There are all realized by now the winter has been filed! You know, still cold and there will be days with low temperatures in the early morning, but the spring season is making room and even the less attentive if they are noticed.
On Monday, Alex and I we were to bring in hives "jelly" to our bees (the candy), and from the station I noticed the almond tree in bloom. In fact, where I usually park the car during the visits to the hives, and where they go to the place swarms, there is a small almond tree that has become heated by the sun and brought out the first flowers and developing buds.
The flowering of the almond is the second sign that gives the start to the summer (remember that the first is the core in February), and from this moment on, the bees begin to work more closely to boost stocks pollen to feed the young bees and rapidly increasing number within the hive.
The growth of the family should be naturally controlled dall'apicoltore, noting the number of brood combs and stock, and where there are vulnerable families, there must be effective and reinforce them by taking bee stocks to stronger ones: basically you make the household budget.
We found our hymenoptera quite fit, last autumn on nutrition liquid and solid in recent months, but also anti-varroa treatments have alleviated the suffering of our friends from flying like an annoying pest Varroa Destructor.
For those not familiar Varroa, a parasite that attaches to the body of the bee and sucks the hemolymph, providing a weakening of the bee and the transmission of viruses that harm bees. One of these is the "deformed wing virus," which according to studies of many research centers, is transmitted by the Varroa and bees produce deformities who can not fly and then collaborate in the life of the hive. Returning to work
beekeeper, yet there is still much to do, and operations are mainly to equip and prepare new hives (the restoration of the old hive is one of the most challenging winter hobby), to improve and fix the ' apiary, possibly cutting some weeds and nuisance plants weeds such as brambles, or prepare new frames by inserting the comb foundations.
The substitution of old combs is essential for maintaining the healthy hive, and the replacement of wax is a task that must be done by any good beekeeper. It is not yet time, however, add comb foundations, it must wait for the flowering of dandelion (third sign of spring) which should take place between late March and early April.
The interposition of a waxy leaf between the frames of brood during the dandelion, bee provides new building material which will be filled with eggs by the queen, to provide new foraging bees ready to sull'acacia in late April.
But not so fast, stand with its feet on the ground and we do not think acacia, but to enjoy this change of season and for someone like me, had taken with late sowings of peas, to get down with the tiller and fertilizer to prepare the ground for one of the vegetables (for me) the most good for the table!
For now the news from the hive are over, we feel the next ... bloom!
Alberto
