May Fireside

Well, I know it hasn’t been very long since our last issue, but we wanted to pay some extra attention to mother’s day. May is a pretty special month for us, with my mom’s birthday and Mother’s Day being less than a week apart. Spring gets some momentum and the bees get flying, and we can shake off the remnants of winter…..finally! So a big shout out to all the Moms, (especially mine!) for all the love and care and guidance over the years. We would not be half the people we are today without the examples you set, and the love you show.

Looks like some very nice weather is finally coming our way, and from what I hear in the community most beekeepers winter losses were a little high, but compared to last year reasonably manageable.

Last spring losses are still reverberating in the industry as numbers like that cannot be replaced in one season. Half of the remaining are taken out of honey production to make more bees. Many apiarists were breathing a sigh of relief when the bees held on during this cool spring. That short spell of warm weather near the beginning of April gave opportunity to intervene and help the struggling ones.

One of the things this spring was beneficial towards is the maple sap flow. I have a neighbor who taps his Manitoba Maple trees, and the slightly freezing nights and the plus temperatures during the day really kept the juice flowing. Manitoba maples don’t produce as high a sugar content as Quebec sugar maples, but it’s still makes a spectacular syrup every year. It’s a bit of work to collect the sap daily but it’s fun cooking it down and making something unique off your own property.

Swarm season will be rapidly approaching us by the end of this month. If you see a honeybee swarm, give me a call! I’ll relocate it so it won’t become a nuisance or set up in your attic or in your soffits. Removal after they establish is pricy, so timing is critical. I can always be reached at 204-612-2337

We also run a bumble bee rescue program. If you find a nest in a high traffic area that is causing problems for kids or pets. Every relocated bumble bee colony can generate up to 20 new queens for the following season. Wild pollinators are facing extinction, and they need all the help we can provide them.

I can also deal with wasps and hornets, however there is a charge for these two. Roughly half of what an exterminator costs and the funds go to preserving pollinators.

Feel free to pass along our contact information to anyone you wish.

Treat your mom to some pampering products this Mother’s day! We have a new goats milk soap, a new size of skin cream, and the Ultimate Mother’s Day basket to show your appreciation to the one that brought you into this world. ( Considering all the times she had cause to take you out if it, perhaps a show of appreciation to her restraint and tenacity would be appropriate. )

Happy Spring everyone, and take care!

John Russell