By: Ann Harman
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2018 issue of BEEKeeping Your First Three Years
• Review all equipment
Attend local meetings.
• Place equipment orders in January (sales!)
• If planning on a honey crop, order equipment now
• Order swarm catching equipment
• Finish repairs and painting
• Is stored equipment still safe from mice?
• Block entrance of a dead colony until you inspect
• Veil, gloves, smoker clean and ready for use?
• Winter storm? Check hives and beeyard
Be a plant watcher.
• Arrival of Spring weather depends on climate
• Cold climate: check if colonies alive and need food
• Frames of stored honey can be moved close to cluster
• Never break the Winter cluster – bees will die
• Cold climate: can feed “wet sugar” bricks
• Warm climate: check if colonies are alive
• Warm climate: feed 1:1 sugar syrup to encourage egg laying
• Bees arriving carrying pollen signals brood rearing
Clean that smoker.
• Warm climate: can requeen if necessary
• Watch entrance for drones that signal start of swarm season
• When weather warms, colonies can be split
Are there drones yet?
• Read a new bee book
• Be a Plant Watcher and a Weather Watcher
• Go outdoors and look for plants in bloom
• Attend your local club meetings
• Become an apprentice mentor – you will learn much
Watch for incoming pollen.
