colony will now be used up very quickly. Any colonies short of food could now be given an initial feed of Autumn strength (1 part sugar to 1 part water) or even better a feed of inverted sugar syrup. This should be fed so that the bees have easy access to it in a contact feeder placed right on top of the frames. Feeding should continue on all colonies unitl they are able to get enough nectar from natural sources. This need only be at the proportion (1 part of sugar to 2 of water). It will give the bees a clean source of water for brood rearing and will help them to utilise granulated honey without foraging for water. If there is not a suitable natural source of water one can be provided in a sheltered sunny spot a short distance from the hive site. Any sitable container will do (old basin, half tyre) filled with rotten wood, peat, straw. When bees are flying freely mouse guards can be removed, this will give the bees easier access with the large amounts of pollen that hopefully are now being gathered. The sight of this pollen going in is an encouraging sight that all is well. Any colony where no pollen is going in means that the stock may well be queenless and should be investigated.
Early in the month floor boards can be replaced with clean ones and the original one cleaned and disinfected. On a suitable day later in the month when all is going well you can help expand the brood chanber by putting a drawn frame in good condition at the outside of the brood nest and between the pollen comb. Brood combs which have a quantity of honey in them can be uncapped with the hive tool and then replaced with what was the front end now at the back. The bees should use up this honey enabling the queen to use all of the area for laying eggs.
Strong colonies will expand rapidly so be prepared to put on a super in good time, that is when bees are covering all frames in the brood chamber. It is best to use drawn combs at this time. To put one on too soon could slow up brood expansion as there would be insufficient bees to heat up the extra space. If you are not sure put a sheet of newpaper between brood chamber and the new super. When the bees are ready they will soon chew their way through to the extra space.
If we get some really good warm weather in April this could be the start of the active beekeeping season. Because of the longer hours and hopefully warmer temperatures the bees will be stimulated to increase brood production. During the winter months you will, of course, have prepared all your equipment for the coming season and made sure they had enough stores to keep them alive to this point at least. Stores in the colony will now be used up very quickly. Any colonies short of food could now be given an initial feed of Autumn strength (1 part sugar to 1 part water) or even better a feed of inverted sugar syrup. This should be fed so that the bees have easy access to it in a contact feeder placed right on top of the frames. Feeding should continue on all colonies unitl they are able to get enough nectar from natural sources. This need only be at the proportion (1 part of sugar to 2 of water). It will give the bees a clean source of water for brood rearing and will help them to utilise granulated honey without foraging for water. If there is not a suitable natural source of water one can be provided in a sheltered sunny spot a short distance from the hive site. Any sitable container will do (old basin, half tyre) filled with rotten wood, peat, straw. When bees are flying freely mouse guards can be removed, this will give the bees easier access with the large amounts of pollen that hopefully are now being gathered. The sight of this pollen going in is an encouraging sight that all is well. Any colony where no pollen is going in means that the stock may well be queenless and should be investigated.
Early in the month floor boards can be replaced with clean ones and the original one cleaned and disinfected. On a suitable day later in the month when all is going well you can help expand the brood chanber by putting a drawn frame in good condition at the outside of the brood nest and between the pollen comb. Brood combs which have a quantity of honey in them can be uncapped with the hive tool and then replaced with what was the front end now at the back. The bees should use up this honey enabling the queen to use all of the area for laying eggs.
Strong colonies will expand rapidly so be prepared to put on a super in good time, that is when bees are covering all frames in the brood chamber. It is best to use drawn combs at this time. To put one on too soon could slow up brood expansion as there would be insufficient bees to heat up the extra space. If you are not sure put a sheet of newpaper between brood chamber and the new super. When the bees are ready they will soon chew their way through to the extra space.