Recent content by Excession

Lol, now you have it twice for good measure... Not sure I understand what the rest of the fuss is about though?

I did just reply to this, but not sure where the post went... It isn’t solely heat that ripens nectar into honey. The bees invert sucrose (a disaccharide) into glucose and fructose (monosaccharides) using enzymes and the unwanted water. C12H22O11 + H2O = 2x C6H12O6

Hopefully somebody has already answered this, that it isn’t mainly heat that evaporates the water from nectar, the bees use the water when they split sucrose (a disaccharide) into glucose and fructose (monosaccharides). If I remember correctly it is something like C12H22O11 + H2O = 2 x C6H12O6.

This.

Grab a local swarm, or a colony from your association. Whatever you get will end up being bred out by local bees anyway, so start local to avoid surprises. Once you have half a dozen colonies you might notice a difference between them, just keep the best daughters and requeen the worst. It will...

I did say IF you follow guidance [emoji23]

If you follow the guidance of administering when the temperature is between 4 degrees and 10 degrees C. You shouldn't need a beesuit.

So winter bees vs summer bees: Winter bees have larger fat reserves. Winter bees can live for 6 months or so, summer bees 6 weeks. Levels of Juvenile Hormone is much higher in summer bees. Levels of Vitogellin is much higher in winter bees. This is about as much difference physiologically as...

Thanks MM. Food for thought.

for any one interested in the original post. BBKA module 5 syllabus item 15: "describe in detail the differences between summer and winter worker honeybees" All I can find is reference to fat cells as a physiological difference, there is of course the longevity associated with the lack of...

This. One of my most productive queens was able to pass through the excluder, she was very long and beautiful, just a bit slender. Still have her, I just got rid of the excluder :)

I love the idea that the swarm is hurtling over fields and then does the comedy cartoon "screech to a halt" because a super has been added!

Beeks, we've been doing it wrong. Apparently all you need to stop a hive mid-swarm, is to put a super on... Seriously who is in charge of the BBKA Twitter account???

This. +1

I am making up a nuc this weekend from another colony, I might bank the old queen with them for insurance. (And possibly raise another!)