₦airaland Forum

The activities of the honeybee colony are regulated by the weather and the flowering conditions of the plants which provide the bees with their food. Therefore, beekeeping year is divided into four periods i.e dearth or scarcity period, build up, honey/nectar flow and harvest periods. What is dearth period in beekeeping calender? The Dearth or scarcity period in beekeeping is the season when the bees cannot collect nectar or pollen. Usually this occurs during periods of heavy rainfall. During this period, there's is no egg- laying by the queen or egg-laying is drastically reduced. Movement of bees are restricted to their hives most times; pest and predators may attack the weak colonies and robbing increases thereby leading to absconding due to poor defense mechanism. Also, the mortality rate will be high; usually bees are aggressive and spend most times making propolis in the hive. As a beekeeper, you should work close to the Apiary during this period to feed the weak colonies, check and prevent pests and predators demarcate the hive by using board divider to reduce the cavity, reduce entrance size to prevent intruders and absconding. Keep colony records to guide in planning and improving future management. Good apiary sanitation is encourage to prevent pest using climber plants to get access to the hive. Provide shade for the colony due external weather influence. If you want to know more about other periods in beekeeping drop a message in the comment section. If you have questions about beekeeping or pollination services? Want to start your own apiary?

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