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Beekeeping in Northern Climates <br />FIRST INSPECTION: IS THE COLONY ALIVE? <br />Ɣ ,QHDUO\0DUFKZKHQWHPSHUDWXUHVDUHDWOHDVWƒ)RSHQWKHZLQWHUHGFRORQ\E\UHPRYLQJWKH <br />ZLQWHULQJFRYHUDQGLQQHUFRYHUWRVHHLIWKHFRORQ\LVDOLYH,WLVOLNHO\WKDWWKHEHHVZLOOEHFOXVWHUHG <br />LQWKHWRSER[,IWKHEHHVDUHQRWLQWKHWRSER[WKHQORRNGRZQEHWZHHQWKHIUDPHVWRVHHLIWKH\ <br />DUHLQWKHVHFRQGER[*HQWO\EORZDLUEHWZHHQWKHIUDPHV ZLWK\RXUYHLORQRIFRXUVH DQGOLVWHQIRU <br />VRXQGVRIOLIH,IWKHEHHVDUHQRW\HWLQWKHWRSER[LWOLNHO\PHDQVWKH\VWLOOKDYHWKHKRQH\LQWKH <br />middle box to eat. Do not remove any frames during this inspection unless temperatures are above <br />ƒ) <br />Ɣ ,IE\WKH0DUFKLQVSHFWLRQWKHFOXVWHULVVPDOOHUWKDQDIRRWEDOORUVSDQQLQJRQO\IUDPHVWKH <br />FRORQ\ZLOOOLNHO\QRWVXUYLYHWKURXJKVSULQJ <br />Ɣ $VVHVVFRORQ\ZHLJKWZKHQ\RXKHIWLWIURPWKHVLGHGRHVWKHFRORQ\IHHOOLJKWRUKHDY\"(VWLPDWH <br />WKHQXPEHURIKRQH\IUDPHVOHIWE\ORRNLQJGRZQEHWZHHQWKHIUDPHVIRUUHVRXUFHV7RVXUYLYHWKH <br />remaining cold weather, the colony needs a minimum of two honey frames. It is best not to feed your <br />FRORQ\EHIRUHLWJHWVZDUPEXWLI\RXWKLQNWKH\DUHVWDUYLQJRQO\IHHGZLWKFDQG\ERDUGVRU <br />VXJDUV\UXS5HDGPRUHDERXWXVLQJFDQG\ERDUGVKHUH=XPQHGX*DU\&DQG\. <br />Ɣ If alive, provide your bees with pollen substitute on top of the frames at the edge of the cluster. If the <br />EHHVDUHLQWKHVHFRQGER[FUDFNWKHWRSER[DQGVOLSWKHSDWW\RQWRWKHIUDPHWRSVLQWKHVHFRQG <br />ER[DQGJHQWO\ORZHUWKHWRSER[EDFNGRZQ <br />Ɣ &RYHUWKHFRORQ\EDFNXSZLWKWKHZLQWHUFRYHUDQGPRLVWXUHERDUG <br />Ɣ 7ZRZHHNVDIWHUWKH¿UVWYLVLWFKHFNLIWKHFRORQ\QHHGVDGGLWLRQDOSROOHQVXEVWLWXWHDQGVXJDU <br />syrup. <br />YEAR TWO: MANAGEMENT FOR <br />SUCCESSFULLY WINTERED COLONIES <br />Spring Feeding <br />Biology <br />Box <br />/LNHDQHFWDUÀRZVXJDUV\UXSVWLPXODWHVWKHFRORQ\WRJURZ3ROOHQKHOSV <br />them feed the little brood they are rearing naturally in early spring but does <br />not stimulate them unnecessarily. Receiving sugar syrup too early in spring <br />FRXOGVWLPXODWHWKHEHHVWRUHDUPRUHEURRGWKDQWKH\FDQWDNHFDUHRI,IWKH <br />temperatures drop for a period of time, the cluster of adult bees needs to fully <br />HQFRPSDVVWKHEURRGWRNHHSLWZDUP$VEURRGQHHGVWHPSHUDWXUHVRIƒ) <br />to develop, cold exposure can lead to the death of brood at the edges of the <br />cluster. It is always best to follow the bees’ lead, rather than push them.