The warm weather is coming, but don’t be fooled into thinking this is the start of the season. Even taking global warming into account, our season has not yet moved backwards by two months. This warm period is however useful. We can make a very quick inspection to see what has survived the winter and if the bees have enough stores to get over the last part of winter - this is the time most hives are lost.

You should know that the following information is designed around a quick inspection, no dithering, and be ready to act using as little smoke or preferably a water spray to help with control...

At this time of year the clusters often get separated from the stores, so without disturbing the main brood area, move stores closer to the brood areas. I prefer to move all the stores to one side of the box, with the brood area next to the empty frames, and a dummy board on the other side of the brood. This method encourages bees to move in only one direction and not get separated from the stores.

How else can we help our bees? A small pollen feed would be good. We would not encourage feeding syrups during the colder weather when bees cannot fly to defecate. This warm period heading our way would seem to be with us for a week or so, however, we must keep our eye on the weather and react accordingly.

Do not feed syrup if your local weather will not allow bees to fly, the feeding of syrup during cold weather prevents the bees from flying and will set up the perfect condition for Nosema Apis or Nosema Ceranae to spread through the hive.This is a disease of the gut, spread by the bees needing to defecate, this creates dysentery, uncontrollable bowel movements leads to frames and foundation being covered by the spores that the healthy bee then transfers and becomes infected with. When the bees start to fly again in the Spring, the tell tale marks can be seen on the front of the hive. If the weather in your area is stable and mild, allowing bees to fly, then Invertbee is the best choice. A ready mixed syrup that can be added to a feeder and placed on the crown board.

Egg laying in the south has probably never stopped, but the stores could be four to six months old, and the stored pollen will have degraded and lost a considerable amount of their good protein and may be getting low by now.

Just before the end of this warm period, or if the syrup is used, our beekeepers tell us they will be adding a protein feed on the 1st March, usually they would make up Ultra Bee patties, but have used Candipolline in the past, both good products. Our Ultra Bee works out more cost-effective, simply mix and use what you need.