Cold weather means the hive is quiet but the beekeeper must get busy

THE weather pattern at the moment is decidedly wintery.

Temperatures are now in single figures. This is providing me with the opportunity to move three of my colonies to new positions within the apiary. This cold snap will confine the bees to their hives and the bees will handle their new position with very little fuss once the temperatures are such that external activity can be undertaken.

One colony in particular is a swarm that occupied my spare equipment stand in the apiary. Consequently, it was not sited to be used as a working colony, and I have not been able to access it sufficiently. However, on the occasions when beginners were present, the ease of inspecting a well-sited hive as opposed to the swarm hive was very apparent.

Moving a colony to a new position within the apiary is best done in the winter months. One colony will be moved around a metre, one will be some three meters and the other will come from my workshop area which is a mile away. Bees know the position and height of their hives with great precision. Had I tried to relocate these colonies in the active months, when foragers are coming and going constantly, it would have created mayhem! Foragers departing the hive before the move would return to where they know their colony is located. Confusion and loss of bees is the end result. Your well-meant improvement has backfired.

Mouse Guards that give extra protection to a colony in the winter months will have to be removed temporarily so that the entrances can be checked for a build-up of dead bees. Using a twig or such, I can quickly clear away any such bodies. The bees themselves will attempt to remove dead bodies from the hive, but the presence of the mouse guard hinders them somewhat. The removal of dead bees is an on-going activity in the summer months and as the entrances are not obstructed in any way, no such build-ups occur. The bees handle everything very well. Once I clear the entrances the mouse guards will be replaced.

Until the arrival of spring, I will regularly go to the rear of each hive and put my hands under the base and gently raise it. This is a crude way of checking the weight of each of them. Having left an abundance of stores in them, I am hopeful of no winter losses due to starvation. You must leave your colonies with sufficient food stocks if they are to survive the winter months!

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  What does my ‘Sentinel Apiary’ actually do?
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  The bees are clustering to survive the northern winds
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  Protecting our planet – by Brian Mayne

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