Apiary Diary - April 2021
Updated: Dec 23, 2021
Hives in a cold climate
April has been the cruellest month. After some promising warm days in February and March, April has been unusually cold and dry: we've felt temperatures at two or three degrees below average, seen rainfall at only ten per cent of normal, and experienced more frosts than in the past 60 years.
Bee colonies can cope with the cold, as long as they are large enough to form a heat-retaining cluster and can access their food stores in the hive without venturing far from the queen or brood (which must be kept warm).
However, a start-stop spring can spell bad news: warmer days can encourage the queen to lay eggs, resulting in a population increase; but if food outside is scarce and temperatures drop too low for flying, then the bees can become in danger of starvation.
Even though we had left each hive with plenty of winter stores, one weaker hive became prone to ‘robbing’ by strong colonies that were attracted by its honey stores and able to overpower its weak defences. Although the hive seemed to pick up after we restricted the entrance size to help them defend it, the slow spring took its toll; sadly, the small cluster dwindled beyond the point of no return, and failed to recover.
Colonies on the increase
Further into April, the stronger colonies seem to be increasing in numbers, despite the slow start.
A huge willow two gardens away, is providing the bees with a steady pollen supply, sustaining the developing young brood.
The bees have found the early blossoms of pear, plum and quince in our nearby gardens. Dandelion is a firm favourite with bees at this time; we do not discourage it, and it can make an attractive display as well as being bee-loved!
The bees also need a source of water, and our neighbour has reported large numbers in their garden sipping early morning dew.
Preparing for the swarm season
May and June from the main swarming season, so we need to be prepared! A hive queen and retinue of bees might, if the conditions are right, depart the hive and set up a new colony elsewhere, leaving a new queen to emerge in the old hive and take over the remainder of the old colony.
We want to encourage swarms to stay within our apiary, rather than lose them altogether, and need to be vigilant from mid-April onwards.
So we’ve set up several ‘bait’ hives to lure any early swarms, containing wax and propolis (‘bee glue’) saved from older hives. These could be attractive to any swarms seeking out somewhere with a familiar aroma, and we might even lure one from outside our apiary.
A few ‘scout bees’ have been checking these out, but the conditions this month haven’t been right for swarming. Although one of the over-wintered hives is very full, it has no queen cells yet (QCs can indicate that swarming is imminent). It shouldn't be too long now... We're keen to rehome any local swarms, and have joined a local swarm collection list, so have a swarm collecting kit at the ready!
Other preparations involve equipment. I’ve been making up new hives and hive frames, and have constructed several beehive stands using reclaimed fence posts and pallets (thanks to neighbours and local recycling groups!). We just need to be careful to avoid pallets treated with insecticide (these would have a manufacture's stamp “MB” for “methyl bromide”).
They stand on concrete slabs (also reclaimed), and are used to keep hives above ground level—away from prying mice and crawling insects, and above foliage that could block the hive entrance. They will also make for easier lifting and inspection of hive boxes, once they begin to fill...
Mark, Botley Meadow Bees, 30 April 2021
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