Early summer temps can drive Beekeepers crazy & Awesome video
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All the Beekeepers might know this but everyone else might be interested in what is going on with the beekeepers and this crazy weather.
Early warm temperatures have the hives bursting with bees!
Have not written a newsletter lately and here is why. We have been going through all the hives changing them all over to 9 frame supers, adding new foundation and checker boarding them to keep the bees from swarming. We usually do this starting 2nd or 3rd week of April. The amount of bees in the hives is what is usually found in July at the peak of the season. Well we just finished doing the hive work April 1st and I get the calls “the Apples are ready to bloom where are my bees” so we had to pack up the bees and move them into the orchards. We usually don’t move into the orchards until May 1st. The timing is now all messed up and it’s hard to figure out what is next. We should be splitting 80 hives but the queens are not coming until April 26. When we get done splitting, these 80 hives will be around 200 which is another problem. There is not enough equipment for this big of an increase.
Now here is the real dilemma. With all the early trees blooming will there be a honey dearth at the end of April and into May and the bees starve to death. Will the hives become stressed and give the hive beetles a chance to lay eggs and destroy the hive. What if??, What if??, What if?? This is what keeps a Beekeeper up nights and the more bees you have the more sleep we loose.
Here is a link to an awesome 9 minute video about pollinators. Pay attention to the Hummingbird and bat. #bobthebeeguy
Bob Jastrzebski
“Bob the Bee Guy”
734-748-2185