Ross Wood
Queen Bee Supplier and Honey Producer
Phone 02 66425957 Mobile 0421817710 e-mail rosswood@westnet.com.au
Spring Management
Spring management really begins in late autumn by keeping hives on breeding conditions for as long as the season will allow.
Preferably hives are stocked with young queens with plenty of stores and good coverings of worker bees.
As soon as spring conditions allow in your area, remove one or two of the heavy honey laden combs from the extremities of the brood nest and replace with new combs, positions 2 and 7 are usually the best.
Continue with this method for as long as conditions allow, removing brood from the strongest hives and giving to the weaker colonies.
Give strong colonies ample supers as required and move to early honey flows, usually Red Gum, Grey Ironbark or Clover.
This will tend to reduce swarming and allow you to gather an early crop.