Title photo: Mouse in the House
As it starts to warm up in what is turning into a very dry but warm March, well when the sun comes out, but with ground frosts persisting until late in the month, the bees are getting active.
It is time to take off the Woodpecker protection and see what is going on in the hives.
I don’t go into my brood chambers unless it is really warm and bees flying well, collecting good loads of pollen.
I want to see a good brood pattern, plenty of stores and take out those ‘horrible’ combs I put in positions 1 and 11 in the brood chamber, unless of course occupied by bees. These are then replaced by the drawn deep combs I got a strong hive to draw out last year as a super, ready for these spring replacements.
Guard Bees ready to keep out predators and annoying unveiled beekeepers!
But beware of rodents especially on those weaker hives or ones that have died out over the winter.
If not, the main picture tells it all. A mouse in a hive having chewed through loads of brood comb.
I repeat, if you find a dead hive seal it, burn the combs the cluster died on and sterilise the rest for use later in the season.
By the end of the month loads of spring flowers out on trees, shrubs and plants, bees will be collecting that much needed pollen to feed themselves and the young developing bees.
Collection of Flowers over the month:
We now need to get prepared as the height of the swarming season, depending on the weather, is not far away.
First get a couple of supers on to give them room to expand there is nothing more likely to trigger a swarming cycle than keeping the bees cramped in a single brood chamber.
Have you frames made up, no wax in yet, it can go stale, and an empty hive or Nuc ready to manage that swarming hive at the end of April maybe early May.
Next Month: First detailed examination of Brood Chamber, Marking of Queens when there are less bees about and Association Apiary meetings start .
What on earth is going on at Folly Fields Apiary:
