FEBRUARY 2024
I don’t know about you, but January seemed to drag on forever, and I am with Brian Bilston on this one:
Aide-mémoire
Brian Bilston
Thirty days has September,
April, June and November,
Unless a leap year is its fate,
February has twenty-eight
but all the rest have three days more,
expecting January, which has six thousand,
one hundred and eighty-four.
But I have hope, I have seen my bees flying on some of the more unseasonably warm days recently, and it is noticeably lighter in the evenings!
1. What is going on in the hive?
Well by now, your queen bee will be laying again to raise new bees to replace the overwintering bees that will die out. She needs to plan around 6 weeks ahead, bearing in mind that typically a worker bee takes 21 days to emerge, and it will then be a while before she becomes a useful forager. 6 weeks from now is mid-March when things on the bee front will be warming up!
With this in mind, there will be an increased need for warmth in the hive, and extra mouths to feed, not a lot of forage out there, and a declining number of foraging bees as the old bees die out, not to mention some chilly weather.
This all puts pressure on the stores in the hive, and the balance of foragers/nurse bees/brood/food/weather is a tricky one …. so make sure your bees have plenty of food – add some fondant if you are unsure, and keep an eye on it, getting ready to top that up if necessary. I am adding more to mine on Friday 2nd when it will (allegedly) be 13 degrees!
2. Check your hives
It is much too early to do a full inspection of your hives but on a warm day (above 10°C) make a point of watching the entrance of your hives. Is there activity, and what are the bees doing? Are they bringing in pollen?
Make sure that the entrance to the hive is not blocked with dead bees. Undertaker bees can have difficulty getting dead bees out when a mouse guard is in place, so make sure there is no build up behind the mouse guard.
If you are unlucky enough to find a colony that has died out, seal the hive immediately to prevent other colonies from robbing it out, spreading any diseases that may have caused their demise. Make a plan to do the sad job of a post mortem and clear-out of that hive before spring.
3. Check the larder
I had a wander round my garden this morning to see what forage is around for my bees. Winter flowering honeysuckle is in full swing and I saw a massive queen bumblebee enjoying the flowers. Viburnum tinus and primroses and a viola are about and there are signs that hellibores are thinking about it. I was pleased to see some catkins in full flower recently on a walk
4. Improve your knowledge
The 150th BBKA Spring convention is from 12th to 14th April at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, and tickets have just gone on sale. I go every year, and always come away with new knowledge from the various workshops and seminars. Whilst the content is mostly about honeybees, there are several sessions on the Asian Hornet, in particular. There is also a brilliant trade show on the Saturday when you can spend a fortune on bee equipment often at special show prices – I always buy my honey jars here from Freeman and Harding, who usually give a good discount – order them in advance for pick-up at the show!
Take a look at the programme – please note it is best to be quick booking your workshops as in my experience they do sell out!