A Month in the Apiary - April

by Nick Pendleton, Woodside Farm

Well, whilst it feels like spring is arriving, the weather is a bit all over the place – one day warm and balmy, the next the brass monkeys are looking nervous as temperatures takes a dive!

I think I would have raised a few eyebrows if anyone had recently seen me wandering down to the Apiary with a spirit level. Not what one thinks would be necessary bee-keeping equipment, but the hives need to be checked to ensure they are still level, and not starting to lean. I have just put a litre of 1:1 sugar water on to stimulate the queen, and a sloping hive would be a bit pointless, as the liquid in the feeder would be inaccessible to the bees, having seeped to the lowest edge!

At this time, the colony is at its smallest and consequently the queen should be easier to find. If not already marked she is captured, and a paint blob is placed on her back. Years ending 1 or 6 are a white blob, 2 or 7 (i.e., this year, 2022) yellow, 3 or 8 red and finally 4 or 9, green (The mnemonic is Will You Rear Good). It is important to know the Queen’s age so that you are prepared for succession and can plan accordingly.

As April is now here and the days become progressively warmer, in-depth inspections are crucial on better days. I recall last year the swarms began from the third week of April. Swarms have already been reported in France and we tend to be about three weeks behind them. Whilst doing inspections I shall look for evidence that the colony might be preparing to swarm. There is usually evidence of queen cells, but as my eyes have aged and the bees seem to be more cunning, spotting them is becoming more of a challenge. From memory, I missed several last year and I was very cross indeed!

Plant of the Month:

Blackthorn (Prunus Spinosa), named after its blackish bark and numerous sharp pins. It is a shrub, from the Rose family, ‘Rosaceae.’ The flowers are a creamy white, with five petals, and will open before any leaves appear. On warmer days you will find them smothered in bees, which in turn will enable a good set of fruit, the Sloe. I make my Xmas Sloe Gin in October, but sadly I do not have the patience to keep it for a year to really mature. The straight stems from Blackthorn are the traditional source of wood for walking sticks. In addition, the ‘Swagger’ sticks issued to commissioned officers of the Royal Irish Rangers are made from Blackthorn.