March Beekeeping Tips 2024

1. March is the month the colony is at its lowest adult (forager) population as the bees work toward spring buildup. Although they are bringing in some pollen, it can be limited, plus the population is increasing so fast the hive has a hard time keeping up―running the risk of starvation for growing colonies. Continue monitoring food stores and practicing the February feeding tips, working to maintain a 20-pound surplus. Feed pollen substitute during cold weeks to maintain brood building.
2. You should see the population of your hive beginning to explode. Your queen should be laying a tremendous number of eggs, and a new generation of bees should be hatching. If you do not see any signs of eggs, larvae, or brood, your hive is queenless and you should order a replacement queen or merge the hive with another hive. If your hive has fewer than two frames of bees, merging is your best option. If you have three frames of bees, you can add a frame of brood from a stronger hive and give the hive a new queen.
3. If you can find queen bees for sale, splitting can be done in late March or anytime in April. If you make a split in late March, four frames of solid brood, a mated queen, and proper care should guarantee a hive that is ready to make honey in early May.                                                                                                                                                                                                 HELPFUL ARTICLES

I think my hive is queenless. What should I do?

Dealing with weak hives.

4. Prevent swarming by adding boxes when the existing box becomes 75% full of bees or by splitting your hive. If your hive has swarm cells (queen cells containing larvae or pupae) on the bottom or edges of a frame, then the only way to prevent swarming is by splitting the hive. Simply removing the cells is rarely sufficient, as we typically miss a cell or two.

5. Make sure any stored supers are free of wax moths and are stored with wax moth crystals.

6. Also, remove entrance reducers to ensure hives do not overheat on warm days.

#4 "Prevent swarming by adding boxes when the existing box becomes 75% full of bees... " Check out this helpful video on adding a second brood box!