Mothman
New Bee
- Joined
- May 13, 2011
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Northamptonshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2
As you can see from the other posts I am having a few troubles at present. I am a second year bee keeper with two hives that I spilt from one rapidly growing Nuc last year. I even got them both through the winter having got 16lbs of honey off them.
I have learnt to love beekeeping, it keeps my mind active and I enjoy all the hive and frame making honey extraction etc. My main problem is not enough time, I can usually make time at the weekend but often it is not the perfect weather or time of day but that is the only time I have to visit.
This year started well two hives through the winter, I then managed to AS both one into a 3rd hive and one into what was to be a temporary home made Nuc ' just in case'. Then came the winter OSR. The bees became a little more aggressive but nothing too worrying - probably through breeding and the OSR.
Then Came the Spring OSR the bees have become more aggressive I managed to unite the two AS hives but not the nuc which had become so heavy - meaning that in a few weeks the bees had filled the roof and every space with comb and honey meaning I would need to destroy the whole thing to get it apart.
During the spring OSR I managed to get on 3 supers per hive and get 4 of them back on and off again for approximately 100lbs of honey.
However since the end of both runs of OSR I have not managed a weekly inspection without getting at least two stings - which means the affected part swells up for a few days after a heavy dose of anti histamine - without the dose it stays puffy for a few more days. I expect to get stung occasionally but to spend part of every weekend a bit sleepy from the anti histamines and going back to work swollen in paces every week just won't wear.
I have gone from no gloves back to marigolds and added manipulating cloths and sugar water spray to my armoury of controlling the bees. All to no avail. Thus I really haven't had the enthusiasm to do anything with the Nuc and cannot seem to get to the brood box in either hive without being stung, Whilst I am fairly sure both hives are queen right I have only managed to see brood in one of them (the united one)
I am not getting stung in the same places, my suit is washed and well aired. I am trying to visit at good weather times but this does mean (with the present weather) I am leaving the shower clean and well aired, but then dripping with sweat as I am inspecting. I suspect they are trying to rob each other, a problem I didn't have last year, possibly due to smaller hives?
Is there anything else I can do to avoid being stung?
As for the future I plan to try and visit one hive a week to get the cleared (see 3of 4) supers off. Then get another super off. Then put a super full of honey under the brood box for winter on each hive and treat with apigard (so that’s six weeks worth of visits planned assuming its not so hot that I'm going to fill the suit with sweat in which case I won't even bother that week and delay the plan by a week) Does that seem reasonable?
Thanks in advance for all your helpful comments. I do realise I am probably doing some things wrong but that is all part of the learning experience!
I have learnt to love beekeeping, it keeps my mind active and I enjoy all the hive and frame making honey extraction etc. My main problem is not enough time, I can usually make time at the weekend but often it is not the perfect weather or time of day but that is the only time I have to visit.
This year started well two hives through the winter, I then managed to AS both one into a 3rd hive and one into what was to be a temporary home made Nuc ' just in case'. Then came the winter OSR. The bees became a little more aggressive but nothing too worrying - probably through breeding and the OSR.
Then Came the Spring OSR the bees have become more aggressive I managed to unite the two AS hives but not the nuc which had become so heavy - meaning that in a few weeks the bees had filled the roof and every space with comb and honey meaning I would need to destroy the whole thing to get it apart.
During the spring OSR I managed to get on 3 supers per hive and get 4 of them back on and off again for approximately 100lbs of honey.
However since the end of both runs of OSR I have not managed a weekly inspection without getting at least two stings - which means the affected part swells up for a few days after a heavy dose of anti histamine - without the dose it stays puffy for a few more days. I expect to get stung occasionally but to spend part of every weekend a bit sleepy from the anti histamines and going back to work swollen in paces every week just won't wear.
I have gone from no gloves back to marigolds and added manipulating cloths and sugar water spray to my armoury of controlling the bees. All to no avail. Thus I really haven't had the enthusiasm to do anything with the Nuc and cannot seem to get to the brood box in either hive without being stung, Whilst I am fairly sure both hives are queen right I have only managed to see brood in one of them (the united one)
I am not getting stung in the same places, my suit is washed and well aired. I am trying to visit at good weather times but this does mean (with the present weather) I am leaving the shower clean and well aired, but then dripping with sweat as I am inspecting. I suspect they are trying to rob each other, a problem I didn't have last year, possibly due to smaller hives?
Is there anything else I can do to avoid being stung?
As for the future I plan to try and visit one hive a week to get the cleared (see 3of 4) supers off. Then get another super off. Then put a super full of honey under the brood box for winter on each hive and treat with apigard (so that’s six weeks worth of visits planned assuming its not so hot that I'm going to fill the suit with sweat in which case I won't even bother that week and delay the plan by a week) Does that seem reasonable?
Thanks in advance for all your helpful comments. I do realise I am probably doing some things wrong but that is all part of the learning experience!