Brood Rearing Begins
Verhalten der Bienen
Around the turn of the year, usually from mid-January and in mild winters already in December, the queen begins laying eggs again.
Around the turn of the year, usually from mid-January and in mild winters already in December, the queen begins laying eggs again. The colony sets up a small brood circle within the cluster and now holds it constantly at around 35 degrees.
This changes everything: food consumption rises noticeably, and the bees need water to dissolve crystallized stores and to mix the brood food for the larvae. At the same time the Varroa mite once again finds brood cells for reproduction. Infestation begins to grow again.
This is now the critical period for food shortage. A colony can starve on full combs, because in cold weather the bees stay put on the brood and lose contact with the food. So keep an eye on the weight and make sure full food combs hang directly next to where the bees are clustered. How to feed in an emergency depends on the recommendation of the responsible bee institute.