#6 Presented By The Ohio State Beekeeper’s Association Spring management – feeding, requeening, hive inspections, adding honey supers, etc. #6 Presented By The Ohio State Beekeeper’s Association

Getting Ready for Spring!

Hive Population Growth In the Spring/winter…. In Ohio queens begin laying in late January and you will find small patches of capped brood in February. This growth increases in March and April. This chart is based upon a chart released by OSU in 1976 of an ideal colony entering January with a population of 40,000 bees.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring management really began last fall. We put our entrance guards on our hives We made sure our hive had enough honey surplus for the bees to survive the winter. We tilted the bottom board so water would not run into the hive. We provided upper ventilation We provided a wind break for the hive. And we treated for mites. And so why do we need to worry about spring?

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management    If your bees survived the winter, there are things that need to be done.  You can open your hive even during cold weather. However, do not pull out any frames. You will need to carry out an early hive inspection.  Things you will look for and do: You can take the top cover off to see if the bees are alive. Good sign: The bees are alive!

Getting Ready for Spring! It is winter and snow is still on the ground. Temperature’s are getting into the single figures overnight. What are our bees doing? It is okay to open a hive but do not pull any frames out of the hive for inspection!

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management   You can get into your hive anytime the temperature of the outside air reaches 55 degrees F. It will be better if you wait until the temperature gets to 60 degrees or more.   Things you will look for and do: Are the bees flying? Are they in the cluster? The thermometer in the picture shows 55 degrees.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Open the hive, and check to see how many frames the bees seem to be covering. You do not want to leave this hive open very long on a cool day like this.  Also check the hives weight. If light, the hive will need to be fed. 

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Do they need feed? If so, it should be one of your higher priorities. Many people feed sugar syrup. Use a heavier mixture 1:1 sugar and water early in spring and later go to 2 parts water and 1 part sugar.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Do they need feed? There are many types of feeders. One that I do not recommend in early spring is called the Boardman Feeder. Can you see why the boardman feeder in this picture is not doing the bees any good?

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management There are many types of feeders. Division board feeders fit inside the hive. One Gallon Bucket to feed over the inner cover hole. Top feeder -- no picture shown.

Getting Ready for Spring! A warm day finally arrives…. The bees have been fed….. We are now ready for a real hive inspection!

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management When the bees are flying and the temperatures have warmed up to 60 degrees or so: Open the hive……….    If there is no brood you have a problem -- You will need to purchase a new queen immediately. If the queen is laying poorly, replace her.  Don't kill her until the new queen arrives. Again, don’t keep the hive open for very long.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Check the hive for any mouse damage.  Mice get into the hives during winter and build a nest in the lower corner of frames.  If this has happened, remove the frames that are damaged -- remove the nest and check to make sure no mice are running around inside the hive. 

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Cleaning chores…..   Clean all debris from the bottom board.   Loosen frames and clean them if necessary. Clean around the hives.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management   If your hive is weak, you might consider buying a two pound package of bees.  You can kill the old queen and introduce the package to the rest of the bees still in the hive.  As you get more hives, you will be able to borrow frames of bees and brood from your strongest hives and make the weaker hive stronger.  In beekeeper terms this is called "equalizing the brood". You will also want to treat your hive for mites.   Hopefully, the practice of putting chemicals in a hive to save the bees will soon end with the introduction of queens that are mite resistant.  It appears that we may be getting stock that can hold its own against varroa mite.  We have already achieved it with the tracheal mite.  If you need a new queen, certainly consider the mite resistant stock available.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management Another thing you might want to check would be: Are any critters brothering your bees.   Skunks are a problem in some areas.  Bears can be a problem (You will see the damage without any trouble).   Skunks eat honey bees and once they discover a meal to be had, they will be back every night.  Signs of skunk damage:  the grass in front of the hive entrance will be matted down and if the skunk has been working the hive over a period of time, the grass will be worn away showing a bare patch of dirt in front of the hive.  You will also find scratch marks on the front of the hive.  Skunks disturb the hive and when a honey bees comes out the entrance to check to see what has caused that disturbance, the skunk will have a meal. You may have to re-level your hive. Check for hive maintenance.  Does it hive need a new coat of paint?   Be proud of your hive/hives.   If you maintain your equipment, it will last for a long time.  

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management -- Adding supers You can expect your hive to develop swarming fever!  It is important to be one step ahead of the bees.   This is about the same time apple trees begin to bloom.  Bees will not usually gather a honey crop from apple and maple.   They will however be using the pollen and nectar for brood rearing.  As the population explodes, the bees will be crowded without the extra space. Bees swarm as early as mid April in Ohio. You will be faced with the decision to make splits (discussed in the next series of slides), or add honey supers to expand the room available for the bees.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management -- Spring inspection Examination of your hives requires a careful check of each hive. This is called a spring inspection.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management -- inspections What you want to accomplish… Check on the condition of the queen (brood patterns, population size etc.) Check for diseases. Check for equipment needs. Your goal is to get your hive to maximum hive strength for the nectar flow – for your surplus honey and their survival.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management -- Spring inspections It is easier to examine the hive in the spring because the bee population is small. You could find your queen to mark her and clip her wings if desired.

Getting Ready for Spring! Spring Management -- Pollen and Nectar sources…. Ohio has a wide assortment of flowering trees, shrubs, and flowering plants. Ohio is not a major honey producing state. However, our bees do gather surplus honey!

Getting Ready for Spring! Pollen and Nectar sources…. As the weather warms in Ohio, the bees will become active seeking pollen and nectar.

Getting Ready for Spring! Pollen and Nectar sources…. The bees use this for brood production… It takes approximately one frame of nectar and one frame of pollen to produce one frame of brood. March is a very important month for the growth of a hives bee population. They consume a lot of food.

Pollen and Nectar sources…. Late Spring -- Beginning of honey flow Raspberries Black Locust Honeysuckle

Pollen and Nectar sources…. Late Spring -- Honey plants…. White Clover Various mints Wild flowers

Getting Ready for Spring! Some comments about equipment… A shallow honey super A medium honey super Do you need a queen excluder?

Getting Ready for Spring! Some comments about equipment… A shallow honey super Weight when full of honey about 30 lbs. The dimensions of a shallow super are: 19-13/16” x 16-1/4” x 5-3/4” The shallow frame is 5-3/8” deep. One can use various types of foundation in them: Honey production -- usually called brood foundation and can be wired or plain. Cut Comb production – thin foundation used for comb honey production or sometimes called cut comb foundation. Pictures from Dadant Catalog

Getting Ready for Spring! Some comments about equipment… A medium honey super -- Weight when full of honey about 40 lbs. These are normally used for honey production. Foundation can be wired or plain. New in the last 10+ years is plastic frames & foundation.

Getting Ready for Spring! Some comments about equipment… Do you need a queen excluder? Some beekeepers call a queen excluder a “bee excluder.” They find that honey bees resist going up thru the bee excluder to deposit honey in the honey super. It is an interesting topic and you will find those who recommend them and others who curse them. However, if you are producing comb honey, one is essential to keep the queen out of the honey supers. If the queen gets up into the honey supers, she will lay eggs – thus the comb will darken, and the pupa will create cocoons in the cells which make the wax undesirable.

Getting Ready for Summer! Summer is most likely the most pleasant season of the year! Packages have been picked up and installed. Hive inspections have been done. Honey supers added. It is now time for the bees to do their work! Time even for a vacation, unless you are a commercial guy!

Getting Ready for Summer! Finis