The four seasons of beekeeping

Spring - Cleansing flight, willow blooming, and changing hive bases

At the turn of February-March, there is still a thick layer of snow on the roofs of the hives here in the heights of Pirkanmaa. However, inside the hive, in the warmth of the winter cluster formed by the bees, things are already starting to happen. There, the queen begins to lay the first bees of the year, so that when spring arrives, the hive is ready for foraging pollen, nectar, and water.

When the first warm and calm day of spring is experienced in March-April, it's time for the cleansing flight. The bees that have been held back all winter finally get to dot the snow with their yellow-brown spots and clumps.

The cleansing flight also marks the beginning of the beekeeper's regular hive visits. First, we check whether the queens have reached a good laying pace and if there is enough winter feed left in case of a late frost. At the same time, the bottom of each hive is replaced with a clean one, so that the bottoms that have been under the hives for the year can be cleaned.

As the weather warms, the queen begins to lay eggs more diligently, and the need for food in the hive increases. The importance of willow as a foraging plant for bees cannot be overstated at this point in spring. The honey and pollen collected from it goes entirely to the hive's own needs, primarily for raising new bees.

Summer - Drone frames and swarm prevention

The beekeeper's regular hive visits continue throughout the summer into autumn. It is important to ensure that the queen has enough space to lay eggs and that the bees have space to collect pollen and nectar. As nature around the apiary bursts into bloom, honey supers begin to be added on top of the hives.

During the harvest season, varroa mite control cannot be done with natural acids in the hives, but the number of mites can be reduced using drone frames. The drone frame is otherwise similar to the other frames in the hive, but part of the cell structure has been completely cut off. The bees are happy to build suitable cells for drones on these frames.

Fortunately for the bees and the beekeeper, varroa mites particularly favor these cells. When the hive bees cover the drone larvae with a wax cap, it is time to cut the drones off the frame. This way, the mites present in the hive can be moved out with the drone larvae. In our case, the drone larvae and the mites residing in their cells ultimately end up in the stomachs of woodpecker and tit chicks.

Although mite control is one of the most important management practices, preventing swarming is even more crucial. Swarming is a natural way for bees to reproduce, but in such northern climates, domesticated honey bees cannot survive in the wild on their own. Even if a swarm finds a suitable nesting site, the varroa mite will ultimately seal its fate within a couple of years. For the sake of neighborly peace, it is also better that no one intentionally lets bee swarms escape.

The easiest way to prevent swarming is to obtain a good queen from a reputable breeder. The offspring of bred queens usually have an easier time with swarming intentions. Not all hives even consider swarming; they are satisfied as long as there is enough space for foraging and laying eggs throughout the summer.

Autumn - Escape boards, winter feeding, and varroa mite control

By late summer, the hives begin to prepare for the arrival of autumn, which is evident from the drones being expelled in front of the hives. They are dragged out of the hive by other bees, as they are no longer beneficial to the colony.

Around the same time, the beekeeper begins to prepare the hives for harvest. We use bee escape boards to guide the bees to move in only one direction, from the upper boxes to the lower ones. The clusters can stay in place for a day or two, after which they are moved under the next boxes in the hive tower. A few bees left in the honey boxes to be collected are blown out in front of their hives with a blower.

Honey boxes are taken to a clean, room-temperature space to await extraction. Escapes are moved, and honey boxes are collected every few days until only the last honey boxes on top of the brood boxes remain. When it is time to collect the last boxes, the first buckets of winter food are taken along to the hives.

There is always some honey left in the bottom boxes for the bees, but it is not enough for the entire winter. Once the escapes, honey boxes, and closing grids have been removed from the tops of the hives, a feeding box is placed on top. Sugar solution is poured into it, which the bees pack into the cells as their winter food.

But why is sugar solution given to bees for winter? Can't they just eat the honey?

Switching honey for sugar may sound unfair to many at first hearing, but it is done for a good reason. Finland has a long winter during which bees cannot relieve themselves. Honey contains more gut-filling ingredients than pure sugar, and the bees may face a crisis before the cleansing flight weather. The nectar of some plants also crystallizes so quickly in the cells that the bees cannot use it as winter food.

If one wanted to winter the bees with honey, one must be sure that the honey left in the hive is suitable for winter food. With sugar feeding, the hive is more likely to survive the Finnish winter in good condition until spring.

When all honey boxes have been collected from the hives and winter feeding is well underway, it is time to carry out the varroa mite autumn treatments. This is done using natural acids, such as formic acid or thymol. These are used in alternating years to prevent the mites from developing resistance to the acids.

As autumn cools, it is time to prepare the hives for winter. Once the bees have stored sufficient amounts of winter food, the feeding boxes are removed. The flight board is leaned against the hive in front of the entrance, and finally, since we use lightweight hives, the whole setup is protected with a mesh.

Winter - One last mite treatment

Around Independence Day, the hives are visited one last time. All winter bees have hatched, and the queen has stopped laying eggs for the winter. Now, the varroa mites have no hiding or breeding places left in the hive, and it is time to carry out the last mite treatment of the year. This most important mite treatment of the entire care period is done with oxalic acid. After the treatment, the hive is left to winter in peace.

Bees do not hibernate like many other insects; instead, they form a tight winter ball together, which they keep warm by moving their wings. As winter progresses, the ball slowly moves up in the hive, while consuming the winter food stores.

The beekeeper spends the winter maintaining equipment, tasting honey, and reminiscing about summer.