Sunlight & Bees,

the nervous first check of the season

The plum tree is starting to bud with blossom and I am sure I saw a single bloom earlier today. Things are starting to move in the garden, most noticeable the bees. We, or rather senior beekeeper, did our first hives checks of the season. It is always a nervous time, this first check, as you are never sure what you will encounter when you crack open the hive after winter. This check gives you an indication as to where things might head for the season - an opening of a door to hopefully a new and exciting season. We have three yards sprinkled with a few hives here and there. Our numbers compared to previous years are low but we have come round to the idea that it is enough for where we are and perhaps the bee industry is at the moment. It is time of change as we navigate how to manage the varrora mite which can decimate a hive in a short time frame - learning in real time is never easy. This step into the new season is made with the knowledge that over the winter things can change in ways that we can not always predict.

The first yard has a couple of hives. It is a country yard and over the years we have learnt that compared to it’s city sisters it will be slower to take off. It demonstrates how climate and resources impact a hive. Our hives in town have a slightly warmer climate over winter and the food source thanks to the plentiful urban gardens is more constant. Country hives can be more exposed to the elements while food sources rise and fall depending on what is flowering at the time. This is where we started our checks whilst I nursed my sore throat last week so the other half updated me on the state of the hives in our country yard. It was a pass and a fail. One hive whilst not super strong had made in through the winter, the other hive had made it through the winter, but on a closer inspection it revealed that the Queen was a drone layer which is not something that you want from a Queen. A successful hive does need a presence of drones but the female bees are the worker bees you most likely encounter in your garden. Without worker bees the hive will not survive as there is no one to take care of the queen and the baby bees as well as forge for food. A small pep talk was required as plans are made on how to right the drone filled hive.

The next yard, a lifestyle block once owned by a old stock agent who had fond memories of bees as a child, is near to where we live in the valley and has the benefits of the urban & rural life. The two hives were checked and it was discovered that they were doing very well. Perhaps too well. We winter our hives with a box for the bees to live in including the queen plus at least one box if not two of honey store boxes to get them through the winter. In the case of our two hives every cell was filled with either honey or eggs. This promptly required action because a hive with no room for honey or for laying often results in the queen up and leaving to find a new home. Naturally this is not what we want. We were in a bit of disbelief at the idea of putting an extra box on these hives so early in the season but we have realised over the past few years that like most things that are connected to nature and changing climates, there is no normal and you have to listen to the season. Despite having many frost this year it has been a fairly mild winter, which is supported by the fact that our hives are going strong.

Checks of our homes confirmed this even more so. As the days are stretching out I have been watching the bees moving in the spring sunlight, a steady stream and flow of traffic which upon inspection revealed that that like the hives up the road, they too, required extra boxes to be added as more space was required. It is a joyous thing to have most of your hives make in through the winter. We have had heartbreaking season where are losses have been much higher. We have also had seasons, like last year when we did our first check and things looked ok only to lose hives in October due to a late cold snap. So for the moment it looks promising, like these early days of spring do but we know enough now that we respond to what we see and know that it can all change. For now it is a good start to the season.