May is beekeeping season

May is the pinnacle of activity for beekeepers, particularly in the UK where the spring bloom is in full swing. This month is crucial for managing hive health and productivity. Bees are emerging from winter, and colonies are rapidly expanding, which means beekeepers need to be vigilant and proactive. During this period, the risk of swarming increases, and pest pressures, particularly from the Varroa mite, can threaten the hive’s well-being. Effective beekeeping in May involves meticulous monitoring, timely interventions, and ensuring that all necessary equipment is ready for immediate use. The actions taken in this month will significantly influence the success of the beekeeping season, determining the health of the colonies and the yield of honey. By adopting a strategic approach, beekeepers can ensure their colonies are robust, healthy, and capable of thriving throughout the summer. This guide provides essential insights and practical tips for optimal hive management in May.

Monitoring Varroa Levels

Importance of Varroa Monitoring

Regular monitoring of Varroa levels is paramount for maintaining healthy bee colonies and preventing colony collapse. Varroa mites are one of the most significant threats to honeybee health, as they weaken bees by feeding on their bodily fluids and spreading viruses. An unchecked Varroa infestation can decimate a colony, leading to reduced bee population, compromised immunity, and ultimately, colony collapse. In May, as colonies expand rapidly, the Varroa population can also increase, making it crucial to keep a close eye on their numbers.

By diligently monitoring Varroa levels, beekeepers can take timely action to manage these pests before they reach damaging thresholds. This proactive approach not only helps in maintaining colony health but also in ensuring optimal honey production. BeeBase, a comprehensive resource for beekeepers, provides detailed guidance on monitoring and managing Varroa mites. By following these guidelines, beekeepers can accurately assess Varroa levels and implement necessary treatments, thereby safeguarding their colonies.

Using the Managing Varroa Booklet

The Managing Varroa booklet from BeeBase is an invaluable tool for beekeepers. This resource provides detailed information on how to monitor Varroa mite levels and interpret the results. It includes step-by-step instructions on various monitoring techniques, such as sugar shake, alcohol wash, and drone brood uncapping. These methods help in estimating the mite infestation levels within a colony accurately.

Once Varroa counts are obtained, beekeepers can refer to the booklet to determine the appropriate intervention strategies. The booklet outlines threshold levels for mite infestations and suggests suitable treatments based on the severity of the infestation. These treatments range from chemical controls, like miticides, to non-chemical methods, such as drone brood removal and creating brood breaks. By using the Managing Varroa booklet, beekeepers can make informed decisions that align with best practices and current research.

Consistent use of this resource ensures that beekeepers are not only reacting to infestations but are also taking preventive measures to keep Varroa populations under control. This holistic approach to Varroa management is crucial for maintaining robust and thriving colonies throughout the beekeeping season.

Inspection Frequency

Weekly Inspections

Regular inspections are a cornerstone of effective beekeeping, particularly during the bustling month of May. Beekeepers should inspect their colonies at least every seven days to ensure the health and progress of their bees. These weekly inspections allow beekeepers to monitor several critical factors, such as the queen’s laying pattern, the presence of brood in all stages, and the overall condition of the hive. Checking for signs of diseases, pests, and any irregularities in the hive structure or behaviour of the bees is also essential.

During these inspections, it’s crucial to look for signs of adequate food stores, healthy brood patterns, and the general activity level of the bees. Regular checks enable beekeepers to identify potential issues early, such as queen problems or disease outbreaks, and take corrective action before these issues escalate. By maintaining a consistent inspection schedule, beekeepers can ensure that their colonies are thriving and productive, setting a solid foundation for the honey flow season.

Increased Inspection for High-Risk Colonies

Certain colonies, particularly those that are large or have a history of swarming, require more frequent inspections. For these high-risk colonies, increasing the inspection frequency to every four to five days is advisable. Swarming is a natural reproductive behaviour of honeybees, but it can significantly reduce the population of a hive, affecting honey production and colony strength.

