Crossroads Beekeepers: March 2016

Bee Calendar of Beekeeper's Care

Crossroads Bee Keepers Association

January

Check out the bee catalogs, make an inventory of equipment, paint and repair any damage, anticipate the new year of bee keeping, and then enjoy the solitude.

The next 2 months are usually our most brutal weather.

Review last year's records to make any changes or additions
Read, Research & Check out Youtube & especially the university web sites
Make sure colonies have food. On near 50 degree windless days get in & out quickly. Do not remove any frames
Check & clear hive openings so bees can get out for cleansing flights, especially after a snow fall
Order equipment and place your order for new queens, packages or nucs
Late in January brood rearing begins, so you may want to start feeding pollen patties w/ carbohydrates for energy and protein to in courage brood production.

Februarv

Early Feb. good time for oxalic acid vaper. Little or no brood
Check clead outs, fine dead queen for swarm lure. Order new bees
Begin both liquid & dry feeding outside hives on warmer days
Queen is laying, brood is building up & food stores are used up more quickly to keep brood warm
After winter solstice, pollen patties, dry pollen substitute w/ carbohydrates maybe fed
Make new hive stands & locations

March

Continue feeding pollen patties for brood production and your choice of winter supplemental food
Check queens brood pattern, she is laying at almost full capacity
Treat for Nosema. (Pro Health or Honey-B-Healthy) (Essential oils) (Fumagilin B)
Order new bees
Reverse hive bodies & clean bottom board
Clean dead outs, freeze frames to controlwax moths & search for & save dead queen for swarm traps
ln depth inspection, weather permitting (Call your lllinois State Bee inspector)

April

Make artificial swarm 10 days before swarm season OTS (On The Spot queen rearing)
Feed sugar solution 1 :1 or 2:1 and pollen substitute if you haven't already
Reverse hive bodies & clean bottom board
lnstall new bees . ln depth inspection (Call you lllinois State Bee inspector) great learning experience
Check for queen, eggs, brood pattern & for capped brood
Look for swarm cells. Swarm season begins
Check honey supers & add if necessary
Treat for Nosema (Pro Health or Honey-B-Healthy) (Essential oils) (Fumigilin B)
Treat for Small Hive Beetles (traps, essential oil,)
Treat for Tracheal mites (grease patties, menthol)
Check & treat for Varroa mites (Ether roll) (Drone comb) ( Fogging) (Essential oils mix)
Split strong colonies
Re-Queen
Heaviest nectar flow begins in late April & continues for about 2 months

Mav

Hive splits are best done in May & June
lnstall new bees
ln depth inspection
Check for queen, brood pattern ,eggs, larva & for capped brood
Look for swarm cells
Check honey supers & add if necessary
Check & treat for Varroa mites (Either roll) (Drone comb) (Esserttial oil mix)
Treat for small hive beetles (traps, essential oil mix)
Treat for tracheal mites (grease patties, menthol)
Re-Queen

June

Split strong colonies
lnstall new bees
Queens hatched after the summer solstice will continue laying through October
Check for queen, eggs, brood pattern & for capped brood
Check honey supers & harvest honey
Check ventilation
Continue checking for Hive beetles, Varroa & Tracheal mites

Julv

Usually after July 4ththe honey flow slows down. Let bees build up food stores
Check for eggs & queen
Check capped brood & brood pattern
Look for swarm cells
Check honey supers & harvest honey
Check ventilation
Continue checking for Small Hive Beetles, Varroa & Tracheal mites

August

Check for eggs, brood, brood pattern, capped brood & queen
Check that frames are not honey bound. lnterspace drawn frames w/ honey frames in preparation forwinter bees. Reverse hive bodies & clean boffom board
Look for swarm cells
Check honey supers, harvest honey, & remove all honey supers
Check ventilation . Check & treat for Varroa mites (either roll) (Drone comb) (Fogging) (Essential oil)
Treat for Small Hive Beetle (Trap) ( Essential oil) (Grease patty)
Nectar dearth is more prominent in August, be alert for robbing, & reduce to smallest entrance opening

