Walnut Farm Bees Newsletters

The nectar sources are blooming all over the place, and the only variable is warm weather and rain! Be cautious of swarming with the cooler, rainy days. Big colonies need enough space with drawn comb. If it gets too cold for too long, bees move down below queen excluders and if it's too crowded prepare to swarm when the weather improves.

1. NUC UPDATES: For those who ordered May and June nucs for Carlisle and Nicholson, you were sent an email with details. If you didn't receive the email or respond, please let us know. You can call or text 717-514-9891.
2. For those who are interested in wax dipping, our next date is Monday, May 18, if the weather cooperates. Feel free to drop your equipment (with your name and phone on it) off anytime between now and then. We will contact you when your equipment is ready for pickup.
3. 2026 mated queens are available on the website. We ship queens and also have pickup at the Carlisle farm shop or monthly in Nicholson, PA.
4. Fresh (immediately frozen) pollen is now back in stock!
5. If you are seeing small hive beetles, you may want to consider adding oil traps (filled 1/3 full with baited oil).
6. Keep your colonies strong (without swarming--it's a fine line). New colonies need to be built up before mid July. Don't get so over-anxious to produce honey early that you add too much space too quickly, as that can prevent them building up to a full, healthy colony in your brood boxes below. If you add too much space too soon, they may move up, but not fully outward. You want those frames all to be drawn out and full of bees so that you have a strong, vigorous colony. Many things are important to successful overwintering, but an often-neglected item is the strength of the colony by mid summer. This takes intention and sometimes supplemental nutrition.
7. New to bees and need to register with Pennsylvania? It is only $10 for a 2 year registration. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/pda/plants-land-water/plant-industry/entomology/apiary-pollinator-services