Around Valetine’s Day is the beginning of the beekeeping calendar.
With the days getting longer, and the catkins on the alder and hazel out, the honeybees are starting to fly on milder days like today when the temperature hit 12 degrees at our apiary in Camley Street. Here’s a bee having a rest on the roof of a hive after a short flight.
So myself and Brian took a romantic walk around the apiary to check how the bees have been doing over the winter.
He opened up the roof of all the hives and placed a feed of fondant over the hole in the crownboard for bees who may need it as a food supplement until more flowers are out. And if we have a cold spell, they may not be able to forage for a few weeks.
A couple of hives didn’t make it through, but the majority are looking good at the moment.