Month: January 2019

I have been out to check my bees and they are generally in good shape. Unfortunately this mild January weather can be very bad for the bees. Any time the outside temperature goes above about 42 degrees F, the bees can break cluster and wander around, thus using more reserves. As the days get longer, the queen is stimulated to start laying. At the Grand Rapids latitude, it is generally considered to start around January 10. With mild weather, the colony can start a cluster that is as large as they can maintain at the mild condition. Unfortunately, as chillier weather hits, they collapse around the brood and may pull back from the honey. The bees will not leave the brood to follow the honey so they can starve to death with only a few days of colder weather. It is also true that this happens to the strongest colonies first.