Dancing Bee Apiary

Well just about now obsessed beekeepers like me are really craving spring. Orders for Nucs keep coming in and also beekeeping lessons are filling up. All a beekeeper can do this time of year is keep up on the current beekeeping events and build, build and build more equipment.

Beeworks Forum, sign up now!

Hello,
To anyone who loves talking about beekeeping; they should check out The BeeWorks Forum. This is a Canadian site so hopefully enough Ontario Beeks sign up and make it a worth while active forum. I'm going to pass this on to all the beeks I know.

Winter Warm Up

I was checking the forcast and noticed we would be having a few warm days. I thought it would be a good time to check a few hives. By checking I mean making sure no snow is blocking the entrances, no lids got blown off etc. Also, I decided to pour some sugar on the inner cover of a few of the weaker and light colonies. I don't really expect them to make it, but I thought I'd give them every chance. These weak colonies were late swarms, or colonies that were queenless for awhile. Sometimes these late swarms make it through the winter.

Beekeeping Lessons

If are interested in Beekeeping lessons, Dancing Bee Apiaries ( www.dancingbeehoney.com ), still has a few openings. The begginers lesson is aimed at equiping the new beek with the knowledge to begin their new hobby.

Starving Bees

What do you do if you screwed up and you find your bees light with stores, and too late in the season to feed ? Well this can easily happen, especially if you were counting on a late nectar flow that did not materialize. So now its too cold to feed, and your hives are light. First off, you hope for a warm enough day to crack the inner cover. Which I hate doing in the winter, but they're dead anyway if you don't do something. If you have time you can make a sugar fondant to go on the top bars, I find this un-necessary. I've managed to pull hives through that were right out of honey. By popping the inner cover and pouring sugar across the top bars, and then also on the top of the inner cover you can give them a chance. Good luck !
As always, its always better to leave enough honey on, but sometimes nature does not make it easy.

Dancing Bee Apiaries is Ontario Farmers......

Dancing Bee Apiaries is pleased to announce that we are now certified by the " My Pick " Ontario Farmers Market. This certification is done to ensure that vendors at local Farmers Markets are indeed selling local products. The reason people go to Farmers Markets is to get local produce, that is much fresher than what is available at grocery stores. Also, its really nice to know the person you are getting your food from. You can find us at the Port Hope and Lakefield Farmers Markets.

Hi, here at Dancing Bee Apiaries we want to advance beekeeping both as an industry and also a hobby in Ontario. Beekeeping is such a wonderful way to learn more about nature. There are so many facets to apiculture, and as any experienced beekeeper will tell you, the learning curve is on going.
Being a beekeeper in Central Ontario I've noticed that there is not much in the way of support for new beekeepers. If you can't find a mentor, maybe we can help. Feel free to ask us your beekeeping questions and we'll do our best to answer them from the standpoint of an Ontario Beekeeper.

Beekeepers Beware of Bears !

Dancing Bee Apiaries is pleased to announce that we have added dates to our spring beekeeping lessons due to popular demand! Please visit us at www.dancingbeehoney.com and sign up for a fun afternoon of learning about beekeeping.

Also, just a reminder to all new beekeepers. I've had some fellow beeks ask me about bears and if they should bother with a fence. Trust me its worth the investment. Bear populations have been on the rise. In my area one hour east of Toronto, I had never seen a bear all my life, until two years ago. Bears can wreak havoc in an apiary and destroy hives. Just be sure that if you do get hit with a bear you contact your local bee inspector.