This month In the Hive

FEBRUARY 2012

A critical month for the bees. Having gone through the winter chomping at stores, the cupboard could well be bare by now, so the need to ensure there is a supply available for their survival. I always make sure there is fondant on top of the brood box all through winter in case needed. It will help early Spring build up if nothing else. Apiary visits are still important to check the hives are sound and importantly that entrances are clear! Preparations should be well under way for the coming season and equipment made ready - there is a light at the end of the tunnel now, albeit we don't know how far away it is at this time.

JANUARY 2012

As the New Year dawns then we can look forward again to the approaching season. Apairy checks should ensure that entrances are clear. Fondant checks are important now until Spring. If there is a cold spell then Oxalic treatment may be done. Plans should be formulated for 2012. Depending on how kind Santa was; purchases should be in mind.

DECEMBER 2011

Regular apiary checks are advisable to ensure hives are okay, entrances clear, mouse guards secure, no sign of damage. If fondant is being fed then checks on that would not go amiss, especially as the year end has been so mild (to date!). If the temperature drops for a few weeks then Oxalic treatment may be a good idea. Further cleaning and restoration can continue along with reading and studying. 2012 plans should be very much in mind; who knows what Santa might bring. Happy Christmas!

NOVEMBER 2011

 

Physical work in the apairies is down to observation (and fondant checks); ensuring the hives are upright and water tight, mouse guards secure, entrances clear. Having assessed the season and thought ahead to 2012 then perhaps some reading or education can be undertaken. When the weather is mild then watching the entrances for activity will bring great satisfaction (and ease any worries!).

OCTOBER 2011

Varroa treatments should be complete, feeding carried out and everything closed ready for winter. Nature will now take its' course (and hopefully be kind). Periodic site checks are important to ensure hives are sound and entrances clear (and to check on fondant if this is fed). Spare equipment can be checked, cleaned, (mended if required) and stored. Assess the season and begin formulating for 2012.

SEPTEMBER 2011

 Unless there is an "Indian Summer" then the active season is coming to a close. Any stores collected now (water Balsam and Ivy) will be stored in the brood chamber by the bees as the queens rate of lay diminishes.Having ascertained that colonies are queen right then brood inspections can stop. Now is a good time for Apiguard  (or similar varroa treatment), having first removed any supers for extracting. The mouse guards need to go on and entrances may be reduced to help colonies protect their stores which they will be defensive of this time of year. Hives should be checked to ensure that they are in good enough condition for the winter ahead. Winter stores are also a priority and having assessed what the bees have, then feeds need to be prepared and may be put on (though the bees can be reluctant to take stores down whilst varroa treatment is active; so this may follow completion of the varroa-cide).

AUGUST 2011

The traditional month for honey removal and extraction; not by me for a good few years. My honey crop is off and the supers now on I will think twice (and twice more) before I took them away as the last few years the bees have needed that honey due to a dearth in my region through August. Inspections should be maintained, although swarming should be as good as over: supersedure may arise though. Disease and health will be important and as the month ends Apiguard treatment for Varroa  is essential. Wasps are also a problem and reduced entrances and wasp traps could be required. Thoughts of winter preparation should also be in mind (dare I say).

JULY 2011

The swarming impulses should be on a decline from now, though swarming can still occur, the colony size will slowly diminish in the coming months. There may still be a honey crop so be prepared to put (extra) supers on. As the nights draw in we do need to think of the coming winter. Wasps may become a pest so entrances may need to be reduced. weekly inspections are still required to keep ahead of any "flow" or problems and the colony health is also important watching for disease or varroa build up. IPM techniques can be employed to good effect now (icing sugar, drone brood removal). Colonies should be headed by good queens now or by the end of this month in order to build well into autumn.

JUNE 2011

The colonies are reaching their maximun size and strength. Swarming is still a real possibility so regular inspections are important. The end of the Oil Seed Rape may lead to a short fall in forage/income (June Gap) so stores should also be closely monitored and if neccessary feed to avoid starvation. Health is always paramount and IPM techniques can be carried out to arrest Varroa (icing sugar, drone brood removal, queen trapping). If Field Bean or other crops begin to "flow" be ready with supers.

MAY 2011

Colonies should be really getting into their stride now, early nectar flows from crops such as Oil Seed Rape will really drive the colony on and this is a prime month for swarming, so vigilant weekly inspections should also observe for early signs of swarming and if seen artificial means exacted to prevent loss of bees or nuisance to others. Regular checks for size, health, stores and space are still the norm and supers may well be required (at at rate if a flow is on!). If an early crop is collected and Rape fields (bright yellow) are in the area then the fade of the field colour to green means supers need extracting quickly due to Rape honey granulating in the comb, especially if the colonies have been artificially swarmed.

