Farming ChampionsJune is typically the month beekeepers can finally take a well-deserved break and let their buzzing friends thrive in favourable conditions. During the Winter months, the bees are strategically placed in areas with warm temperatures, abundant nectar, and plentiful pollen supplies, ensuring their continued growth and happiness.
With the bees happy, beekeepers shift their focus to essential maintenance tasks. It’s the perfect opportunity to inspect beehive boxes for any damages and promptly repair or replace them as needed. Building new frames becomes a priority, ensuring an adequate supply for the upcoming spring maintenance and hive management. It’s also crucial to remove old frames and replace them, promoting a healthy and productive bee colony.
Take a drive around your designated beekeeping sites, and perhaps explore new areas with potential for hive relocation throughout the year. Planning ahead is key, as you’ll need to ensure the flowering patterns align with your hive placement strategy. Consider revisiting these areas a month before your planned relocation to confirm flowering will occur for the bees’ foraging.
During your initial hive inspection, remember to bring fresh sticky frames to replace the old ones on the outer edges of the brood box. This simple practice allows for efficient honey production and helps maintain the overall health of the hive. As part of your inspection routine, check the hives for general health and ensure no diseases have appeared. Stay updated on any diseases that may affect bees in Australia by referring to resources such as the Bee Aware website. Once the first inspection is complete, it’s important to continue regular hive inspections. This ensures sufficient space for the queen bee and serves as a preventive measure against swarming. By keeping the queen and her colony content, the bees will diligently fill the cells with delicious honey. If you want to learn more tips about Wintering Bees check out this blog next.
In recent years, beekeeping has garnered tremendous interest and witnessed a surge of new enthusiasts entering the industry. The passion for these remarkable creatures and their essential role in our ecosystem continues to grow exponentially. We are thrilled to inform you about the upcoming WA Beekeeping Community Conference, scheduled for the 15th of July. This one-day event is an invaluable opportunity for beekeepers of all levels of experience to come together, exchange knowledge, and deepen their understanding of beekeeping practices. To learn more about this exciting event, including registration details and the conference schedule, visit the BICWA (Bee Industry Council of Western Australia) website.