Frequent inspections help catch early signs of swarming, such as the presence of queen cells or a decrease in the queen’s laying rate. Beekeepers should look for backfilling, where bees store nectar and pollen in cells meant for brood, indicating preparations for swarming. By inspecting high-risk colonies more often, beekeepers can implement swarm prevention techniques in a timely manner. This might include adding more space to the hive by adding supers, splitting the colony, or managing queen cells effectively.

Increased inspection frequency for at-risk colonies is a proactive measure that helps maintain hive stability and productivity. It allows beekeepers to manage the dynamic and rapidly changing conditions of their hives during this peak season, ensuring the well-being and growth of their bee colonies.

Managing Entrance Blocks

When to Remove Entrance Blocks

Entrance blocks play a crucial role in regulating hive ventilation and defending against pests and robbing by other bees. However, during the bustling month of May, hive activity increases significantly, and entrances can become congested with the increased bee traffic. It’s essential to consider removing entrance blocks if you notice congestion, as it can impede the bees' efficient movement in and out of the hive, potentially affecting their ability to forage and defend the colony. Nonetheless, smaller entrances are generally easier for bees to defend against intruders, so it’s a balance between accessibility and defence.

Monitoring for Congestion

Regularly monitoring hive entrances for congestion is an important task for beekeepers, especially during peak activity periods. Signs of congestion include a cluster of bees waiting to enter the hive or bees struggling to get out. If you observe such conditions, it’s a clear indication that the entrance size needs adjustment. By periodically checking and adjusting the entrance blocks, you can ensure that the hive operates smoothly. This adjustment can involve removing the block entirely or opting for a partially open entrance to facilitate better airflow and bee traffic. Monitoring and adjusting entrance blocks as needed helps maintain a healthy and efficient hive environment, supporting the overall well-being and productivity of the colony.

Evaluating Colony Expansion and Health

Signs of a Healthy, Expanding Colony

Monitoring colonies for signs of expansion and overall health is vital during May when bee activity is at its peak. A healthy, expanding colony typically displays a robust population with bees actively foraging and bringing back pollen and nectar. The presence of brood in all stages—eggs, larvae, and capped pupae—is a positive indicator of a well-functioning queen and a thriving colony. Additionally, the hive should have a good supply of honey and pollen stores, reflecting the bees’ foraging success.

Conversely, failure to thrive during this crucial growth period could indicate underlying issues. A weak or failing queen may lay fewer eggs or produce a poor brood pattern, leading to a dwindling population. Other signs of trouble include patchy brood patterns, where the brood is interspersed with empty cells, or a noticeable absence of brood. Such symptoms might suggest queen problems or more severe health issues like diseases. Two common diseases to be aware of are nosemosis, caused by Nosema parasites, and European foulbrood (EFB), a bacterial infection. Both conditions can severely impact colony health and growth.

Conducting Disease Checks

If you suspect health issues in your colony, conducting thorough disease checks is crucial. Begin by closely inspecting the brood and adult bees for any abnormal signs. Symptoms like discoloured or misshapen larvae, a sour odour from the brood, or bees with deformed wings can indicate disease presence.

For a definitive diagnosis, collect samples of suspect brood or adult bees for microscopic examination. This can help identify pathogens such as Nosema spores or the bacteria causing EFB. In some cases, you might need to send samples to a specialised laboratory for more detailed analysis.

Timely and accurate disease diagnosis allows for prompt and appropriate interventions. Depending on the disease, treatments may include specific medications, improving hive hygiene, or even replacing the queen. In severe cases, it might be necessary to remove and destroy infected combs or entire colonies to prevent the spread of the disease. Regular disease checks and proactive management are essential practices to maintain the health and productivity of your bee colonies, ensuring their successful expansion during the critical spring season.

Handling Oilseed Rape Honey

Harvesting Oilseed Rape Honey

Oilseed rape honey requires timely harvesting to maintain its quality. As soon as the honey is ripe, it should be removed from the hive to prevent it from setting in the comb. Oilseed rape honey has a tendency to granulate quickly due to its high glucose content. Therefore, prompt extraction is crucial. Once harvested, the honey should be processed and stored appropriately to avoid crystallization. By managing the extraction process efficiently, beekeepers can ensure the honey remains in its liquid form, retaining its desirable texture and flavour.

