Beekeeping Tips for January

1. Be sure your hives are prepared for cold and windy winter conditions.Provide a windbreak from cold winter winds.

2. Order queens and package bees for an early April delivery if you did not do so in December.

3. The first brood nest exam may take place in January if the temperature is at least 60 degrees, the sun is out, and very little wind. Make sure the exam is quick as possible. Check for honey, pollen, brood pattern, and number of bees.

4. Check hives for sufficient food supplies. This can be done by lifting the back of the hive box. If it is light, further examination is needed. A single medium frame holds approximately 3.5 lbs of honey and a deep holds 5 – 6 lbs of honey. A colony rearing brood will consume 10 lbs of food a week. Always feed a hive that is in danger of starving with 2:1 sugar water since hives with small food reserves will quickly starve to death. In a mild winter you should find about one frame of brood and at least 3 deep frames of honey.

5. Order, assemble, inventory, and repair woodenware and supplies. Clean old frames and hive boxes to be used in the spring.

6. Check hives for mites and treat as necessary.

7. Check stored supers for wax moth or mice damage. Add more PDB (Paradichlorobenzene) moth crystals if needed as it evaporates quickly on warm days. In freezing weather there will be no wax moth activity.