Tips for May
? Check for ticks, they love beekeepers
? Wear as much protective clothing as makes you comfortable when working your hives. Work hives with slow, smooth movements. Jerky movements agitate the bees.
? Use your smoker each time you check your bees.
? Organize your bee tools in a toolbox so that you can always find them.
? The best time to work bees is during the middle of the day when the field bees are collecting nectar.
? Work each hive from the side or the back, out of the bee flight path.
? Inspect hives by removing an outside frame first. Lift straight up to avoid damaging bees on the frame
? When supering your hives add more than one super at a time if you have drawn comb. If you have new foundation add only one super at a time and start with 10 frames. Put your second super on after the first one is almost filled.
? Use queen excluders to prevent brood in your honey supers and as a deterrent to wax moths.
? Double check medication dates - safety matters. Don't misuse any chemicals in the hive. Follow all time guidelines. Absolutely never medicate hives with supers on. It is illegal.
? Keep the grass mowed in front of your hives - it makes it easier for the bees to land. Old carpet scraps, roof shingles or weed barriers can be used to keep grass under control.
? Keep supers on until the honey is capped, unripe honey will ferment.
? Do not feed sugar syrup during a honey flow since the bees will store the syrup in your supers rather than your honey.
? Don't get excited on hot humid days if the bees are hanging outside the hive. They are trying to relieve the congestion in the hive to cool it off inside. Earlier in the year this is an indication of swarming, but as hotter summer temperatures return it is natural, so don't worry.
? Keep up with your record-keeping so next year you'll know which hives produced the best for you.
Hope this helps.
Jim
Thanks for this list.
Great list! Thank you.
Only thing I would suggest different is take the second from outside frame first - bit more space on either side - then you can move the outside frame away from the wall a bit and so not roll bees against the wall.
Sound advice. Thanks!