Being 'Kit Ready'

Preparing Spare Equipment

Preparation is key to successful beekeeping, especially during the busy May season. Having plenty of spare equipment on hand is essential to manage unexpected situations efficiently. This includes extra hive parts such as supers, frames, and foundation, as well as tools like hive tools, smokers, and protective clothing. It’s also crucial to have a well-prepared swarm collection kit readily accessible. This kit should contain essential items like a nuc box or swarm bucket, queen cages, and sugar spray.

Having spare equipment and a prepared swarm collection kit ensures that beekeepers can quickly respond to swarming events or other sudden needs without scrambling for supplies. Being well-equipped not only saves time but also helps in maintaining the health and productivity of the colonies. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions and enhances the overall management of the apiary during the peak beekeeping season.

Swarm Prevention Strategies

Adding Supers

One of the most effective swarm prevention strategies is to ensure that the hive has enough space. As colonies grow rapidly in May, adding supers to hives that are becoming crowded is essential. This additional space allows bees to store more nectar and reduce congestion within the hive. This is particularly important near crops like oilseed rape, which produce abundant nectar that can quickly fill up the hive.

When adding supers, it’s crucial to assess the needs of your colony. For strong colonies with high nectar flows, you may need to add more than one super at a time. In some cases, using a brood and a half or double brood configuration can be beneficial. This involves providing extra brood space to accommodate the expanding colony, thereby reducing the likelihood of swarming. By carefully monitoring the hive’s space requirements and adding supers as needed, you can effectively manage the colony’s growth and reduce swarming tendencies.

Monitoring Queen's Laying Rate

Another critical aspect of swarm prevention is monitoring the queen’s laying rate. A slowdown in the queen’s egg-laying activity can be an early indicator of impending swarming. When a colony prepares to swarm, the queen’s laying rate often decreases as worker bees begin to backfill brood cells with nectar and pollen. This process creates congestion in the brood nest, prompting the colony to initiate swarm preparations.

Beekeepers should regularly check the brood frames for signs of backfilling and a reduction in egg-laying. If these signs are present, it may be necessary to take immediate action to prevent swarming. This could involve creating more space in the brood nest by adding frames or temporarily removing frames filled with nectar. Additionally, performing an artificial swarm or splitting the colony can help manage the population and reduce the urge to swarm.

Regularly monitoring the queen’s laying rate and brood nest conditions enables beekeepers to take proactive measures to prevent swarming. By maintaining a spacious and well-organised hive environment, beekeepers can help ensure that their colonies remain productive and healthy throughout the beekeeping season. This vigilance and timely intervention are key to successful swarm management.

Debating Queen Clipping

Consider the Pros and Cons of Clipping Queens

Queen clipping is a beekeeping practice where a small portion of one of the queen’s wings is trimmed to prevent her from flying. This can help in swarm management by preventing the prime swarm, which is the initial and often largest swarm that leaves with the original queen. However, this method is not without its drawbacks and controversies.

Pros:

• Prevents Prime Swarm: By clipping the queen’s wing, beekeepers can prevent her from leaving the hive with the prime swarm. This gives beekeepers more time to notice the signs of swarming and take necessary actions.

• Easier Swarm Recovery: If the hive swarms, the queen will usually fall to the ground outside the hive, making it easier for beekeepers to recover and return her to the hive.

Cons:

• Does Not Prevent Cast Swarms: Even with the queen clipped, the colony can still produce cast swarms (secondary swarms) with virgin queens. This does not fully solve the swarming issue.

• Potential Stress: Clipping the queen can cause stress and harm if not done correctly, potentially affecting her productivity and the overall health of the colony.

• Ethical Considerations: Some beekeepers view clipping as an unnatural interference with the bees' natural behaviours, preferring to use other swarm prevention methods.

Understanding Queen Cups and Cells

Queen cups are the initial stages of queen cell development, which bees construct as a preparatory measure for swarming or replacing the queen. Simply knocking down these queen cups and cells will not prevent swarming, as bees can quickly rebuild them.

Limitations of Knocking Down Queen Cups and Cells:

• Temporary Solution: Destroying queen cups provides only a temporary respite. Bees determined to swarm will rebuild these structures quickly, often within days.

