Wow - it's been almost a year and I haven't written a word here? It's certainly been a crazy time for us over the year personally. Lots of illness, but the Apiary goes on.
Year in Review
We had two swarms in early spring. Seems like we'll need to watch the weather more closely. When do swarms happen? When the hive gets too small to support the number of bees if it happens in Spring!
If you ever see one in Butler or Saxonburg area, we're happy to come catch them!
April 27th Swarm
April 30th Swarm
May 1st Swarm
Healthy Swarms?
How do you keep the swarms healthy? Well, that can be tough. But feeding and checking them frequently can help. One of the swarms lost its queen. In that case, you can order a queen from various retailers or from a local beekeeper who sells queens. Here is our replacement queen - a Saskatraz queen.
She comes with a couple worker bees. I brought her inside while I worked so that she wouldn't get cold until I had time to suit up and go put her in the hive.
What else happened in nature during 2024?
Did you all get to see the eclipse? We headed south to Hot Springs, Arkansas, to be in the line of totality. What a sight to see!
Who stepped outside to watch aurora borealis? How cool that it would head as far south as us in PA? And not just once, but twice!
Year to Come
For the upcoming year, we have planned to attend the Western Pennsylvania Beekeeping Seminar on February 7th and 8th. I hope if you are new to beekeeping or thinking about starting this as a hobby, you come! Great information and a way to network with other beekeepers!
I've already ordered a nuc for replacing any deadouts from this winter. Mann Lake has several to choose from. This year, I am going to try OHB Golden West variety. I'll let you know what they are and how it goes!
Extreme Cold
Our recent extreme cold has left us short a couple hives since November. Chris noted we lost at least two. We haven't had cold like this in a while. It can be very difficult to keep them going during cold months.
One thing you can do is wrap the hives. We do this with either bee cozies - yes, you read that right. Or just using Expanded Polystyrene Board Insulation and a little bit of duct tape.
The other thing is to keep them happy by feeding them. There's lots of recipes. I can't say which one is best - but you do what you want to do. This year we are trying Pro-Winter Feed. We have tried sugar patties, fondant and other forms of feed. We have bought the fondant in bulk from Stover & Company from down in Cheswick, PA.
Get Ahead of Swarms
So what is our plan to limit the number of swarms this year? We are going to restudy Randy Oliver's article on The Swarming Impulse. What are his tips?
- Check hives early - in March for us in PA. Look for swarm cells.
- Put a box on early. Bees work upward in the hive. So if they get to the lid and need more space, they need another box - even if the bottom box is empty.
Call us if you see one! I'm happy to come out and collect it - if it isn't too high or in a wall.... Swarms happen during April through early June. You can see swarms later in the year, but in PA, those are the typical months.
Check Your Skills
What is this bump out on the frame? And what kind?
