The Beekeeper’s Year

Here are some tips for your beekeeping throughout the year. New beekeepers in particular may find them useful as they provide suggestions about the things to be doing and looking out for at different times of the year. They are not set in stone, purely a rough guide!

January

• Week 1 – Treat hives with Apibioxal. (Come along to our Association Apiary in January for a demonstration on how to do this, followed by a barbeque.)

• Look out for winter sales of beekeeping equipment

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• Week 2 – Heft hives for stores. If light put on ‘Fondabee’, or an equivalent product.

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    Winter Feeding

• Isolation starvation is a possibility until pollen and nectar is available again in March or April.

• Small colonies are also more likely to starve.

• Bees may have difficulty accessing stores that are not immediately next to them because it requires them to move out of their cluster formation.

• Heft your hives throughout the year and at the start of the winter to get a feel for what a well fed colony feels like in weight. This is a skill that improves with experience...To survive Winter a colony will need at least 18kg/40 lb of stores or 8 solidly filled out brood frames.

• If in any doubt, then fees your bees, they can’t be overfed. Feeding is certainly preferable to finding your bees starved and dead in March! 

• Syrup should not be left on the hive over-winter as it can ferment, giving the bees dysentry.

• Dry feed with Fondabee or soft fondant candy. It can be left on the hive for a long time without serious deterioration and the bees can use it, as and when they want. Place it in a shallow plastic container and pop it upside-down over a feed hole in the crown board above the colony cluster.

• Your hives should have access to a water source close-by the hive.

• Ensure you have removed your queen excluders in Autumn!

• Colonies may benefit from added insulation, particularly in the roof of the hive.

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• Week 3 – Check food.

• Week 4 – Check food and get ahead with winter cleaning!

    Winter Cleaning

• Before oxalic treatment, remove varroa catchment boards, wash and clean using boiling water, washing soda and a little fairy liquid. Use gloves and a hand brush and scrub clean. Allow to dry.

• Clean all tools, including the smoker. Wash all clothing using some washing soda in the machine as it will help to remove propolis etc.

• On a good day, take out all spare hives from the garage or shed. Remove frames and check for mouse or wax moth damage. With a blow torch sterilise all brood boxes, supers, floors, crown boards, queen excluders and lids. Make sure they are all in good condition. Weatherproof if necessary.

• Check all brood and super frames. Remove all discoloured or mouldy wax and wash these frames. Use, where possible, a Burco boiler or similar and bring water to a rolling boil. Add 1kg washing soda, keep on a rolling boil and dunk the frames in the water. Wear heavy, protective gloves whilst doing this! Turn the frames over and dunk again. By now all wax and propolis should be removed from the frames.

• Remember – Clean wax reduces the risk of AFB, EFB and a host of other diseases. Clean super frames and wax improves the quality and flavour of the honey. If possible, in April replace the winter brood boxes with newly cleaned ones.

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