The Bees:
This is a "hot and humid" month and the bees will cluster on the outside of the hive to cool off. They will continue to make honey, weather permitting and beekeepers should start to remove ripe honey. Remember to leave enough honey for the bees. If you remove all the honey, the stress level of the bees elevates and could cause an unhealthy colony. If weather conditions are too dry, collapse could occur due to starvation. Remember to keep enough empty room for the bees when they come inside. Perform a Queen check and mark colonies for Re-Queening.
• Remove Honey
• Leave enough honey for the bees (one full super)
• Keep at least one empty super on top
• Extra ventilation
• Order Queens
• Attend State Beekeepers Association Meeting
• Update "Bloom Calendar"
The Bees:
Colonies that did not swarm will be boiling over with bees and the "honey flow" continues. Keep up swarm inspections and continue adding additional space as needed. Spring honey sources start to fade and a short honey bee death may happen between blooming cycles. Rain and weather conditions affect the summer nectar sources greatly. Under good conditions. the bees will continue to make honey. The start and stop honey flow will sometimes cause a few "After Swarms". The pace of honey production slows a bit and the Queen starts to lay fewer eggs. Fully capped Honey Supers may be removed and extracted.
• Watch for Swarms
• Keep adding empty supers as needed
• Remove Fully Capped Honey
• Attend Bee Meeting
• Update "Bloom Calendar"
The Bees:
The hive is working at top speed. Beekeepers hustle to keep up with the working bees by adding empty boxes. Underestimating how much equipment you need could cost you a honey crop and could enhance the warming impulse. Make sure to keep an empty box on top during this time of year. Swarming continues as new bees continue to overcrowd colonies
• Watch for Swarms
• Apply empty Supers
• Attend Bee Meeting
• Update "Bloom Calendar"
The Bees:
It is a steady pace, bees are roaring, new bees are humming with orientation flights and Drones are on the hunt. This is when swarming is at an all time high. Swarming generally occurs right before the heavy "honey flow". Drones are fully mature for mating and Queen Cells are hatching, love is in the air. Over-crowded hives need more room so additional equipment should be placed on top of these hives to allow space for brood rearing and honey storage. The honey flow has started when the bees are coming in heavy. This is noticable by the dip that the workers make upon entering the hive entrance. They are carrying in fresh nectar to process into honey.
• Watch for swarms
• Catch the swarms
• Watch for full boxes and keep adding empty boxes
• Have additional equipment ready to house more swarms
The Bees:
This is the critical time for starvation. The young bees are hatching daily and the size of the colony increases by hundreds if not thousands per day. The worker bees are beggining to forage and drones begin to appear. As the days grow longer, the Queen increases her rate of egg production and colonieswishing to swarm may start to raise swarm cells and colonies with failing queens may start supersedure cells. These will hatch in 16 days. Weather permitting, a few early swarms could occur in March. Food stores are being consumed at a rapid rate. Natural Pollen is coming in rapidly but cold, windy weather can affect nectar sources so a close watch on food stores is critical.
- Check honey Stores
- Re-Queen failing Queens
- Make sure all medications are removed as specified on label
- When hive body is full of bees add Honey super
- Attend Bee Meetings
- Update "Bloom Calendar"
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