Since Spring is just around the corner, now is the time to prepare for the inevitable population explosion that your hive will experience once temperatures remain above 50 degrees. Depending on your breed of bee, the speed of this boom will vary. Carniolans (which I keep), maintain a small cluster but explode in a short period of time while Italians, who have a larger winter cluster, are slower by comparison. No matter which ones you keep, your girls will run out of room unless you’re ready. The key to providing them the space they need is your woodenware.
Several lessons learned from past seasons and the population boom are:
1) Have a lot of spare supers and frames. If you think you need 7 supers this year, you’ll actually need 10. Between the sudden build-up of bees, wear and tear on supers/frames, and your annual swap of foundation, you’ll run out of gear quickly.
2) New foundation. It is generally recommended to swap out comb every two to three years. If you started a hive of brand new foundation last year, you may want to swap 30% of the comb out this season. That way you are always changing only 1/3 of the comb which is easier for you and the bees. An easy way to keep track of foundation is to write the year you install it on the topbar of the frame.
3) Repair/Repaint: 99% of supers and frames are made out of pine these days. It’s a fast-growing wood which means it’s light as well, but also not very durable. If you painted or stained the exterior of the super, you’ll have more life out of it, however pine will never be as durable as oak or hickory. That being said, make sure to check your supers and frames for wear and tear. Pay special attention to the bottom board since it takes the worst beating from the elements. Replace, repair, or repaint whatever needs fixin’.
4) Chow: Spring will bring lots of new pollen for the girls and they’ll spend the first few weeks restocking the larder. You can help them with some pollen patties placed on the inner cover. I try not to use too much since I’d rather they learn to deal with what’s available, but every now and then it’s okay to give them a little boost.
5) Swarms: At this point, the queen is back to laying eggs which means in a few weeks, you’ll have a lot more girls inside the hive than you do now. Given another couple of weeks and the population will rapidly be on the rise. That being said, the bees will be loading spare cells with pollen, nectar, etc, and will run out of room quickly. Lack of space will likely drive them to swarm, so keeping ahead of them with supers is key. Make sure they have plenty of room (without adding too much) and check the bottom of the frames for swarm cells (queen cells which look like peanut shells). It’s very difficult to convince the hive it doesn’t need to swarm once they’ve made up their mind to do so, therefore staying ahead of the ballgame is key.
Despite the cold and snow, now is the time to make sure your girls have everything they need for the population boom they’ll experience in the next two months. Proper planning will help minimize issues and keep them happy. And happy bees will make you a happy keeper.