Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Summertime Chores
By early summer, your brand new package colony has most likely grown past the rigors
of becoming established. The stresses of temperature fluctuations are reduced, the pop-
ulation is building, the queen is producing, nectar and pollen are being collected, frames
are mostly built up with beeswax cells, and honey is being stored. This is the norm.
But if you have a dozen colonies, one or two may not be thriving and need some ad-
ditional attention. Having at least two colonies is recommended, so you'll have a basis
for comparison. How can you tell what's happening, no matter where you are? The bees
don't send out press releases, but their activities are indicative of their situation. Mostly
bees react to their environment rather than plan ahead. You should, however, be a step
ahead of them so you can anticipate their needs. Temperature extremes, rainfall, and
even weed growth are limiting factors for your garden plants, and for the plants your
bees visit. But even with that experience, an occasional chat with nearby bee-keepers
can be enlightening, and belonging to a local club becomes even more valuable. An
experienced local beekeeper can, in a few moments, share the typical season's progres-
sion—that bit of wisdom is worth its weight in gold.
At the same time, keep your record book up to date. Your bees are exploring their
environment and finding, or not finding, sources of food. Until you know as much as
your bees do, you're still learning.
Your advantage, of course, is that you can keep records. A colony of bees has to re-
invent the wheel every season. The few bees that overwinter were born in the fall and
have no institutional memory, as it were, so the colony as a unit must learn it all again
every year. You, on the other hand, can quickly review last year's records and recall
flowering times for fruiting plants. Being aware of how the season progresses, whether
short and ending early, or the longer season of moderate climates allows you to anticip-
ate swarming, honey flows, and preparation for the slow or winter season. Your pack-
age colony will be playing catch-up most of its first season, but it will be reacting to the
local environment in much the same way as more established colonies.
Your package colony, in eight to ten weeks after installation, will probably have
brood in all three of their brood chambers, but that will range from a box and a half
to three boxes full. The difference will be dependent on how favorable the weather has
been, the type of bees you have, and any obstacles that have arisen during that time.
By midsummer, honey will probably be in at least one and perhaps part of a second
honey super. Looking ahead, you must prepare for the slow season—cold weather in
the cold regions, and the rainy or cool season in the warmer areas—and make sure your
colony has enough honey stored to last until spring returns.
In the coldest regions, where snow is common and winter lasts six months or more,
a typical colony will need about 60 pounds (27.2 kg) of honey to survive. An eight-
