Basic Beekeeping  --  Second Year

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The Beginning of your second year

The biggest question that beekeepers have when spring arrives is "Did my bees survive the winter?"  Depending upon where you live, you can check to see if your bees are alive almost anytime from January on....    Those people in the southern and south western parts of the U.S. will have bees actually flying and bringing in pollen late in January.  Those of us who live in the north must wait until March rolls around for the same thing to happen.   However, you can check your hive/hives before the bees begin to actively fly to gather pollen and nectar.  Honey bees typically move up toward the top of the brood chamber late in winter.  As they consume their honey supplies, the winter cluster moves within the hive.  As they consume the honey in the lower brood chamber, they seek the honey stores stored above. Thus, it is not uncommon to find bees around the hole in the inner cover in late winter.  If I see them I know they are alive but I don't know the condition they are in -- I don't know whether the queen is laying eggs -- I don't know how much brood they have -- and on the other hand, if I don't see bees, I can still check to see if they are alive by putting my ear down to the top bars and listen for the gentle hum bees in a cluster will emit.  I don't recommend that you kick your hive to see if you can get a response out of them.  If you hear no sound, you might want to take a hive tool and separate the two hive bodies.  This is not good in real cold weather.  If you have bees -- good.  Your spring is starting off good.   On the other hand, if your bees are dead you are still the owner of bee equipment.  The comb has been drawn by the dead colony.  It most likely will have frames of honey.  All is not lost.

It is at this point that many beekeepers give up.  I understand disappointment.   But look at what you have.  Unlike a year earlier, you have equipment.  You have frames with drawn comb. These are assets.  Any package of bees installed in such equipment will succeed beyond your wildest dream.  Many commercial beekeepers buy only two pound packages for such hives.  The two pounds of bees in such equipment can produce the 200 pounds of honey the commercial guys needs to survive and still pay for the cash outlay of the package that is installed in the hive.

Spring Management

   If your bees survived the winter, there are things that need to be done.  You can get into your hive anytime the temperature of the outside air reaches 57 degrees F. You will need to carry out an early hive inspection.  Things you will look for and do:

• Check the condition of the brood and the amount of brood.
• If there is no brood you have a problem -- You will need to purchase a new queen immediately.
• If the queen is laying poorly, replace her.  Don't kill her until the new queen arrives.
• Check the hive for any mouse damage.  Mice get into the hives during winter and build a nest in the lower corner of frames.  If this has happened, remove the frames that are damaged -- remove the nest and check to make sure no mice are running around inside the hive.  Check to see where the mice are getting in.  Later you will not have to worry about the mice because the bees will take care of them.  You can reuse these damaged frames but the bees will most likely build drone cells in the area eaten out by the mice.  One advantage of plastic foundation is that mice do not chew it out.
• Clean all debris from the bottom board.   It is a good idea to set all hive bodies on top of the top cover and scrape the bottom board with your hive tool and then put everything back together.
• If this hive is weak, you might consider buying a two pound package of bees.  You can kill the old queen and introduce the package to the rest of the bees still in the hive.  As you get more hives, you will be able to borrow frames of bees and brood from your strongest hives and make the weaker hive stronger.  In beekeeper terms this is called "equalizing the brood".
• You will also want to treat your hive again for mites with chemical strips.  Hopefully, the practice of putting chemicals in a hive to save the bees will soon end with the introduction of queens that are mite resistant.  It appears that we may be getting stock that can hold its own against varroa mite.  We have already achieved it with the tracheal mite.  If you need a new queen, certainly consider the mite resistant stock available.
• Get supers ready to put on the bees but if they are not flying and the weather is cold, wait until the bees begin to gather nectar.   The bees can conserve heat better without the added super.
• Another thing you might want to check would be: Are any critters brothering your bees.   Skunks are a problem in some areas.  Bears can be a problem (You will see the damage without any trouble).   Skunks eat honey bees and once they discover a meal to be had, they will be back every night.  Signs of skunk damage:  the grass in front of the hive entrance will be matted down and if the skunk has been working the hive over a period of time, the grass will be worn away showing a bare patch of dirt in front of the hive.  You will also find scratch marks on the front of the hive.  Skunks disturb the hive and when a honey bees comes out the entrance to check to see what has caused that disturbance, the skunk will have a meal.
• You may have to re-level your hive.
• Check for hive maintenance.  Does it hive need a new coat of paint?   Clean grass from in front of the fly way.    Be proud of your hive/hives.   If you maintain your equipment, it will last for a long time.

Adding supers

During the second year you can expect your hive to develop swarming fever!  It is important to be one step ahead of the bees. Adding supers at the right time will prevent a lot of problems.  The first super could go on the hive when you see dandelions blooming.  This is about the same time apple trees begin to bloom.  Another guidepost that might help you decide when to put on supers is when the maple bloom.  Bees will not usually gather a honey crop from apple and maple.   They will however be using the pollen and nectar for brood rearing.  As the population explodes, the bees will be crowded without the extra space. Bee swarm as early as February in the south.  As weather warms further north, bees will become crowded with all the nectar and pollen coming in from the maple, willow, and apple.  Swarm control starts early.

Because this is your second year, don't assume you know it all.  Your bee experiences are just beginning.  Older beekeepers will tell you that every year has brought something different and beekeepers continue to learn.  The bees have a lot to teach.