The good weather in early May was welcomed by beekeepers. Those colonies which survived the winter and early spring had the opportunity to take in some nectar from early blooms. Dandelion proved its worth again this year. Horse chestnut and sycamore are great providers of nectar.

Plants bloom according to the length of daylight, known as the photo period, so we can see the different plants coming on stream with their blooms.

Incoming nectar and pollen is quickly turned into brood by the bees. The queen increases her daily egg laying in response to the increased supply of food.

The winter and spring losses are becoming clearer. It appears there have been some serious losses in some parts of the country. When the Coloss Winter Colony Loss Survey 2015/6 is analysed, there is likely to be some surprise at the size of the losses. This survey is conducted by Dr Mary Coffey in Oakpark Research Centre.

The challenge for beekeepers has been the replacement of these losses, while at the same time having colonies strong enough to collect a honey crop. Replacement requires splitting strong colonies and supplying the split part with a laying queen. Colony strength can be boosted by stimulative feeding to push them ahead.

Having mated, laying queens to head up split colonies requires skill and adherence to strict time lines. Beekeepers choose a colony with the required characteristics to supply the eggs for the new queens. The same colony or another may be used to bring the eggs to fully grown queens. From the laying of the egg to the emergence of the new queen takes 16 days. Allow a few more days for the queen to mature before mating and add a further two weeks before she is ready to lay. Laying rate will be slow initially. Mating may be hampered by weather conditions with the possibility of a poor mating in inclement conditions, resulting in the beekeeper being left with a dud queen. All this lag time pushes out having an up and running colony which can produce some honey.

The supply of bees to beginners will come under pressure this year as beekeepers strive to replace losses. On the brighter side, the good spell in May made it possible to begin the process of replacements.

Getting through the June gap will be the big hurdle, where the main emphasis will be keeping the colonies as a strong unit in readiness for the main crop.

Outside the cities, the main crop of honey in Ireland comes from the blackberry and white clover. The focus will be on having bees ready to collect these nectars. The white clover, in times past, was a real supplier of nectar. It was low growing and very plentiful, so much so that bees walked from bloom to bloom. In sheep grazed areas where there is white clover, the best nectar flow will be obtained.

Modern farm practices have changed the availability of these clovers. The briar is the great supplier of nectar and again the plant is being controlled by hedge-cutting.

Since this is the time of the year for rearing queens, beekeepers need to keep a broad genetic spread in their apiaries. Bringing in queens from outside apiaries helps in this regard. Groups such as the Native Irish Honey Bee Society (NIHBS), whose members produce queens of the dark Irish bees, offer beekeepers a choice of variation in their apiaries.