By Susan EMERSON NUTTER

LISBON, Ohio – With five inches of ice on top of 14 inches of snow in my part of Ohio, spring surely seems eons away. However, February and March are some of my busiest months as a beekeeper and here’s why.

Preparation is everything. So, what am I doing? Everything. But let’s divide my prep work into two categories, food and housing.

Food – I have to admit, I am not feeling that positive about my hives right now, but when life happens, you can only do what you can do. I had surgery on my right foot Aug. 31, and the same procedure done on my left foot Jan. 4. All I can say is you really need your feet to be a beekeeper.

Going into winter, my hives would have benefited from more pollen and open syrup feeding. My feet did not allow for this.

Fast forward to now, and I am getting around after my second surgery and still healing from my first surgery. I was unable to take advantage of the sporadic warm days here and there in January and so far in February due to the deep snow capped with ice.

My vehicle could not get through that snow/ice mix to get me to my apiaries without the chance of getting stuck, and me with a bum foot three acres away from the house where my bee yards are... I could not walk back home through the yuck.

But, I made the most of a housebound situation. I made bee fondant for all the hives so I am ready to replace the fondant given right before my second surgery. I have winter patties on hand to give each hive for added nutrition when I can lift hive lids. With four days of above freezing weather and subsequent melting in my area’s forecast, I should be able to get in my hives in a couple days.

New beekeepers often make the mistake of thinking if their hives made it to March, they are golden. Actually, spring, and the errant warm and then freezing temp days, can wreak havoc on a hive. They’ve broken cluster and are seen flying, but food is still not readily available. Keep feeding your bees fondant, dry sugar and winter patties until you see them bringing in pollen of their own. Spring, not winter, is when most bees starve to death. Keep feeding until they can feed themselves.

Housing – As beekeepers get past their first year and are coming into their second spring of beekeeping, SO much is different. Gone are the exciting aspects of getting that first package – though I am sure many want to add to their apiary and have new packages ordered. But second year beekeepers are faced with hives that made it through the winter (hopefully). Now what?

If second-year beekeepers do nothing else, they need to be ready with more wooden ware and empty frames so when the time comes, they can split their existing hives, and have wooden ware if they catch a swarm. Use February and March to build, buy or refurbish hive boxes. Purchase assembled frames or assemble them yourself. Build more frames than you think you will ever use. You will use them.

Build a couple swarm boxes. Can you improve your apiary by building a more solid hive stand, or one that is at a better height for you and the bees?

Check your syrup feeders. Do you have enough hive entrance reducers or hive beetle traps? Know a politician from the last election with old campaign signs that need tossed? Ask if you can have them and cut them to size to fit your screened bottom boards. Putting in new removable “white boards” for your hives is a nice housekeeping gesture on your part.

Now, having said all this, no beekeeper is ever so knowledgeable that attending a beekeeping class won’t offer up some benefits. Even if it is connecting with new beekeepers who might be future customers of the nucs you are going to put together in May. 

Nuc is short for nucleus colony. A nuc typically consists of established frames. It is basically a small version of a fully established colony.

Beginner, second-year, queen-rearing – all kinds of beekeeping classes are taking place right now. Join your local beekeeping group to find out about these opportunities. Joining beekeeping Facebook groups that are for your area of the world is also a great idea.

Prepare. Prepare. Prepare. Because when the temps rise and the bees begin flying, being ready is the best “tool” any beekeeper can have.