Search results

Hello All. Was going to do first inspection tomorrow but feels a little too chilly still. Forecast says temp won’t get above 12 tomorrow. Shall I hold on a little longer do you think? Rain has stopped at least. OSR is out! Getting earlier and earlier - something to do with cabbage beetles I...

Hi. Did a demaree for swarm prevention and at 7 days no q cells in the top brood box. We put 3 supers between the 2 brood boxes. Any idea why this would happen?

So what is everyone’s optimal frames to put in with the queen in an AS? Brood, stores, foundation, comb, number? Do you feed and if so how and when? Do you use a QE underneath? Appreciate that whatever you do it can fail but what does everyone think gives it the best chance of success? Thanks.

By left “other half” to inspect a week later, I’m referring to my spouse here, not a half of a colony - just in case that has confused anyone!

Yes, pagdens I think. Both colonies had early swarming signs. A few cups/cells with eggs in, possibly some RJ - full boxes - would have previously removed and rechecked but been caught out in the past by not reacting quick enough so decided to get in and split both. Queens found in both and...

Thanks. Can you give me a bit more detail please. Just create a nuc from the Q and some bees from same colony? Presumably leave the rest at original site?

2 colonies preparing to swarm recently so did AS on both. One went anyway 3 days later. The other (old q and flying bees half) seemed fine at first, building up and laying well but today saw a couple of sealed q cells and no eggs and so they must have gone too - this one just over 2 weeks after...

I’m definitely thinking of switching to worker foundation for supers in future! Although I also fancy trying without foundation having read this thread…

Thanks everyone. Think I opened a can of worms there! Fascinating discussion though and I’ve learned a lot. So, based on all of the above, if you were me now would you - A - risk putting the drone comb supers on without QE for the winter B - feed the super honey to them via an eke and small...

If I leave it on the hive for them as is for the winter, do I need to uncap or spray it or will the bees find a way to eat it. Don’t want to leave them this as their winter feed then find it was too hard for them to access it. I’m presuming they can manage it or they wouldn’t collect and store...

That sounds perfect. Thank you :-)

… or should that be a few fewer worries?… who is the grammar expert here…

I’m worried that the q will only feel able to lay drones if the cluster stay mostly in the top box. When you say reconfigure - do you mean that they will make the cells smaller and so suitable for eggs destined to become workers? My knowledge is a bit sketchy here! Thanks for all your help on a...

It’s all drone comb in the supers. Presume that’s not ideal for the brood over winter… that’s my main concern re leaving the super there as an extension of the brood box.

Those suggesting taking the QE out and leaving the super where it is, is the idea that the q will move into the food filled super for the winter? Or simply have free rein across the 2 boxes? Our supers have drone foundation in them so could be a problem if q and brood get in there. I’m...

Hello everyone We have a couple of colonies with some honey in supers. We are thinking of skipping extraction this year. Partly this is because some of the honey is OSR and likely difficult to extract at this point anyway. How can we best encourage the bees to take this honey down into their...

I just don’t like the idea of doing this. Do most people do this? Seems should be manageable without if everything else is done well?

Unfortunately I think you are right! Although not on one near enough to see :-) We have taken down all but one unsealed queen cell. Assume original queen and swarm have already gone. Should have done AS last week. Live and learn.

Hi Everyone We have a colony that had some early queen cells 6 days ago. We removed them all and inspected again today only to find some sealed queen cells (and some unsealed), no eggs and no queen. Presume they have already swarmed. But did we definitely miss some queen cells last week? Is...

Apilife Var every year August/September. Stopped using oxalic acid in addition in the winter a few years ago. Used MAQS one year. Never again. Killed off all our queens.