Thoughts on this month in beekeeping by Janine Sparks
DECEMBER 2024
At last some colder weather and the bees will be tucked up in a cluster, and not expending energy flying. Nevertheless, it is important to continue to keep an eye on stores. So heft your hives or (as I do) just put some fondant on just in case.
Don’t be worried by a few dead bees on the landing board or in front of the hive – this is normal and tells you that you have undertaker bees doing their job, clearing out those that came to the end of their working life. Just make sure the dead bodies are not blocking the entrance!
Make sure your hives are protected from the elements and wildlife as appropriate – just check they are ok periodically, especially if there are any extremes of weather. If you have mice around, fit your mouse guards now to keep them out, if you haven’t already done so.
On a warmer day, check to see if any bees are flying. Mine were going mad last week when it was so warm. I don’t have any flowers at all in my garden now, so I wonder what if anything they were finding!
What’s going on in the hive?
The queen may still lay eggs through the winter, so you should see bees bringing in pollen on warmer days. Apart from that, the bees will go into a cluster in the colder weather to keep warm.
What’s in the larder?
There is very little forage around now. My ivy has finished but there is hope – my winter honeysuckle is almost in bloom, and the viburnum tinus is trying to get going. The recent colder weather has killed off those flowers that were flowering in our warm autumn.
Now is the time to finish off any kit cleaning, then put your feet up and catch up on back issues of Bee Craft and BBKA News, reminiscing on the difficult beekeeping year most of us have had, and looking forward to a better year in 2025! Wishing you all a very merry Christmas, and very best wishes for a healthy and productive New Year!