APRIL 2011

Regular inspections should begin (so soon as weather permits). First inspections should also include clearing or changing the floors and ensuring that the colony is queen right. Attention should be paid to how the colonies build as the month progresses,and stores should be carefully monitored. The queen should be marked with swarm control in mind and frame changes can also be dealt with. As things do progress then supers can be put on (above the crown board initially). Remember to look at the colony health and act if there is any doubt.

MARCH 2011

READY FOR LIFT OFF!

Weather permitting it's all about to begin. The exact timing is really down to the arrival of Spring. If the weather is kind and temperatures mild then some inspecting within the hive may be okay (but don't be in too much of a hurry to open up and start cracking winter seals- you can wait until April). Mouse guards can be removed late in the month. Checks on fondant are still important and observations at the entrance should see pollen arriving (or consider pollen substitutes). Hopefully repairs and new equipment should be ready; be prepared as swarm control is not far away!


FEBRUARY 2011

Preparations should be (well) under way for the coming season with ideas in place. Frames and hives should be prepared (though foundation may be best added later as the weather warms); weather treatment on empty hives done now will give time for them to "air" well before needed. Checks in the apiary are still important and as the Spring approaches regular checks on fondant will be wise. February brings the excitement of the year ahead masked by the threat winter still holds over the colonies.

10th. Feb: Site/Fondant checks reveal the first casualty of winter. However at the same site all other hives were actively bringing back fresh pollen.

JANUARY 2011

The New Year brings the coming season into view and looking ahead plans should be well under way for the start of the active season come March. Regular checks at sites should continue, making sure that the hives are sound and entrances clear (remember dead bees can accumulate and block entrances - I always carefully run a hive tool in the entrance). Oxalic Acid treatment should now also be imminent (if not already done). Fondant checks are important, maybe more so now as winter stores may be diminishing or depleted. In line with plans for the new season, equipment preparation should be in mind, or better still in hand! 

Early January and I have treated all (but 4) of my colonies with Oxalic solution. It was good to see them all alive and well. The fondant and entrances were checked also.
At one site two nucleus hives had been chewed at the entrance: I don't know what has done this but I will have to keep a watch for the predator.

As January draws to a close the coming season comes into view (in the distance). If the weather is kind then the colonies will become more active and stores/fondant will need more regular checks as the weeks ahead are "prime time" for colony losses. The oxalic was completed by 6th January and the predator that chewed two nuc entrances doesn't appear to have returned. Entrances have been kept cleared of dead bees.

DECEMBER 2010

Possibly the quietest month of the bee keeping year. The sites still need to be checked to ensure the hives are upright and secure. A check on fondant is also advisable:
depending on the weather this may be combined with oxalic treatment (part of the IPM against varroa). The queen will probably cease laying around now and the colony may be broodless.

Mid December- The cold spell briefly lifted, I managed to visit all my sites (in the rain) and check the fondant. At the first site and hive I was greeted by bees busy chomping on the fonadant; great to see. By the time I reached the last site the rain had stopped and a few colonies actually ventured out (well at least to the entrance); though this was all too brief as the temperature dropped and they dissappeared back into their hives. Some entrances had accumulated dead bees which needed to be cleared. 
 
NOVEMBER 2010

This month there is little to do aside of checking fondant and that everything is okay at each apiary site. There is plenty that can be done out of the hive; assessing the season and stock (bees and hives) and looking forward to next year, making repairs (and mead!), cleaning up equipment, melting wax, reading up on all things bee keeping.
The queen will be reducing the number of eggs laid as the weather becomes colder and the brood chamber will become largely filled with stores to survive the winter. The last of the nectar and pollen will be gathered in, weather permitting. 

Early November: Creamy/Yellow pollen being brought back into all my hives and on lifting the roofs to check fondant, the smell of Ivy is still obvious. The "winter" bees will be fattening up well to help survive the coming winter.

OCTOBER 2010

The bees should be closed up now for winter, with varroa treatments complete and feeds sorted. The hives should all be prepared for the winter ahead. Aside of checks on the fondant (a brief peek under the roof) the hives will not be opened again until the Spring - the only exception being for Oxalic treatment somewhere around the New Year. The queens' rate of lay will decline over the next few months and probably cease for a while over the winter period. Periodic apiary inspections are still neccessary to ensure that the hives are secure and standing. A careful watch for woodpeckers will be required especially if the ground becomes frosted for a time. The bees will still collect from Water Balsam and soon from the Ivy.

As October begins my hives are all "locked down" for winter: the varroa treatments complete and fondant on.
 Over 75% of the colonies had removed all the Apiguard and some of the trays! In their place the "eke's" were being filled with comb and honey.Varroa floors are removed following the treatment to give a good air flow (damp not cold is the biggest threat). There is little else to be done for the colonies as the active season comes to a close. However spare equipment can now be sorted, assessed, and repaired in the months ahead. 

Mid October and I checked all the hives today to see if they had taken any fondant down: almost half of them had taken it all, so they received another 1/2 block. It was also obvious that Ivy is now in flower because of the distinctive smell as I lifted the roofs of the hives at two of my sites. It was cold day and I was surprised to see the bees foraging at all my sites.
Back home I started my inventory, listing all spare equipment.

