• At last we have had some fine weather and colonies are expanding, although many look more like good March colonies than June ones.
• Many colonies have used the rape and hawthorn to build up, rather than storing the usual crop, so management must now be geared to keeping colonies strong to get a main crop.
• Some colonies are now starting to swarm so keep up the inspections and take appropriate swarm control measures; it would be a pity to lose bees now!
• Now is the time to make increase to replace winter losses. This can be done in many ways: artificial swarms, collecting swarms, making a nuc and introducing a queen - the possibilities are endless. Do remember, though, that making increase by collecting swarms, or from splitting swarming colonies, is likely to produce a 'swarmy' colony.
• Check varroa screens regularly.
• As predicted last month, European Foulbrood has spread so do remain vigilant. Full details of symptoms are shown on the CSL website.
• Winter Rape has now virtually finished flowering so remove the crop now to avoid granulation problems; however:
• The continuing poor weather is likely to produce a 'June gap' and colonies that have had all their honey removed may well run short of stores; this always happens to the biggest and best colonies and can set them back quite badly. Do keep an eye open for starving colonies.
• The very wet Spring caused many spring-sown crops to be drilled very late. Spring rape is just a few inches high in some fields, so we may have an extended season if the weather warms up; of course, a drought would mean that we would get very little from these crops as they would 'go over' very quickly. Keep your fingers crossed!
• Continue to observe Foot & Mouth precautions!

Peter Edwards 11/06/2001