April - Start of the Beekeeping Year

April - Start of the Beekeeping Year

Last Updated (Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00) Written by Administrator Wednesday, 05 August 2009 15:45

April - Start of the Beekeeping Year

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April - Start of the Beekeeping Year

In the UK, April brings with it the start of noticeable activity in the hive.  As the weather warms up the queen becomes more active and starts laying her eggs in earnest, and the colony slowly increases in size.  The bees will naturally replace ageing queens, and respond to a lack of space in the hive by swarming.  As our crops and garden trees and flowers spring into life, the bees will start collecting pollen and nectar to convert into honey.

April is usually the time of the first hive inspection of the year. It is best to wait for a warm day, around 12 noon if possible - this is when the majority of foraging bees will be out of the hive collecting nectar and pollen.  A good rule of thumb is to choose a day when the temperature allows you to feel comfortable in short sleeves.

There are usually an anxious few moments as we prepare to look into the hive to see how the bees have survived over the winter months.  Armed with our list of Beekeepers questions, we gently remove the roof and take a peek inside -

• Is there enough room in the colony? There should be enough space in the hive for the queen to lay her eggs, and for the foraging bees to store their nectar and pollen as they bring it into the hive. Once seven to eight frames contain brood, this is the time to add a queen excluder and a super to the hive.
• Is the queen in residence, and laying? It is possible to see the eggs that the queen has laid in the cells, the position they are lying in will tell you how old the eggs are. It is not critical that the queen herself is seen, we can tell she is there by the presence of her eggs.
• Is the colony building up at an acceptable rate? If we have more than one colony it is useful to compare progress. If not, we can check how neighbouring beekeepers are doing. If a colony is very slow to develop, there is probably a reason for this, and it should be investigated with the help of an experienced beekeeper.
• Are there any queen cells? It is very important to check each frame for the presence of queen cells. These are often found on the edges or the bottom of frames. Initially they look similar to an acorn cup, and these are known as queen cells, and are usually ok to leave in the hive. If a play cup contains an egg, or a larva surrounded by brood food, this should be destroyed, as it could be turned into a queen cell in future days. If queen cells containing eggs are not removed, the eggs could hatch, and this could lead to a swarm before the next inspection. If you find a sealed queen cell, which looks like a peanut shell, this means the swarm has probably already left the hive.
• Is there enough food? There should always be about two full frames of stores in the colony, to act as a reserve in times of poor weather. Sugar syrup may be fed if in doubt.
• Are there any signs of disease? It is important to recognise the signs of disease - The National Bee Unit at Defra issue free downloadable booklets - http://beebase.csl.gov.uk/

As each colony is inspected it is good practice to keep a record of findings.  This is a useful reminder, as well as being a handy reference for what may be needed for our next inspection. Typically, the following is recorded - date, frames occupied, frames with brood, brood stages seen, stores, behaviour, queen seen, queen cells seen, weather, disease and any remarks.

Swarming is a natural process used by the bees to reproduce and replace ageing queens.  We can tell that a swarm is likely by the presence of queen cells.  The production of these cells is triggered by a decrease in the quantity of queen substance reaching the workers, which usually starts to happen when the queen is around 18 months of age.  A cramped colony may also lead to swarming.  Regular checks of the colony can prevent or control swarming.  An aging queen may be replaced by a young one by the beekeeper, either by buying a new queen or rearing one.  

There are several methods of swarm control, and one of these should be chosen to manage a potentially 'swarmy' colony.  The most common method is the Artificial Swarm, which is a fairly simple procedure that is usually successful.  This method allows the existing queen to carry on laying and the foraging bees to continue without any loss of honey production.  This is also a method of increasing from one to two colonies, if required.  




Beekeeper's Checklist - April

• Time to start regular weekly inspections
• Ensure there is enough space in the colony - add a queen excluder and super/s
• Decide on your swarm control method - ensure you have enough equipment ready
• Have swarm collection equipment handy - large strong cardboard box and sheet big enough to wrap around the box
• Ensure you have enough frames ready with foundation - brood and super size.
• Make sure all your equipment is clean, hygienic and in good condition.