September

Check food reserves, continue feeding, especially weak hives
Check for eggs, brood pattern capped brood & queen
Look for swarm cells
Check honey supers, if possible harvest honey. Need 60-75 lbs. of honey for winter
Full deep frame of honey weighs 8 to 9 lbs.--Full medium frame weigh 7 lbs.
Treat for Nosema. (Pro Health or Honey-B-Healthy) (Essential oils) (Fumagilin B)
Check & treat for Varroa mites, Tracheal mites & Small Hive Beetles
Add mouse guards
Last chance to re-queen
Prepare hives for winter

October

Check food reserves, continue feeding, especially weak hives
Check for eggs, brood & queen
Check ventilation & plan your winter ventilation strategy
Treat for Nosema. (Pro Health or Honey-B-Healthy) (Essential oils) (Fumigilin B)
Treat for Small Hive Beetles (Traps) (Essential oil)
Treat for Tracheal mites (Grease patties) (Menthol)
Check & treat for Varroa mites (Either roll) (Drone com) (Fogging)
Add mouse guards
When day time temperatures drop below 50 degrees, discontinue liquid feeding

November

Check ventilation & plan to deal with moisture control
Decide when to begin winter supplemental feed
Decide if & when you are going to wrap your hives
Late Nov. start Pro Winter pollen patties for food energy

December

Not much to do in your bee yard, however, a few reminders:
A new season means renewing you annual Apiary Registration with the:

lllinois Department of Agriculture
Apiary lnspection Section
P. O. Box 19281- Fairgrounds
Springfield, lL 627 94-9281

Check your hives occasionally for wind and varmint damage
On warmer windless days check colonies, every 2 or 3 weeks for supplemental feeding.
With healthy colonies you can hold off putting on the winter supplemental feed until mid to late December (candy board, fondant, sugar brick, krabby patty, commercialwinter low protein pollen patties, etc.)
Some beekeepers don't wrap their hives & others wrap them in late December or January trying to produce a stronger hardier colony. Remove wrapping when temperatures get into the 50's & 60's . Time to enjoy the holidays and share your honey recipes.. Especially take advantage of the health benefits from honey and pass a list of these remedies along to your customers to help increase sales

Arthritis: ln a Copenhagen University study 1 cup hot water, 2 Tbs. honey & 1 tsp. cinnamon taken daily before breakfast relieved much of the arthritis pain within a month
Colds: 1 Tb. lukewarm. Honey, Yntsp. cinnamon powder taken daily for 3 days relieves most chromic coughs, colds & clears sinuses
Heat & sip - 1 1/2 Oz. Whiskey, 1 Tb. Honey, Yz oz. Lemon juice (l Cup hot water, Cinnamon stick (optional)
Upset stomach)
Gas) Honey taken daily M cinnamon powder strengthens immune system
Disease) Viral & Bacterial

The key is daily and for an extended period of time .Not necessarily for #3

Thank you!!!

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone from officers, to membership, to friends who helped with Intermediate Bee School. Your help with everything from set up, to sign in, to tear down & everything in between was greatly appreciated. We wouldn't have been able to pull it off without you.

I hope if you were in attendance you enjoyed Grant's teaching as much as I did. I definitely have some new things to try this bee keeping season. We purchased some of Grant's books to add to the library & they will be available to check out.

Our next meeting will be tomorrow Monday March 14th at 6:30 pm at the U of I extension. As usual it will be free & open to the public. Please invite a friend & bring a snack to share. The topic of the evening will be Pushing Strong Buildup & Comparing Swarm Control Strategies.

Hope to see you there!!
Michelle

Crossroads Beekeepers

Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Link to Grant Gillard's Slides

Beekeeper's Calendar