March in Your Apiary

As usual in Central Oregon, March doesn’t give us everything we’re looking for, but it sure gives us some teasers. A couple of days here and there above 60°F, followed by a whole stream of 40- or 30-°F days. And some odd and wonderful pollen occasionally coming in with our bees—early-month reports of some unknown dark pollen or perhaps propolis, then some pasty white from the willows, and some wonderful bright yellow, orange, and occasional blue pollen, perhaps from snowdrops and other early bulbs.

On warmer days, we’ll continue seeing cleansing flights and increasing amounts of pollen coming in. If they have stores, the bees will start ramping up their population as temperatures rise, daytime length increases, and natural forage becomes available.

At this time, there are really two areas where we can intervene.

If our bees are getting low on food, check their stores on a warmer day by opening the top and ensuring you see at least several partial frames of honey. If needed, supplement with capped honey, sugar cakes, or fondant—or if the outside temps are consistently above 55 or 60°F degrees, 1:1 syrup. One of the things I find very frustrating is a colony that fought its way through the winter only to starve in the spring while raising brood during a cold snap.

Ordinarily, at this point in the year, the bee population is outgrowing the varroa mite population. However, if we haven’t been keeping our mite counts down at a sustainable level (1% is good—check the HBHC tools for Varroa management for details), the colony won’t be healthy enough to achieve that wonderful growth rate. In that case, treat and verify.

Now that you’re set, they’re off to the races!

Happy beekeeping,
Allen

Honeybee Losses Update!

Historically, around 40% annual losses had become the “norm,” but this season’s losses are even higher—potentially surpassing losses last seen during the Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) era.

Watch the full webinar here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOCis4ZPfp8

PNW Beekeepers: Your input is needed! We’ll be sending this out as an email when the survey opens:

https://pnwhoneybeesurvey.com/survey (Open March 16th to May 1st) PNW Honey Bee Survey

We’re excited to welcome new beekeepers (and anyone needing a refresher) to our hands‐on, in‐person course. Whether you’re just starting your first hive or looking to fill in some knowledge gaps, this class is designed to set you up for success! COBKA 2025 Beginner Beekeeping Course - Registration Required

Looking for Bees in 2025?
Remember, most suppliers start taking orders in January (and can sell out by early February). Delivery typically arrives around May, so plan ahead! For a list of local and regional vendors, check our Area Suppliers page.

If you’re newer to beekeeping (or just want a quick brush‐up), we’d love to see you at the Beginner Beekeeping Course!

COBKA Meeting Slide/Video Archives