What is happening in our hive at the beginning of the year?

The beginning of the year is a time of hard work for the bees, but it helps them ensure that their colony will be able to survive and thrive in the months ahead.

In January...

The bees are still clustered in the hive. However, the mesh of this cluster is gradually beginning to unravel as the temperatures begin to rise. The bees that have been in the hive all winter are tired and are preparing to welcome a new generation of bees in full form. They start making royal jelly again, which will feed the larvae.

The Queen will be able to start laying again as soon as she feels a slight rise in temperature, announcing the imminent arrival of spring!

In February...

February marks the beginning of a transition period in the hive. The last few days of extreme cold will give way to a thaw in some areas. It is time for the bees to review their winter cluster organization to start preparing for a new season!

For his part, the beekeeper...

In February, the beekeeper must prepare for the new season.

On a sunny day, without wind and with a temperature of more than 14 degrees, he can open the hive to check the state of the colony. This is also the time to disinfect all his equipment, the hive bodies, the supers, the frames, which should be ready and clean for the resumption of the activity of his bees!

 

Zoom on the first days of a bee

The queen can lay fertilized or unfertilized eggs. The fertilized eggs will give birth to female bees and the others to male drones. A fertilized egg can become a worker bee or a queen in its turn! The egg is laid in a cell that contains food reserves. At this stage, it looks like a tiny grain of rice, white and elongated. Within three days of being laid, the egg gradually transforms into a larva. The larva then grows more or less according to its future: worker, queen or drone!

AMEG GROUP partner of a Roof for the Bees : www.untoitpourlesabeilles.fr

Discover also :

www.folies-royales.fr Organic cosmetics with honey

www.desfleursdanslavallee.fr Cultivating Biodiversity