Which Month Is Ideal For Decorating With Bees?

November marks the end of the yearly cycle for many beekeepers, and at Dadant and Sons, it is considered the beginning of the new year. As temperatures cool, bees limit their activity and flights outside the hive become practically non-existent. This is the perfect opportunity to check on your beekeeping calendar and manage feeding, Varroa mites, and swarm control. This month-by-month guide covers everything from hive inspections and mite treatments to honey harvesting and winterization.

Bee activity begins as the weather improves, and early blossoms appear. As the month progresses, more pollen and nectar sources become available, such as dandelions, willows, fruit trees, maples, and others. The calendar should be understood as general information, with dates and tasks adapted to your specific needs.

January is similar to December, but the bees in the hive are very busy. As daylight increases, more bees hatch, prompting the monthly buzz. Bees buzz differently every month of the year, and the lifespan and activities of all bee species can change with their environment. When new to beekeeping, it is important to have a game plan.

Seasonal beekeeping calendars and to-do’s throughout the year can help beekeepers monitor their hive’s development and spot potential problems. Inspecting in July, requeening in late July or early August, and treating colonies for mites are essential. Starting the beekeeping year at the beginning of spring is best, starting in March/April depending on your location. Apiculture professionals agree that the beginning of spring is the best time to install a new beehive.

What month are bees least active?

In October, bees commence preparations for the winter season, necessitating the provision of sustenance and the establishment of a secure hive. In November, activity levels decline, with bees tending to cluster in groups.

Where’s the best place to hang a bee house?

Bee boxes should be placed in a sunny location, close to pollen sources, and mud sources for nest construction. In winter, store them in an outbuilding or outdoor location, and in spring, place them outside when temperatures are above 55 degrees for bees to emerge. Nesting tubes should be replaced annually to prevent disease and parasites. McCoy advises against drilling holes in wood for bee houses, as it is labor-intensive and doesn’t create an ideal nest for bees. Instead, use a combination of sunlight, pollen sources, and mud sources for optimal bee health.

How do you attract bees to a bee house?

Bee houses should be built with materials that do not trap moisture, promote mould and diseases, and are small to prevent parasites from finding them. In Scotland, the red mason bee (Osmia bicornis) is the most likely to occupy bee houses, which should have an internal diameter of 4 to 10 mm and a length of at least 15 cm. The house should be positioned in full sun, facing southeast or south, and at least a meter off the ground. It should be securely fixed to prevent wind damage and face the house’s opening at a slightly downward angle to keep it dry.

Wind-blown rain can wet the walls of the house’s cells, exposing young bees to diseases. To keep the house dry, an overhanging roof is recommended. If woodpeckers, tits, and other birds pull out tubes, a piece of chicken wire should be fixed across the front of the bee house. An occupied bee house can be moved to a cold, dry location during autumn or winter, such as an unheated shed, porch, or garage, and replaced every two years to avoid build-up of mould, mites, and parasites.

Lastly, do not buy bees, as they may disrupt the ecology of local pollinators and release them in the wild may be illegal. Other species that may occupy bee houses in Scotland include other species such as hummingbirds, robins, and swarms of birds.

What is the 3 feet 3 mile rule for bees?

The saying “3 feet or 3 miles” suggests that a beehive can only be moved up to 3 feet from its original location. However, if the distance exceeds 3 miles, the bees reorientate, causing the landscape to look different and their GPS to be slightly off. This can disrupt the colony for the first day or two. Some people choose to move their hive to a different location, but this can disrupt the colony for the first few days.

To help the bees reorientate to the new location, it is essential to understand how bees orientate and how to move them to the new location. While most beehives are typically moved 2 miles, moving a hive more than 5 or 6 feet can help them reorientate to the new location.

What month is worse for bees?

Wasps and yellow jackets appear to be more aggressive during the fall months due to the growth of bee and wasp nest populations over the summer. These colonies can reach up to 4, 000 members by the end of the summer. In the fall, wasp nests start to die off, producing fertile females to overwinter in attics and wall voids. In the spring, these wasps start new nests and search for carbohydrates (e. g., sugar) to survive the winter.

This is because wasps need to “carb up” during the fall to survive the cold winter months, which does not include honey bees, which survive the winter feeding on honey. This means wasps will be extra persistent in their search for fruit, sweets, and other sugary items, like soda.

What month are bees most aggressive?

Bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets are venomous stinging insects that can be active from early spring to late fall, with the most aggressive activity occurring from August until October. Bees can sting multiple times and have a barbed stinger, while wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets may appear nasty. Bee stings contain more venom than other insects and are 42 times more likely to cause death than poisonous snake bites. Death from bee/wasp stings usually occurs if the person is stung repeatedly or has a high venom allergy.

What weather do bees like most?

Bees’ time of day depends on the temperature and the sun’s direction. In spring, summer, and fall, early morning temperatures surpass 50 degrees Fahrenheit, causing bees to wake up and search for pollen and nectar. The dew in the early morning makes collecting pollen difficult, but as temperatures rise, it dries and clings to bees’ hairs more easily.

Bees’ most active time depends on their role in a hive. Worker bees maintain the hive and stay warm inside, taking care of eggs and building the nest. They take turns sleeping but do not have an established schedule, making them less sensitive to light. Forager bees are only active during the day and need to leave the hive frequently, exposing them to elements and being more sensitive to light. They leave at the first sign of daylight and peak in the early afternoon.

Forager bees work until right before sunset when the declining sunlight indicates it is time to stop working. Without the right temperatures and light, they return to the nest with collected pollen to rest. They typically end their days before sundown, knowing how much distance they need to cover before there is no more daylight to navigate. Bees have infrared vision, which helps them know when the sun is setting, so they stop working and start their path home. Once they return to the hive, they provide all the pollen collected and rest until the next day begins.

Which season is best for bee keeping?

The spring season is optimal for the initiation of apiculture, as honey bees flourish in warm climates and the blooming of flora commences during this period, creating a conducive environment for the establishment of a prosperous apiculture enterprise.

What are the 3 bees rules?

Discover My World is introducing a new approach to behaviour management and inclusion called ‘The 3 Bees’. These are Be Kind, Be Safe, and Be a Learner, with four strategies to support children’s understanding and practice of these principles. The aim is to provide children with positive, holistic guidelines for their learning and interactions, teaching them to make informed decisions and be more aware of their responsibilities.

The approach is based on the work of classroom management theorist Jacob Kouninis, who believed that successful behavior management is achieved by preventing management problems through good organization and planning. The 3 Bees are believed to be the perfect recipe for good organization and planning, enabling children to succeed and thrive in their care.

When should you hang a bee house?

During any time of year, bee houses can be purchased or installed, with fall being a good time to plant seeds for bee lawns and native perennial pollinator gardens. Leave bare ground, leaves on the ground, and brush piles for ground nesting bees. Planning and maintaining your landscape is crucial for creating a healthy home for pollinators. Growing plants like coneflowers, milkweed, and bee balm is a great start. Creating a habitat for Minnesota’s native bees will make your yard pollinator-friendly all year round.

What is the 7/10 rule in beekeeping?

The optimal time to add a super to a beehive is during spring and summer when there is strong population growth and swarming is more likely. The 7/10 rule suggests that bees should have used seven out of ten frames in the current boxes before adding an additional super. It is best to add supers one at a time and assess the hive’s space every two weeks during honey flow. Adding an extra honey super can ease crowding, allow additional space for honey harvesting, and reduce the chance of colony swarming if the colony has sufficient room to expand.