SEPTEMBER 2010
Varroa treatment should have begun by now and an idea of mite levels ascertained by inserting trays below the mesh floors on the hives. Mouse guards should also be put in place. The hives should be checked to ensure that they are in the best possible condition for the coming winter. There may still be income from Water Balsam and later on Ivy to help stock the larder for the bees, but a feed should still be put on: I use fondant and each hive has an eke above the crown board to house the block (this can vary in size depending on stores/colony size). I ensure that there is fondant on each hive from this month until next spring.
Samples of bees are taken from some hives to carry out disease checks using a microscope.

I have begun treating all my colonies using Apiguard and varroa trays are in place to monitor mite drop (all my hives winter on mesh floors). The mouse guards are on where required; some of my entrances have a built in mouse guard. There is still Water Balsam coming in : feeding will commence in the coming weeks.

Mid September and all my colonies have had their second dose of Apiguard and now have fondant on. One colony which I inspected (as it was not queen right a month ago) had 5 frames full of brood and a new young queen seen, the other frames were all full with sealed stores - encouraging!

The removal of the drones by the workers has been quite obvious over the last few weeks. There is no need for any male contingent now until next spring and in order to help preserve stores, the males are evicted and/or stung to death by the female workers.
 
AUGUST 2010

Traditionally the month when the honey is harvested. It is today also the time to begin winter preparations; actions now can have great bearing on the colonys' survival to the following year. It is regarded by some bee keepers as the end of one season/year and the beginning of another.
Following the removal of any crop (having given careful consideration as to whether to leave some for the bees) treatment of varroa is now recommended. The  treatment I use is Apigard which for best efficiency should be administered whilst temperatures are still warm- this is a four week treatment. At its' conclusion then winter feeds need to be given. Colonies should be settled now and the swarming impulse over. Assessment of indivdiual colonies to survive the winter should be done so as any uniting can be carried out to make good strong colonies that stand a better chance of survival.

The last 2 years I have seen the income dry up in August and last year wasps became a real pest actually destroying two weaker colonies I had (they will exploit any colonies that are weak). I am prepared this year and having seen some wasps at two of my apiaries I have wasp traps ready to go into service. This along with reducing the hive entrances is the best defence. I assessed every colonies stores at the last July inspection and all seem well stocked for a few weeks at least. The Water Balsam did little by me last year and the Rose Bay Willowherb is already burnt out! I have fondant ready as an emergency feed.

Inspections mid August see stores diminshing and the threat of wasps growing. All hives still have stores for now but I will continue to monitor closely. Some hives are under threat from wasps; in each case the entrance has been reduced. Some wasp traps have been put out and more will follow. I need to encourage the bees to take down stores from the supers ( I don't see me taking any more crop this year) and remove them so as Varroa treatment can begin: this will need to be co-ordinated with my colleague Martin, as we share some apiary sites.

Late August inspections have been seriously hampered by the weather. All colonies have been checked but were very defensive; normal for this time of year. One consolation dare I say was that at some of the hives where I had reduced the entrances I found no wasps in the hives and none trying to dodge past the guard bees at the entrances, though at the weaker ones the battles were still being raged. Some may just have been saved but I still fear losses.

JULY 2010

By now the swarming impulse SHOULD BE on the wane; from now on the colony numbers will actually slowly diminish. Weather permitting there may well be a good flow of nectar from various sources to enable a surplus of honey to be extracted. Provided that any Oil Seed Rape has been taken off it should be safe to leave supers on to extract at convenient times.
It is actually time to start thinking of winter! As any swarming impulses now will not leave enough time for a new queen to come into lay and raise sufficient brood to survive the winter- uniting colonies may be the better option from now on.

Early July and I am still waiting on some queens to hatch and come into lay, though a fair proportion of my colonies now have 2010 queens to head them into the winter ahead. There has been a good flow from local field bean and it also looks as if the Lime trees have yielded nectar. All colonies appear well and checks on Varroa mites (by drone removal show low numbers to be present).

As July comes to an end I still have a few queens to hatch, which is quite worrying given that we are in the second half of the season. The change in the weather and the drop in nectar flow have brought things to a standstill. The field beans have finished flowering and there is not much income to the hives. I have noticed some signs of Water Balsam (pollen powder "stripe" along the thorax/back of some returning foraging bees) and hope it may yield well in August.
I have decided through July NOT to mark the new queens coming into lay ( I normally mark all my queens to be able to see them more easily in the hive) as a few were rejected  earlier in the season straight after marking- hence the late hatching queens- and I don't want any rejected this late on in the season. I will aim to spot them early next spring and mark then, before the swarming impulses begin!   





Picture: About to begin inspections on one of my sites (note the hive number marked using a Timber Crayon, which I find very useful- thanks to Richard Lindsay for that idea).