So, my bees have been having fun in April. They are lucky enough to be based in an orchard. This means that they have lots of early nectar and pollen close by and the colonies have been building up really well.
No matter how hard I try to give the bees enough space, I do find that a couple of hives will start swarm preparations. This means swarm control is necessary to stop a swarm emerging from the hive, loss of 70% of the bees with the swarm, and the loss of a potential spring honey crop.
So swarm control has been practiced on a few hives, increasing my total numbers, and hopefully enabling me to get a spring (late May) honey crop. Of course, one of the hives that I needed to practice swarm control on, are the slightly feisty hive with an unmarked queen. With lots of perseverance, the queen was found, and is now marked to make this procedure easier in the future. I don’t like to keep feisty bees, so this queen will be replaced with a better natured queen later in the year.
I always try really hard to prepare for spring in the apiary during the winter by making up lots of frames in advance and having it all ready. Of course, the bees are always one step ahead, and so, I am playing catch up. I didn’t expect that one of my hives would have 4 supers (where we collect the honey) on in April just to give them enough space. Beekeeping certainly keeps me on my toes.
