Welcome back, a new bee season is upon us. March usually marks the start of the beekeeping season. While this winter may have seemed cold to you, the bees also had to put on their coats and hats.
One of the best (and worst) things about being a commercial beekeeper is that the break is relatively short. Only a few months go by before we re-enter the hives to start checking them for the almond pollination. This allows us an opportunity to address the needs of the hive that may otherwise end up unchecked for many months and could lead to most certain death. What I have seen in the bees this winter has made me very pleased and very troubled at the same time.
Farming is a very important and rewarding job. I am honored to be part of the pollination process, helping to produce food for the wild fauna and the humans that inhabit this planet. Having said this, I just want to also say, It Is A Pain In The Rump. Last year’s wet spring, followed by the endless summer was very challenging. The result of this, in my opinion, is that we encountered a prolonged period with low nectar, and very low pollen. Some hives held their size over winter, while others suffered from rapid spring dwindle. This can occur because the warm weather causes the old winter bees to die off faster than the new spring bees can hatch—causing the hive to shrink and oftentimes fail. So be on the lookout. If a cursory glance at the entrance or a quick look under the cover is all you have done until now, it may be time to take a deeper look into the hives.
The beginning of spring gives us the opportunity to wipe the slate clean and get a fresh piece of chalk to start the new season. Mistakes may or may not have been made. Regardless, make note of what worked and what didn’t, and these can be tools to use in the season to come. Studying bee culture through books, meetings, or YouTube videos is a great way to prepare. Do your homework. Learning about what you are doing will increase your chances for success. During the month of March, I like to think of the hive as a garden and the work that I do now as the seed that I will watch grow for the rest of the summer. Take great care to stay ahead of your bees. It is the only way to help our winged friends grow to their full potential.
First, let’s unwrap the hive for the warm season to come. Take off all covering and insulation, including moisture traps. Hopefully, your hives are waterproof enough to make it through the spring rains. If not, leave the moisture traps on, but that does not excuse you from looking into the hives.
Next, pop open the lid and take a look. Wear all the necessary gear and use your smoker. Do things gently, move smoothly. There is no rush. Jarring the boxes and making the bees fly when the temps are not optimal can cause their death or unneeded stress. Working bees when the days are dry and around 50oF is great, but you can check for weight even when the temps are much lower.
Due to such a dry year, you may find your hives are light or simply out of feed. Or you may be able to see the honey and determine that there is still plenty. Or perhaps you may need to take a stored frame and pop it in to boost their food supply. Remember to have four frames of capped honey minimum this time of year, and check often if temps are warm.
If you have none to borrow from other hives, then a winter patty or some fondant may be used as an emergency feed. Starvation is one of the only things that you can control, so be responsible. You may want to try feeding a light syrup to simulate a flow. Putting pollen supplement on is a great way to get a jump start on the season, but know the costs. Every action causes a response in the bees, so think ahead. One potential consequence to jump starting the brood production is that you may also jump start the mite cycle as well.
If March marks the first time you look into your hive, you may find it dead. Fear not. You have just joined the rest of us who have found that to be the case at times as well. Beekeeping is a labor of love and cannot be marked by successes and failures. If your hives may have made it through the winter perfectly for the second year, do not assume that you have it all figured out. Being a beekeeper is also an entomological journey into the world of the wild. Our poor human brains can hardly begin to understand the complexities of the natural world, so don’t beat yourself up when things go badly. Learn from what has happened and move on with open eyes and an open mind.
Having said that, why has your hive died? Much can be learned and you can make the appropriate management changes because something clearly did not work. Get a good book or talk with other beekeepers about what you have seen, and you will find that the knowledge gained from those interactions can make a world of difference in the path of a new year. Clean that puppy out. Get rid of old drone combs and junky boxes. Start the year off right. Leaving your dead AFB hive out to rot because you think you might catch that 100 percent disease-resistant free swarm is not a service to anyone, most of all the bees. Packages and nucs are getting built this month, so get ready and be prepared.
If you are one of the lucky ones and your hives came through great, take a closer look inside. Make sure the hive has a queen. If not, add those frames to another hive if possible. If one of your hives is weak and one strong, move a frame or two over with brood and bees (no queen) to give the weak one a boost, but do mark her for re-queening.
Get those queens and supplies ordered and on their way. If you wait too long, you may not get what you need when you need it. Queens and supplies do run out!
The last thing I would suggest for starting your garden off right this year is to be diligent about your pests and diseases. Be proactive in treating for mites and brood diseases. Non-temperature-dependent mite control measures would be best. Please do not think that this is the last of your spring treatments. I have found more and more that the efficacy of most miticides has been greatly exaggerated. So be diligent and attentive in your observations. Bee aware and keep bees with care.
Happy Keeping!
Jason Rowan