Spring is well and truly in the air here at Cottage Orchard, and our bees — and beekeepers — have been busy! As the days grow longer and the weather warms (even if only a little), this time of year is all about preparing the colonies for the busy months ahead.
Marking Last Year’s Queens
One of the first jobs on our beekeeping to-do list this week was marking last year’s queens. This involves gently catching each queen bee and adding a small, coloured dot of paint on her thorax. The colour corresponds with the year she was born (a beekeeping standard that helps keep track of queen age across seasons).
Marking the queen makes her much easier to spot during hive inspections and allows us to monitor her performance as the season progresses. A healthy, productive queen is at the heart of a thriving colony — and with our queens clearly marked, we can better care for each hive.
Making Splits for Mated Queens
The next big job has been making “splits” — dividing existing colonies to create new ones. This is a key part of sustainable beekeeping. By creating smaller colonies from larger, healthy ones, we can prevent swarming and give ourselves the opportunity to introduce new, mated queens.
Next week, we’ll be introducing these mated queens into the splits. This is always an exciting time, as it marks the start of new colonies that will grow, pollinate our orchard, and — all being well — produce delicious local honey later in the year.
Looking Ahead
Spring is a season of anticipation in the beekeeping world, and we’re thrilled to be off to such a strong start. From queen marking to hive management, everything we do now lays the foundation for a healthy, productive season ahead.
We’ll be sharing updates as our colonies grow and as our orchard continues to take shape. Thank you for following along with us — and here’s to a sweet season ahead!
Stay connected with Cottage Orchard for more updates on our bees, orchard, and local produce. And if you have any questions or want to learn more about what we do, we’re always happy to chat!
