NO April 20th Meeting & Current Considerations
From:
"CIBA MEMBERS" <donotreply@PROTECTED>
Date:
April 17th 2020
No April 20th CIBA Beekeepers Meeting
(In the small chance you were not sure)
Your CIBA CORE group IS looking ahead to the scheduled May 18th meeting.
In Upcoming Member Emails we will inform you of
Status of the Holliday Park Apiary
Useful On-Line Resources
Future Meetings
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Current Considerations for your Bees (Mid-April)
This is a VERY Brief summary. This IS NOT a definitive guideline. The primary purpose is to highlight significant points for your consideration. - DO Seek further input from your mentors and reliable resources.
Considerations For Surviving Overwintered Colonies
- Check your colonies! — If you have not thoroughly inspected your colonies - Do So Now!
- Healthy colonies should have multiple sides of Capped Brood, Larvae at various stages and Eggs
- It would be nice to see the queen, but if you see eggs it is a good sign she is there
- Healthy Colonies will likely have fresh-drawn comb (white to pale yellow)
- It will likely contain brood, nectar, possibly capped honey
- The Spring Nectar Flow is Beginning! - Add Supers as Needed
- When? - Rule of Thumb - Add Supers when first dandelions appear
- Better more than fewer
PACKAGES started this spring
- KEEP Feeding Packages! 50-50 - Sugar-Water (ALWAYS have food available)
- Feed for at least 4 to 6 weeks (Packages need MUCH early Feeding)
- When to add the 2nd Deep and Supers
- When most frames have drawn comb! - Better too soon than too late.
- The risk is that field bees will run out of room, and begin to backfill brood area.
- This means Queen cannot lay many eggs - Hive population will crash in 3-4 weeks
- Monitor expansion into 2nd deep
- Add one or more supers once 2nd deep shows activity on most frames.
- Remember…. First year packages may not produce excess honey in the first year.
- Goal is to build a strong colony for Fall and Next Winter
- Watch for Queen Cells - Learn/Know difference between Queen and Drone Cells
- Consult mentors and reliable resources
MITES - When to Treat
Remember: Mites are THE major contributor to colony loss.
- You DO have Mites! - The issue is how many. (If you see them - Too Many!)
- Plan on a 3 treatments per season: Early spring, Late spring, Late Summer — (This year’s early spring window is missed).
- For Overwintered Colonies
- Ideally mite treatments were given last fall
- If this early-spring - Probably Oxalic Acid Vapor
- Apivar? — It is now too late for Apivar!
- Must be left in for 5 to 6 weeks - Now this will run into the nectar/honey flow
- Apivar Prohibited when honey supers
- Oxalic Acid Vapor - Requires 3 treatments at 10-day intervals
- Late Spring and Late Fall: Consider OA vapor or FormicPro
- For New Packages or Nucs
- OA Vapor still a consideration
- Late Spring and Late Summer - consider OA-Vapor or FormicPro
Remember: These are Minimal Guidelines.
Consult your Mentor, Experienced Beekeepers and other Reliable Sources
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😃 Hope to See Everyone Soon! 😃
🙏🏽 ’Till Then - Stay Safe - Stay Healthy 🙏🏽
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