The days are lengthening, giving us a sense of hope for better days to come.

Beehives are likely to be coming to the end of their food-stores so beekeepers should be watchful and not let the bees starve. A small amount of brood is being reared, especially in hives with lots of bees. This brood will create extra demands on any available food.

Pollen stored in the brood area of the hive will quickly disappear as more young are in need of feeding. Bees will actively seek out fresh pollen from any early flowering trees such as hazel and willow and flowers such as snowdrops and crocus.

As the days lengthen and get warmer, sugar syrup may be given once bees are actively flying

Egg laying by the queen will increase as soon as fresh pollen starts coming into the hive.

Feeding fondant will, where hives are running low on stores, help progress brood rearing. Feeding fondant is mainly an emergency measure and for use in winter when bees cannot use sugar syrup.

As the days lengthen and get warmer, sugar syrup may be given once bees are actively flying. Again, syrup should only be used as a starvation preventative measure. Those proficient in beekeeping may use sugar syrup for boosting colonies for specific beekeeping purposes.

No sugar syrup please

While on the subject of feeding sugar syrup, people should not leave out syrup for bees.

This is a dangerous practice, and while they may feel that they are helping the bee population and nature, they are in fact creating big problems for bees and beekeepers.

Excess sucrose from an artificial source may not be properly processed by the bee

A couple of points at issue here are, firstly, beekeepers want their honey produced from plant nectars which provide honey with natural glucose and fructose.

While plants produce glucose, fructose and sucrose, the honeybee can split naturally produced sucrose into glucose and fructose. Excess sucrose from an artificial source may not be properly processed by the bee and so the honey will contain a lot of sucrose and be somewhat over sweet.

Honey produced by the bee is a balanced natural product. Secondly, bees congregating at a common feed source are likely to deposit and pick up pathogens, some of which are very serious for bees.

Take a bee course

During winter months, when the bees are not regularly flying, is the time to rearrange the apiary. Those setting up new apiaries need to be cognisant of existing hive numbers in their area of choice. Overstocking an area is not good for bee or environment. To get the best out of beekeeping, it is important to take a beekeeping course.

These are run by local associations normally but COVID-19 restrictions have temporarily halted them. By becoming a member, one gains access to knowledge as well as insurance cover.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry

Except for personal use, producing honey for sale or gift, requires registration as a food producer with the Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine.

The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. How often have I made plans to improve my bees and beekeeping, only to have them fall asunder in front of my eyes! Beekeeping, like any farming, is subject to many variables, and unless the variables match the plan, then, we must make the best of what we have.

When winter snows are past and the beehives emerge into active producing units, we will give a sigh of relief and start to put the foot down on the pedal as the seasons rapidly take hold.