The Apiary Year - May
- Lots of pollen and nectar available
- Oil seed rape coming to an end.
- Are you on the BBKA Swarm collectors list?
- If you are is all your equipment ready.
- When you get a call is not the time to look for a bed sheet!
- Weekly inspections of the hive are needed:
- In the super:
- It may be necessary to add more supers
- Depends on the nectar flow.
- Oil seed rape honey needs to be extracted as soon as capped.
- In the brood box:
- This is peak laying month
- Should be brood across the whole box
- Consider adding a super below excluder
- Check for laying workers.
- Several eggs in each cell.
- Eggs near top of cell - workers cannot reach bottom of cell.
- If eggs at base of cell may be a new queen - she will learn!
- Swarm prevention should be taking place.
- Brood comb replacement can be completed
- Brood comb should be replaced every 3 years by:
- Bailey Comb Exchange
- Shook Swarm
- Ad-hoc replacement
- Expect to spend 5 to 6 hours a month on each hive.
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