Topics:  The Language of Bricks (Miichael Duncan) and Siting an Apiary (Jessica Neiffer) at SnoKing Beekeepers monthly meeting
Time: Wednesday April 20, 2022 6:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Meetings are open to all beekeepers or those interested in beekeeping.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81658823563?pwd=ZE5rcGlyTzNKUEZ5VHNGTWgyTTNUUT09

Meeting ID: 816 5882 3563   
Passcode: 505339

The Language of Bricks

Perhaps you’ve heard of the poetic “language of flowers”: rosemary for remembrance, lilies for purity, daisies for innocence, etc. That’s very nice but beekeepers have a practical language, the language of bricks. Perhaps you have noticed bricks on top of beehives and wondered why they were there. At our club meeting, Michael Duncan will explain how to make solid beekeeping notes in your apiary with “The Language of Bricks.” Notes not easily erased accidentally but easily rewritten.

Apiary Siting and Substrate

Our second presentation will be on siting and laying the substrate for an apiary, presented by Jessica Neiffer, Sultan Hiveside Manager. In addition to the problems of just locating an apiary to maximize sunshine and minimize wind, the wet, shifting soils of Western Washington and phenomenon such as "soil creep" on uneven terrain, present challenges in properly siting our hives for success. Jessica will show us the solutions she reached in siting the Sultan Hiveside demo site.

     We will open the meeting at 6:30 PM with announcements and updates, then move to the 2 presentations. The presentations and meeting will officially be over at 8:30 PM but we can continue to network, Q & A, or share with one another as long as people want to "talk bees."

     Also below in this issue:

Classes:

For next Beginner & Apprentice courses, email eliochel@snokingbka.org to get on the to-notify list for classes starting after Memorial Day.

Hands On Hivesides - in person classes Saturdays & Sundays

To Do List - April

Also not to be missed:

Bee Punny! continues with a different Bee Joke each day of the year. Don’t miss the 365 bee jokes, posted one per each day of 2022! Guaranteed “groanworthy.” Bee sure to share them; why groan alone when we can groan together?

April/May to-do list

Register your hives at https://cms.agr.wa.gov/WSDAKentico/Documents/Forms/current-6116-Beekeeper-BrokerRegistration.pdf

Yellow Jackets – It’s still not too late to set traps!

Nucs vs. Packages –Winter 2022 was predicted to be a “La Nina,” winter and it has met, if not exceeded, expectations. This was one of the years when a nuc was probably a better investment than a package. Waiting for better weather to install was not an option for many beekeepers this year. We had to rely on the bees knowing how to handle this weather, particularly how to cluster and warm the queen.

Nucs offer a big advantage this year because they can better utilize both dry feed and syrup. Feed all nucs and packages both pollen sub patties and 1:1 syrup. Do the same for any overwintered hive that might be struggling.

Feed

Avoid stop & start feeding. If not sure whether temps too low to feed 1:1, feed both liquid and dry, including pollen sub patties on top of brood nest frames and under the inner cover provides cheap insurance that colonies have access to the nutrients they need.

With La Nina weather, you may provide the main source of food, particularly carbs. Somehow, those hardy foragers venture out for pollen as soon as the weather warms the least bit, the wind lessens, and the rain/sleet/slow stops wetting their wings. Those pollen baskets coming into the colonies reassure a beekeeper that the colony is meeting many of its nutrient needs; Western Washington is known for its almost year-round pollen forage. However, it’s harder to see if the hive is getting sufficient carbs. Do not assume that foragers are bringing in enough nectar to meet the energy needs of the whole colony or that winter honey stores can still support the hive. If frame by frame inspection is still not indicated, heft or weigh the hive to gauge remaining stores. The bigleaf maple has been blooming in the warmer areas of Western WA but even there, weather determines foraging success.

How long should colonies be fed? Overwintered colonies have comb already drawn, faster population buildup, and possibly residual winter stores. Packages installed on new foundation with no honey frames by beginning beekeepers rely on much more feeding than established hives. Remember that 5 to 10 lbs of honey energy is invested by a colony building one lb of wax. Each new colony will need wax to fill about 2 deeps or 3 westerns in 10 frame boxes in order to hold the bees and stores next fall for successful overwintering. Why is that important now? Because young bees, 12-17 days post emergence can most easily produce that wax with a spring nectar flow or while being fed 1:1 in simulation of such a flow. That comb is needed to raise larvae in order to increase hive population and to store honey

Splits made too early endanger colonies. 2022 has not been the year to make early splits and expect workers to raise their own queens by supersedure. Poor weather would probably not have allowed virgins to even make their mating flights in the window of their optimal age, so they did  not even experience the usual 25% failure to return from successful mating. The weather must warm in about the next 20 days, so virgins reared in walk away splits started now may have a chance of mating in the ~70 degree F, clear skies they need.

Instead of rushing to make splits to keep strong hives from swarming, consider “equalizing” your hives by boosting a weaker hive with resources drawn from a strong hive, particularly the transfer of a frame or more of capped brood.  Where you removed those frames of capped brood, you can add empty comb/frames to the side of the brood nest to give the queen of the strong colony space to lay and to reduce the perception of broodnest congestion, and therefore the likelihood of swarming.

Swarm cell watch

If you succeeded in overwintering your hives, the least increase in warmth can result in that population surge that puts you on swarm watch. While waiting for frame by frame inspection weather, don’t forget tipping the upper box of the brood chamber to check for swarm cells on frame bottoms. On overcast days, a flashlight helps. Luckily for the beekeeper, colonies often (not always!) place them here, as close to center of the broodnest as possible.

However, do not mistake the drone domes of capped brood for imminent swarming threat. Bees start drone brood well in advance of queen cells. After all, drones need 3 days more than workers to emerge from their capped cells and then need at least 2 weeks to finish sexually maturing, peaking actually a month after emergence as adults. Old-timer beekeepers say to check for queen cells when the drones start orientation flights.

Frame by frame inspection

Do not give up hope! The 60 degrees F windless and sunny day (or the closest approximation we get this side of the Cascades) will finally happen on a day that you can inspect the insides of your hives. For those of you with a paycheck job and family obligations, the weather and your other obligations will finally sync with beekeeping! Remember in the excitement of finally getting into your hives, to note brood pattern, presence of eggs if you don’t spot the queen, capped honey reserves, and any signs of diseases.

Bait hives (aka swarm traps) – don’t wait too long to put them out!

Don’t relax!

 When spring is delayed, it can come all at once. For example, cherries and pears may bloom in the same week, followed quickly by apples. When spring accelerates with the usual progression of blooms happening almost simultaneously, sometimes beekeepers have relaxed and delayed equipment ordering or preparation, for example painting woodenware which will now not have time to air out before use.

Mite treatments

Once you have verified the presence of mites by wash or sticky board, Oxalic Acid Vaporization (OAV) and the organic synthetics are the ones that can be done in the cool temperatures of this late spring. For others, in particular almost all organic treatments, we have not seen the recommended minimum temperatures for application in many parts of western Washington, so watch the temperatures and forecasts when applying them.

Looking forward to "talking bees" with you. Meetings are open to all beekeepers or those interested in beekeeping.

Topic: Language of Bricks; Apiary Siting, SnoKing Beekeepers April 20, 2022
Time: Apr 20, 2022 06:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

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