Laserfiche WebLink
Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />COLONY LIFE CYCLE <br />Seasonal Cycle <br />+RQH\EHHFRORQLHVDUHSHUHQQLDODQGGRQRW <br />hibernate in winter. When temperatures drop below <br />ƒ)WKHZRUNHUVFOXVWHUWRJHWKHULQDEDOO )LJXUH <br /> 7KHEHHVRQWKHRXWVLGHRIWKHFOXVWHUDUHOLNHD <br />EODQNHWNHHSLQJWKHKHDWZLWKLQWKHFOXVWHU7KHEHHV <br />RQWKHLQVLGHRIWKHFOXVWHUDUHOHVVGHQVHO\SDFNHG <br />DQGVKLYHUWKHLUÀLJKWPXVFOHVJHQHUDWLQJKHDWZLWKLQ <br />the cluster all winter long. As temperatures rise and <br />fall during the winter, bees move the cluster and <br />rearrange themselves within it. The temperature in <br />WKHPLGGOHRIWKHFOXVWHUFDQEHƒ)HYHQZKHQ <br />DPELHQWWHPSHUDWXUHVGURSEHORZ]HUR%HHVGHULYH <br />the energy they need to shiver throughout the winter <br />by consuming honey collected over the summer. <br />The management strategies outlined in this manual <br />HQVXUHWKDWFRORQLHVKDYHVXI¿FLHQWKRQH\VWRUHVIRU <br />WKHZLQWHUZKLOHDOORZLQJWKHEHHNHHSHUWRKDUYHVW <br />excess stores. <br />)LJXUH%HHVFOXVWHULQJWRJHWKHULQ <br />DKLYH SKRWRE\-HVVLFD+HOJHQ  <br />In late January, the queen begins laying a few eggs <br />ZLWKLQWKHFHQWHURIWKHFOXVWHUDQGWKHZRUNHUVIHHG <br />the larvae “brood food” from glands in their heads. As <br />spring progresses, the queen lays more eggs per day. <br />:RUNHUVFDQREWDLQSURWHLQWRVWLPXODWHWKHJODQGVE\ <br />consuming pollen stored in the nest from the previous <br />VXPPHU7KH¿UVWIUHVKSROOHQDYDLODEOHWRFRORQLHV <br />ZLOOFRPHIURPWUHHVSULPDULO\PDSOHZLOORZDQGRDN <br /> )LJXUH 7KLVQXWULWLRXVSROOHQZLOOVWLPXODWHWKH <br />queen to rapidly lay eggs, resulting in colony growth. <br />7KH¿UVWIUHVKQHFWDUDYDLODEOHWREHHVZLOOFRPHIURP <br />VRPHPDSOHDQGRDNWUHHVDQGWKHQIURPGDQGHOLRQV <br />DQGRWKHUHDUO\ÀRZHULQJSODQWV <br />In early spring, a colony that survives winter will <br />FRQWDLQZRUNHUEHHVDQGRQHTXHHQ <br /> )LJXUH ,QODWH$SULODQGLQWR0D\FRORQLHVZLOO <br />EHJLQUHDULQJGURQHV&RORQLHVJURZTXLFNO\LQVSULQJ <br />DQGHDUO\VXPPHU%\PLG0D\DFRORQ\PD\KDYH <br />RYHUEHHVDQGLIWKH\EHFRPHFURZGHG LH <br />LIWKHEHHNHHSHUGRHVQRWGLYLGHWKHFRORQ\LQWRWZR <br />colonies or provide more space by adding additional <br />ER[HV DFRORQ\PD\KDYHWKHLUUHVLVWLEOHLPSXOVHWR <br />swarm. The population of the colonies will grow in <br />June and plateau around July or August when there <br />DUHXVXDOO\DGXOWZRUNHUKRQH\EHHV <br />in a strong, healthy colony. During this early summer <br />growth phase, colonies in Minnesota will collect <br />nectar and pollen primarily from clover, alfalfa, and <br />EDVVZRRG OLQGHQ WUHHV,QDGGLWLRQWKH\ZLOOFROOHFW <br />SROOHQDQGQHFWDUIURPPDQ\RWKHUÀRZHULQJSODQWV <br />ZHHGVVKUXEVDQGWUHHV$FRORQ\PDNHVWKHPRVW <br />KRQH\ZKHQWKHSHDNSRSXODWLRQFRLQFLGHVZLWKWKH <br />PDLQKRQH\ÀRZGXHWRWKHDEXQGDQFHRIIRUDJLQJ <br />EHHVDQGDYDLODEOHQHFWDUIURPEORRPLQJÀRZHUV <br />In late summer and early fall, colonies collect nectar <br />and pollen from goldenrod and asters; very valuable <br />sources of late season nutrition that ensure they <br />KDYHHQRXJKKRQH\SDFNHGLQWKHQHVWIRUZLQWHU <br />Sometime in September and into October, the queen <br />stops laying eggs and the colony enters its winter <br />cluster phase. The last bees produced in the season <br />are the “winter bees.” These bees need to be healthy <br />in order for the colony to survive until the spring when <br />the queen starts to lay eggs again and new bees are <br />produced.