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ATTENTION AREA BEEKEEPERS:
There are seasonal surveys below for you to participate in: Establishing pollinator-friendly habitats and food sources for bees, butterflies and birds www.pollinator-pathway.org
| April in your Central Oregon ApiaryApril is the ultimate of teaser months. Mid 70’s some days followed by a mid 30’s the next. There are the “odd” trees that bloom early with pasty white pollen as well as colorful bulbs, all with bright orange or yellow pollen. Some colonies are bursting at the seams and other’s just aren’t moving along yet. Queens and nucs are needed but the suppliers aren’t quite ready yet. Whine, whine, whine! What to do about it all. When it’s cold, below 50 or so, I try to stay out of the hives. There’s generally nothing that absolutely has to be done. When above 55 or 60 or especially 70 though…… Now’s a good time to start evaluating the strength and condition of your hive(s). By mid-month, most colonies should be well into starting their Spring buildup. Hives should have, for a Langstroth, at least 1 box full of bees with 4 or 5 frames of brood with similar numbers for a TBH or horizontal hive. They should have plenty of pollen and honey/nectar. If you’re not seeing much brood or many bees, evaluate your queen and food situation. Spotty pattern, too many random drone cells or just not many eggs might call for requeening. Not enough food can cause dry larva syndrome where they can’t provide enough royal or worker jelly (you’ll see larvae with no jelly) and cannibalize the larvae. Feed 1:1 syrup, and many folks like to include a pollen substitute (keeping in mind that a pollen substitute shouldn’t be considered a long term fix). Many of us feed both syrup and pollen patties this time of year anyway just to help our colonies build up bees and stores faster in preparation for the flowers in May and June. If there just aren’t many bees, say 1 frame of brood and 2 frames of bees, consider either combining the weak colony with a stronger one (assuming both are healthy), or equalize by “stealing” a frame or 2 of brood and associated nurse bees from a strong colony to give them enough “bee power” to get going. Later in the month, for a 2 box Langstroth hive, if all the activity, brood and food are in the upper box, and there’s NO brood in the lower box, consider reversing the hive bodies to help stimulate growth and reduce swarming tendencies. While you’re looking through your hive this month, I like to evaluate the equipment. Old frames or combs can be culled as they’re frequently empty this month. If you’re finding leaky or broken boxes, covers, bottom boards or frames, make a note and prepare for repairs or replacements later in the month or in May. Finally, enjoy this wonderful month of change! Allen Engle COBKA Meeting Slide/Video Archives ABOUT US We are a diverse bunch of individuals who share a fascination for the honey bee and its workings. Our members range from full-time beekeepers and pollinators with hundreds of hives to hobbyists involved in backyard beekeeping. Some members do not even keep bees, but are fascinated by the six legs and four wings of Apis mellifera. OUR MISSIONThe Mission of the Central Oregon Beekeeping Association (COBKA) is to promote effective, economic and successful regional beekeeping through education, collaboration, communication and research in the spirit of friendship.
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