It’s January. A new year (and a new bee season) has just begun. The calls from backyard beekeepers requesting swarms are starting to trickle in. The Bee Whisperer is psyching himself up to save more swarms in 2015 than last year. Everyone at Bee Best Bee Removal is looking forward with anticipation at the year ahead.
2014 was a difficult year for the honeybee and for beekeepers in San Diego. The California drought has taken it’s toll on apiculture and everyone in the bee industry has been keeping their fingers crossed that we get more rain before this year’s swarm season pops. Although the season has just begun, there have been a few signs that are giving us hope for the new year. The following is a short list of items that may indicate a better bee season for 2015.
1. RAIN: The first sign that conditions may be improving for apiculture this coming year is the amount of rainfall we have received this winter. If the trend continues, the number of swarms that emerge during the swarm season should be much greater than last year.
2. EARLY SWARMS: The second sign that things may be improving is the fact that some hives are already producing swarms in January. Just this week alone we have already saved quite a few swarms. They may have emerged early due to the warm up in the weather, or perhaps it’s an indication that swarms are ready to explode this year.
3. BROOD COMB: The final item that gives us hope for a healthy bee season is the fact that we have been seeing large amounts of brood comb in hives that we have removed this year. Brood comb is where the queen bee lays eggs and the eggs develop into bees. More brood comb equals more bees. We hope to see this trend continue into the beginning of the new swarm season.
All of these signs from mother nature give us hope, but we can’t rely on nature alone to make things better for the honeybee. It is our hope that other San Diego Pest Control (and Bee Removal) Companies join us in participating in saving and relocating bee hives and swarms. With the help of the beekeeping society and the hive savers network, there are opportunities for all San Diegans to become involved in helping to save the honey bee.
For all our loyal blog readers who enjoy our videos, this quick clip of a hive inside a meter box is dedicated to you. Cheers to you…and to a healthy bee season in 2015!
