Dear Member,

As I write this there is an icy wind blowing from the North East bringing freezing temperatures and the threat of more snow. If hives are in the open or unsheltered, wind chill can present real problems, lowering temperatures in the hive.

March is always a tricky time for bees - officially the beginning of Spring when we hope our bees have successfully survived the Winter, but it is also a time of great threat for the bees.

The winter bees will be dying off and hopefully if the queen started to lay in February, we could expect some new arrivals to replace them, but with the fluctuations in temperature during this time, and periods when the bees were confined to the hive and not able to forage for the pollen essential for the production of brood food, the bees have a delicate balancing act to perform. Do they use the stores to feed the brood or themselves, do they curb the queen’s laying and delay the colony build up till the weather improves - if it does?

Bees have survived for millennia, so they are good at making these adjustments, but as beekeepers we can also help with supplementary feeding and some protection from the worst of the weather, especially icy winds.

If you have not already done so, I would recommend reading two articles in the March BBKA News which detail the importance of drones in the hive. The first is Glyn Davies article on Mating in Honey Bees, and the second Wally Shaw’s Reader’s Questions Answered. Drones frequently are laughingly referred to as being ‘only good for one thing’ but as these articles point out, there is a lot more to the presence of drones in the hive than mating with a virgin queen, and as research develops we may find out what that is.

Perhaps you noticed in last month’s edition of Warwickshire Beekeeper that Jo Widdicombe will be giving a talk on Sustainable Beekeeping on Friday 2nd March 2018 at 7.30pm Luddington Village Hall. Jo will be talking about how we can improve our local bee population, suited to our location, without the importation of bees or queens from other areas or countries. BBKA is encouraging us to improve the quality of local bees without imports and this is an opportunity to attend a local lecture so I would urge you if you are able, to attend this lecture.

Please check our Events Page for the dates of meetings and events.

Regards,

Margaret Holdsworth