March is what I would call a “transitional” month,
full of weather surprises. One day it feels like
summer—like a few days ago when we hit 80°F
—and then, 24 hours later, temperatures can
plummet to near 30°F. The reality is that March
is as schizophrenic as a psychiatric ward
patient with multiple personalities. Can we say
unpredictable?
What is Mother Nature thinking? One moment
she’s saying, “Okay, let’s move into spring,” and
the next, she decides, “Nah, I’ll toss a few more
snowflakes out,” like she has them stashed in
her pocket.
It’s not easy to deal with. Who knows how to
dress for work in the morning? Coat? Jacket?
Short-sleeve shirt? Winter boots, rain boots, or
gym shoes?
And what about our bees? Just like us, they
want to break out of their homes after a long
winter to sniff the fresh spring air, take a
cleansing poop, and look for some good grub…
only to find there’s nothing available just yet.
What a bummer. It’s like us trying to find a
decent place to eat out in the suburbs after 10
p.m. Good luck with that.
This schizophrenic month can really cause
havoc, tempting bees to break their cluster on a
warm day, only to be caught off guard by
sudden temperature drops. I think we can all
relate to stepping outside after work and
realizing the temperature has dropped all day
long. For bees, this could be the final blow to a
weak colony.
March tosses our bees a few challenges as we
approach more stable weather for the April
beekeeping season. But for those colonies that
made it through the winter, they aren’t fretting.
They’re in production mode, with the queen
ramping up egg-laying and brood developing,
just in time for them to emerge in April.
To ensure they make it to the first nectar flow in
April, it’s crucial to make sure they have enough
food reserves. A pollen patty may not be a bad
idea either. Open those hives for a sneak peek
and give them a hand if needed.
A big question that arises this time of year is:
How well did your hives fare over the winter?
Here are the results of our survey: Of the
beekeepers surveyed; we went into winter with
a combined hive count of over 500. We did
have losses, but 68% made it through the
offseason. Hopefully, we can determine what
went wrong as we examine four hives later
tonight.