     |
         |
|
|
Do you have a tip or trick which might benefit others? We would encourage you to share it with us. We'll review it and you may find it on this page, and of course, we will give you credit. We will update this page on a monthly basis, or whenever we have information to share.  February 28, 2006 Many colonies are lost in March and April. The queen is starting to lay more and the workers loosen the cluster to kept the brood warm. A cold night can take its toll on a hive. The colony is consuming more resources to feed the developing brood. We see quite a few colonies lost to starvation this time of year. Be sure to keep a close watch on them to be sure they have sufficient honey, corn syrup, or sugar water. If you want to see them build their numbers add a pollen patty to help with the brood rearing
October 11, 2005
August 1, 2005 Be sure to monitor your mite levels. Now is the time of year when the populations are exploding, which means your bee population are taking the hit. Many colonies are lost because beekeepers chase the fall goldenrod flow while the mites exceed the colonies ability to cope. We have started pulling honey as part of our early harvest, and so far the harvest is below average. By taking the honey mid-summer, it simulates the bees to keep working. Harvesting twice often results in a larger crop overall. With luck the fall flow will be a good one. June 12, 2005 In the northeast, May was one for the record books as being unseasonably cool,
but June has turned things around with unseasonably hot and humid weather. With the high temperatures you might want to give them
a bit of ventilation by putting a stick under the inner cover. Also, there is a good flow so now would be a the time to add your
comb honey super.
If you started nucs or packages on new equipment, take a look, they may need the second story. Just be sure they are
moving laterally before you give them room to move vertically. We usually wait until they have about 8 frames drawn. We then move
the number 1 and 10 frame inward and add the second story. If it is added too early, the bees will just move up and not out. As a
result them might not store enough honey for winter.
With strong brood rearing comes the potential for increasing mite levels. Monitor, monitor, monitor. The only way to know
if there is a mite problem before it's too late is to monitor. If you are drone trapping, be sure to remove the full drone
frames every 3 weeks. Want more information on drone trapping and the benefits? Take a look at our information on how to use
the Pierco Drone Frame.
If you need information on how to check your mite levels, you can look at our FAQ page and number #6 on how to do a
Sugar Shake May 7, 2005 Its hard to believe it is only May with the weather we
had back in April. The nectar is flowing in the northeast. Dandelions are blooming which is a good indicator to
get the supers on overwintered colonies, if you haven't already. Some of our hives have a super worth of
honey already. If you hived a package on new equipment back in mid April, take a look. If they have 3/4 of the
brood chamber drawn out add the second brood chamber. Stay ahead of the bees!
April 6, 2005 Monitor you mite level with a sticky board or sugar
shake. This time of year in the northeast, if your sugar shake has 3-4 mites, steps will need to be taken
to reduce your mite levels. March 8, 2005 Check colonies that have overwintered to see if they need feeding. Those that are light, start feeding corn
syrup. Now is a dangerous time and when many colonies are lost. Bees are becoming more active and may consume
their food reserves resulting in starvation. February 1, 2005 Now is the time to start getting your equipment ready for the coming season. It seems like spring is right around the corner, or maybe after those nights at -20F these 30 degree days it just feels like short and t-shirt weather. Hardware stores often have returned cans of paint, which they can sometimes match if you need more than one can. Save some money and use these returned cans to freshup old equipment or put a few coats on new equipment. Use darker colors in the north and lighter colors in the south. If you haven't ordered your bees yet, we suggest doing so. We still have some left but they are going fast. If you are not in our area, we recommend contacting a Local Beekeeping Association. They often have members that sell bees. |