I can't remember or imagine a worse Spring for the bees. Looking at the forecast for the weeks ahead there appears to be no end to this slow motion train wreck that is our weather. I have willow, (which is usually the first main crop of the year for my bees), surrounding my apiaries, sort of in flower, but it is way too nasty out there for the bees to be able to get to it. In past years I have had bees in huge numbers taking willow in late January.
Judging by the numbers of phone calls and e-mails I am receiving it looks as if there is going to be larger than usual Winter colony losses this year. I ordered my early queens in November 2012 for delivery in April 2013, so as usual I have limited numbers. I doubt if I will have English bred queens this year until mid-late May, so I have stopped taking orders for my early colonies and nucs, just for the time being in case any of the people I mentor have last minute losses and require replacements.
The next weeks are critical. This is always the most dangerous time for a colonies. As they comes out of their winter dormancy period and start the Spring build up. Most of the workers are very old now and there are a lot less of them than there should be in a hive right now. As always all my colonies have had fondant available from November onwards, and they are still taking it in large quantities, but there are limits to what any colony of bees can handle, no matter how well looked after they are.
It must be a horrible feeling to lose a colony to starvation, not something I want to experience.
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