Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association

St. Louis Beekeepers To Host Fifth Annual Beekeeping Workshop

Prominent Instructors to Present Courses for Beginners and Experienced Beekeepers

*  * *   Registration is now open for the EMBA 2012 Workshops * * *

Click Here to Register

The Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association will offer courses of instruction for beginners and experienced beekeepers on Saturday, February 11, 2012, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Maritz in Fenton, Missouri.  Space is limited, and will be filled on a first-come-first-served basis.

Jennifer Berry, Erin Forbes, and Grant Gillard will lead the courses.

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association

Late Winter and Early Spring Hive Management in St. Louis

Ted Jansen and Bob Sears

March, 2010

Warm Days in Winter; Late Winter Management[1].

• Inspect the hive interior briefly on a sunny day, when the temperature at the hive entrance reaches 50 degrees F. Look for brood, honey and pollen stores. If all are present, the colony is fundamentally sound.  Do not disrupt the brood sphere; replace frames precisely as found to avoid chilling brood.
• Close up or bring in any “deadouts” to prevent robbing and spread of disease. Seek to determine the cause of mortality.
• Observe the hive exterior for signs of stress, such as nosema streaks and weakened bees. Dead bees below the entrance board are normal.
• Check food stores in cold weather by lifting the back of the bottom board off the stand a couple of inches. It should feel heavy.
• Emergency feeding is needed if the colony is light on honey stores. Feed stored honey frames, sugar paste or hard candy.

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association

Seasonal Management Topics

Winter Feeding with Sugar Mush

Bob Sears & Ted Jansen, January, 2010

Check the hives now for winter stores. Tip up the hive from beneath the back of the bottom board. If one hive seems a lot lighter than the others in the yard, or if it is not a slight strain to lift, it may need feed to get through the winter. Your choices are hard candy or what we call “Ted’s Sugar Mush.” (Do not try to feed sugar syrup in cold weather. It will freeze, and so will the bees, if they take it.)

Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association

Seasonal Management Topics

Winter Feeding with Hard Candy

Bob Finck, January 14, 2009[1]

Check the hives now for winter stores. Tip up the hive from beneath the back of the bottom board. If one hive seems a lot lighter than the others in the yard, or if it is not a slight strain to lift, it may need feed to get through the winter. Your choices are hard candy or what we call “Ted’s Sugar Mush.” (Do not try to feed sugar syrup in cold weather. It will freeze, and so will the bees, if they take it.)