You may have heard about the June Gap – this refers to the period after the end of the flush of Spring blossoms and the beginning of later flowering trees and plants. The so-called “gap” will vary from place to place according to the local micro-climate and soils; and from year to year. The beekeeper needs to be vigilant: not only surveying the local landscape and gardens but also recognising what is happening in each colony. At the end of May I found two colonies that were falling very low on stores of nectar so have already given them a boost of liquid feed. Whilst at the same time, a mile and a half away at home I have a colony with a super nearly full of capped and uncapped honey.
At the same time as possible dearth of food, I have been looking out for signs of swarming and started to consider taking preventive action. Swarming is the natural impulse for a honeybee colony to reproduce by splitting itself in half – or as beekeepers say ‘losing half their bees’.
There are several actions for the beekeeper to take if he or she wants to keep all their bees.
- Make sure that there is sufficient space for the burgeoning colony to develop. The Queen needs space to lay her eggs and can’t do so if the brood box is full of stores – add a super either as an additional brood box below the existing brood box [to give more space of laying eggs or above the Queen excluder to take more nectar and honey.
- Check for Queen cups and Queen cells. Don’t unthinkingly destroy all the cups and cells. First, the bees will start rebuilding them as soon as you turn your back. Also it may well be that the colony has decided that it needs a new Queen ie supercedure.
- Make a split. Read Wally Shaw’s booklet An Apiary Guide to Swarm Control.
Jobs for the month
- Weekly inspections – looking out for Queen cups and cells
- Check for disease – European Foul Brood has been reported in the Neath area
- Check for level of Varroa infestation
- Consider whether you can take off a Spring honey harvest
Guidance