BlueRidgeBee

 

 In the Spring and early Summer the hives really build up and the danger of swarming is ever present. When you see them building up you have to give them room to grow. If they believe they are out of room they will start planning to swarm. I added on to my hive that was growing very large to give them room. Even after giving them more room they just kept growing in number. I made a walk away split yesterday to give them even more room. A walk away split is where you move some bees, brood with nurse bees on them, and frames with some honey and pollen on them. They will have to make a queen in the hive without one. It gets hard to do hive checks when you have so many boxes to check. Good news they have been bringing in lots of honey this year so I should be able to harvest soon.      

 You have to love the spring time. New life is all around. The trees and flowers are starting to bloom and the birds are singing. Of course many people curse the spring because of pollen, but not we bee keepers. Pollen is needed by our bees to produce new brood for the coming honey harvest. My bees have been collecting pollen through out February this year. Our red maples start budding in February and the daffodils are blooming, as well as, many weed varieties like dandelion and henbit.  Some years I have had trouble getting my bees to live through the winter but this year they have done wonderfully. The hive is strong and vibrant. I am treating with Formic Acid Pro strips as it needs to be between 50 and 85 degrees and it does not contaminate honey supers, so it makes the best treatment for this time of year. Always do 1 strip 10 days then second strip 10 days as I did two strips 14 days and it killed my hive. Also, open the entrance excluder as the directions say. I did a th...

 Here in South Carolina we get a little cold weather in January or February, but nothing too bad. That is normally. We have had affects from the polar vortex this week dropping temps into the teens with wind chills to 0. In order to prepare I wanted to make sure my bees had the best chance of survival. As you know they like to keep it 90 degrees around the queen at all times. In order to do this they flap their wings vigorously. This causes them to use energy that has to be replenished with food. Since I robbed them in the Summer I have to make sure they have plenty. I fed them sugar water in late fall so they could store it for winter but I don't want to use that with these freezing temperatures, so I feed them a solid over winter food. There are many different ones out there and many have nutrients and other things to help as well. They don't need much if any pollen as they are not making lots of brood. They mostly need carbs. We are just trying to get them to survive. You ca...

Preparing for Winter Video Honey bees prepare for winter in several ways to ensure the survival of the colony: 1. Honey Storage: Bees work hard in the warmer months to collect nectar and pollen, which they convert into honey. This stored honey serves as their primary food source during winter when foraging is impossible. 2. Reducing Activity: As the temperature drops, honey bees become less active. The queen reduces her egg-laying, and the colony's population decreases, as fewer worker bees are needed to maintain the hive. 3. Forming a Cluster: To stay warm, bees form a tight cluster around the queen in the hive. The outer bees shiver their flight muscles to generate heat, while the bees in the center of the cluster stay warm. The cluster moves around the hive as needed to access stored honey. 4. Sealing the Hive: Bees use propolis (a resinous substance) to seal any cracks in the hive, insulating it against cold drafts. This helps maintain the temperature inside the hiv...

 In late August in South Carolina, as in other places, we sometimes see bees bearding in front of the the hive box. This can happen for several reasons and should not be mistaken for preparing to swarm. The times I have seen a hive getting ready to swarm there was a large number of bees in front and flying around the hive.  Bearding happens because it is hot in the hive in late afternoon and they are helping to keep the hive cooler by hanging outside. Also, when the nectar dearth happens, there is not much nectar to be found, they don't have as much work to do. Also, there may not be any empty cells for nectar. Always do a hive check and make sure everything looks good and there is room for growth. See a bearding hive at 5:16 PM vs 2:35 PM. 5:16 PM 2:35 PM  Here is a pre-swarm hive. You can see a big difference. This was happening in April. I put them back in the hive but swarming was on there mind and eventually they did swarm.