These strange temperatures and weather patterns are certainly confusing for both the bees and the beekeepers. If you are seeing flight activity around your hive(s), don’t assume the hive is back in warm weather mode. Most of the bees you see emerging are likely doing cleansing flights. It will be a while before they start foraging and gathering flights. For now, it’s very important that you monitor the hive and make sure there are adequate food sources and open entrances. March is a critical transition month and hive starvation is common if you aren’t checking. On these mild days, peek into the hive and make sure your hard candy (sugar bricks) and spring pollen patties are still sufficient. Checking the hives every 7-10 days will ensure that the colony doesn’t starve and successfully transitions into spring activities. You should also check your entrance to make sure it’s not blocked by dead bees. Temporarily remove your mouse guard and using a stick or long screwdriver, scrape out the dead bees. When you are done, be sure and put the mouse guard back on. At the meeting next month, we will talk about equipment, how to care for your bees in the spring, and how to install new bee packages and nucs. If you are planning to order bee packages or nucs from Max Martin, please email or text your order to him right away.
Max’s Minute 2024-01-26
We are getting a warm spell!
Get out and clean out the entrances to your hives! I checked mine on Wednesday and 9 of 12 were blocked with dead bees!!
Also lift the lid of your hives. If you can see the top of the cluster, feed your bees. In 10 of my 12 hives, the cluster was visible on the top of the second brood box. Those 10 now have hard candy on top of the brood box frames.
The good news is that all 12 of my hives were alive yet as well as one nuc with the VSH queen in it!
If you have a hive that died, make sure to clean out the dead bees as soon as possible to prevent molding in the hive.
Good luck!
Max’s Minute 2024-01-06
Winter has certainly been slow to arrive this year, but it doesn’t mean the care of your hive(s) can be relaxed. The bees are clustered around the queen to keep her warm and properly nourished. By this time, you should have your hive closed, a mouse guard installed, and proper ventilation systems in place. There are also things that you should periodically check as the winter progresses. Check your hive entrance for snow blockage. On sunny days, the bees will try to exit the hive to do cleansing flights. It is also important to make sure dead bees aren’t blocking the entrance. Remove the mouse guard and using a stick or long screwdriver, scrape the dead bees out. Make sure to reinstall the mouse guard when you’re done. You should also check food supplies and make sure the bees have ample honey. This can be verified by simply lifting the back of the hive to see if it still feels heavy. If it feels quite a bit lighter than it did last fall, it’s time to provide emergency feeding; the most common of which is hard sugar blocks. Try to perform these checks on a sunny day when the temperature is at or above freezing.
Max’s Minute 2023-05-19
DCBC Minutes 05-16-2023
Max’s Minute 2023-04-11
Happy Spring everyone! Despite a cold and snowy March, warmth and bee activity is at our doorstep.
For those of you that were successful in overwintering your colonies, there are several important things to focus on. Hive wraps and moisture pillows should be removed. Check food supplies, and until pollen is plentiful, add sugar cakes and or patties.
For those that lost hives, review the information presented by Max last month and try to determine what went wrong. Be sure to clean the dead bees out of your brood boxes and prepare the hive for re-populating.
Watch your email inbox for notification on the arrival of new bee packages and nucs. Typically, that occurs in the first week of May.
DCBC Minutes 03-21-2023
Max’s Minute 2023-03-15
Door County Beekeepers things to do in March
Most queens will be laying eggs by the end of March so monitoring food reserves is critical. It is not uncommon for a hive to make it through the hardest part of winter only to starve in March or April. If honey reserves are low, feed candy, fondant, or dry sugar. Colonies that consume feed should be monitored carefully and fed as needed. Feed pollen substitute to strong hives with plenty of honey stores in mid-March.
Max’s Minute 2023-01-13
Door County Beekeepers things to do in January
- Keep the hive entrance clear of snow and dead bees to allow for proper hive ventilation.
- As soon as the temperature rises to 40 degrees, preferably in January, take a quick peek inside the hive. Without removing any frames, see if you can spot the location of the cluster. How are they doing for food stores? It is a good idea at this time to provide your bees with fondant, sugar candy or granulated sugar to ensure they have enough food.
- If the temperature is too cold to open the hive, you can listen to the hive instead. Do you hear the gentle hum of the cluster? If so, you can be relieved to know your bees are still alive. Wait for a warmer day to open the hive and take a look at them. If you are accustomed to knowing the weight of your hive full of honey, you can also lift the hive slightly to judge how much food stores the bees have left. This will give you an idea how soon they will need supplemental food.
- Assess your equipment and plan for the upcoming year. Now is the time to order new equipment, build, paint, clean and repair if needed.
- Order new package bees and/or queens to be delivered in the spring.
- Attend local bee club meetings, take or register for a beekeeping class, read beekeeping books and articles, and research, study, and make a varroa testing and treatment plan for the new season.
Max’s Minute 2022-11-29
The Bees – The bees are in a tight cluster. No peeking.
The Beekeeper – There’s nothing you can do with the bees, except clear out the entrance of dead bees. Read a good book on beekeeping, and enjoy the holidays!
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