April Bee Alert: The Danger Zone

Why this month matters

April is the pivot point. The bees have woken up. The queen is laying again. So the colony is expanding fast and burning through remaining winter stores fast. If the weather turns nasty, they can quickly starve just weeks before the main spring flow.

Task management

Heft your hives or check fondant over crown board. If needed, add fondant directly above the cluster. No need to wait for a good day for this vital intervention.

Keep an eye on the weather forecast. You want a calm, dry day of 15 °C or more before you attempt your first full spring inspection. Even then, keep it brief.

Clean or swap your floors. Take the chance to cycle out any old, black comb. Why not save a frame (with no stores) for a bait hive? These should be set up towards the end of the month.

Stuff to prepare and/or buy

Do you have fondant for emergency feeding, or light syrup for stimulative feeding? Starvation is your biggest enemy right now.

Do you have enough frames and foundation for the season ahead? Stock up now. Make sure your supers are built and ready to go before the spring flow hits. And have sufficient supers... it might be a bonanza year! The oilseed rape will be flowering in a fortnight – there are already a few flowers out.

What to look out for

When you do get to do an inspection, check they are queenright. You need to see a solid pattern of eggs and sealed worker brood. Keep a sharp eye out for early signs of disease as the colony expands. Also, look out for the production of the first drones – these take 24 days to develop from eggs to emergence, so it gives you an idea of when they might first swarm!

Before the end of April

Managing your colonies is easier with marked queens. Make sure they are marked soon, before the colony grows larger and the queens more difficult to find.

On a mild, warm day, dedicate an inspection to checking for disease, brushing or shaking the bees off each brood frame so you can inspect carefully. Look out for signs of the foulbroods and other pests, but don’t be surprised if chalk brood is present. It tends to be most prevalent after a spell of cold, wet weather.

Once the Spring flow begins in earnest, your bees may start swarm preparations. So prepared!