March In The Apiary

Hello!  Welcome Back!

The beekeeping season is kicking off here in the UK. Temperatures are occasionally hitting 17C (63F) and honeybees are flying. I am very excited about 2017 though I remain apprehensive about whether I can remember how to do the beekeeping and intimidated at the idea of opening hives full of 60,000 bees!  I am again optimistic about honey production and have bought 90 super frames with thin foundation … that’s about 360 containers of cut comb honey!  I’ll be delighted if I make 50 containers.  I am hotly anticipating in the arrival of the Thermosolar Hives, a Beehaus and my use of the anti-swarm method!

In my roller coaster of emotions I am currently excited and terrified in equal measure!  It’s a heady mix.

Time In The Apiary

I am going to keep logging my time, to see if the “five hour beekeeper” is a realistic goal.  Total beekeeping in March: 3 hours: 1.5 hours of manipulations, 1.5 hours cleaning and disinfecting hives.  I also spent 1 hour of shopping in the January online sales.  So 4 hours total this year.

First Inspection Of 2017

I took advantage of a sunny spell over the weekend and dived into my hives.

All four hives are thriving. Two hives are strong and one of those had bees on 9-11 frames.  Two hives have about 6-7 frames of bees.  All hives had frame after frame of cells with neat lines of eggs.  The bees looked healthy. One hive was low on stores but had some liquid nectar.  None of the colonies were aggressive.  I think they are all going to be fine.

There were some big fat spiders lurking under the roof of the hive and in one case, in the hive.  I had seen a wax moth larvae in September last year, but now there are no signs of wax moth.  Either I destroyed the one wax moth larvae, the bees defended their hive or the spiders ate them all up!

I am trying the anti-swarm method I have written about.  In one hive I managed to add a super below and 4 frames of drone comb – perfect.  In another hive I added a super and 2 frames of comb as there was too much stores or eggs on the other frames.  The strong hives had too many bees and whilst not stinging me, they did start pinging off my bonnet … I replaced the frames and left them alone.  As I split hives, create nucs and artificial swarms and move them into the Thermosolar hives and Beehaus I will add the drone frames and supers till I get to the correct configuration.

I added MAQS to all hives to remove varroa as MAQs work at more than 10C.

Plan

I am probably going to leave the hiives for a few weeks.  In April I will add two supers to each colony and if the Thermosolar hives have arrived I will establish new colonies in these boxes with the anti-swarm configuration (one super for brood, one 14×12 box, 4 drone frames in the 14×12 box ).