• Disruptive: Continuously knocking down queen cells can be disruptive to the colony, causing stress and potential harm.

Pre-emptive Artificial Swarms: A more effective approach can be conducting pre-emptive artificial swarms. This involves splitting the colony before they decide to swarm on their own.

• Controlled Swarm Management: By artificially splitting the colony, beekeepers can manage the swarm in a controlled manner, reducing the risk of losing bees and maintaining colony health.

• Simulates Natural Swarming: This method simulates the natural swarming process but allows beekeepers to manage it on their terms, ensuring both the parent colony and the new split have queens and sufficient resources.

While queen clipping can help prevent the prime swarm, it does not address the root cause of swarming and may introduce additional stress and ethical concerns. Understanding the limitations of simply destroying queen cells and considering pre-emptive artificial swarms can provide more holistic and effective swarm management solutions.

Swarm Control Techniques

Artificially Splitting Colonies

When charged queen cells are seen in the hive, it often indicates that the bees have decided to swarm, and swarm prevention measures might be too late. At this stage, the best course of action is to artificially split the colony. This involves creating a new hive from part of the existing one, simulating the natural swarming process but under the beekeeper's control.

To perform an artificial split, locate the queen and move her along with several frames of brood, bees, and stores to a new hive. Ensure that both the original and new colonies have enough resources and bees to continue thriving. This split helps in managing the bee population, reducing congestion, and mitigating the risk of losing bees to swarming. Additionally, it provides an opportunity to raise a new queen in the original colony from the charged queen cells.

Various Methods of Swarm Control

There are multiple swarm control methods, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these methods allows beekeepers to choose the best strategy for their specific situation.

1. Demaree Method:

   • Pros: Effective in preventing swarming while keeping the colony together. It involves moving the queen and some brood to a different box within the same hive setup.

   • Cons: Can be labor-intensive and requires careful hive management to ensure success.

2. Pagden Method:

   • Pros: Simple and widely used method where the queen and flying bees are separated from the brood, mimicking a natural swarm.

   • Cons: Requires additional equipment and space for the new hive setup.

3. Snelgrove Method:

   • Pros: Versatile and allows for controlled queen rearing. Uses a double brood box with a divided hive structure.

   • Cons: Complex and requires precise timing and management.

4. Artificial Swarm:

   • Pros: Directly addresses the swarming impulse by physically separating the colony. Effective for immediate swarm control.

   • Cons: Requires careful handling and can disrupt colony dynamics temporarily.

Each swarm control method has its unique application and effectiveness, depending on the specific circumstances of the hive and the beekeeper's experience. By understanding and implementing these techniques, beekeepers can better manage swarming, ensuring the health and productivity of their colonies.

Buying Local Bees

First Season Beekeepers

For new beekeepers, purchasing an overwintered nuc (nucleus colony) of local bees in May is an excellent strategy to start their beekeeping journey. After completing an introductory course, which provides essential knowledge and hands-on experience, beginners are better equipped to manage their first hives. Local bees, which have survived the winter and are adapted to the regional climate and flora, offer several advantages. They are typically more resilient to local pests and diseases and better suited to the area's environmental conditions, ensuring a higher chance of success for novice beekeepers.

An overwintered nuc contains a small, established colony with a queen, workers, brood, and stores. This setup allows new beekeepers to observe and learn from a functioning hive, facilitating a smoother learning curve. Additionally, starting with a local nuc supports sustainable beekeeping practices by promoting genetic diversity and local adaptation.

May is a vital month for beekeepers, since it marks the beginning of the season and is filled with important events. Every work demands prompt attention and action, whether it's checking hives frequently, maintaining entrance blocks, or dealing oilseed rape honey. The health and production of a colony can be greatly affected by not having spare equipment on hand, not using efficient measures to avoid and control swarms, and not starting with local bees. In order to have a fruitful and satisfying beekeeping season, beekeepers should follow some best practices to make sure their colonies survive. May can be a challenging month for beekeepers, but with determination, preparation, and proactive management, they can overcome the obstacles and reap the rewards of strong, healthy bee colonies.