apiguard and feeding

[freda]

hi all, i put my first apiguard trays on 2 weeks ago along with feeders and syrup, i have kept the feeders topped up(about 2 1/2 litres every 3 days). i went yesterday to put the second tray on and found the crown boards very difficult to remove, it turns out the bees have built brace comb and filled with syrup/honey in about 75% of the space above the frames in the eke.my question is do i leave everything as is until springtime when hopefully the bees have used the extra stores and then scrape off the brace comb, any advice would be gratefully received i want to be prepared and know what i will do next year.
many thanks
Gary

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This is one of the reasons why they tell you not to feed whilst using apiguard
scrape it off. before the winter

 

[Swarm]

Make the eke more shallow, a bee space above the tray is ample and feed after treating.

 

[freda]

ok thanks will do , if i scrape off and leave in the apiary when the apiguard treament is finished, i would imagine the bees will take it back in?

 

[Swarm]

Don't leave it out in the open, that's frowned upon.

 

[freda]

ok thanks, so whats the best way to feed back please?

 

[Newbeeneil]

ok thanks, so whats the best way to feed back please?

I would remove the brace comb, put it above the crown board with a small hole (10mm), put the eke back on and put another crown board on top. They will rob the honey back down.

 

[hemo]

Don't intentionally leave honey out for a free for all, you are inviting the possibility of disease being transferred from bees that may not bee yours.

Feed wise one suggestion has been made, one can also stick it in a feeder.

 

[Nannysbees]

hi all, i put my first apiguard trays on 2 weeks ago along with feeders and syrup, i have kept the feeders topped up(about 2 1/2 litres every 3 days). i went yesterday to put the second tray on and found the crown boards very difficult to remove, it turns out the bees have built brace comb and filled with syrup/honey in about 75% of the space above the frames in the eke.my question is do i leave everything as is until springtime when hopefully the bees have used the extra stores and then scrape off the brace comb, any advice would be gratefully received i want to be prepared and know what i will do next year.
many thanks
Gary

We had to do the same as our hives needed treating and were light. We scraped the comb off. I think the error we made was starting the treatment a little late and were told we should have started three weeks earlier than we did and then we could have left the feeding til a bit later. But you live and learn, we only got our bees in june so gaining info all the time. If we are lucky to keep our bees through the winter we'll do it different next year

 

[Swarm]

There is always a fine line with harvesting and treatment but if the treatment you use is temp dependent like apiguard and maqs, you need to decide a date and crack on with it. If there is a heavenly flow on, by all means capitalise but you may need an alternative treatment because of the fickle way that Autumn just 'arrives' and now it's too cold for those former treatments to be effective.
Around here, I'm not far from you, August has signalled the end of any decent nectar flow until the onset of ivy for the last four years. Ivy is flowering now and I'll be thinking of feeding soon if they need it.

 

[freda]

thanks for your replies and advice, i will now be more prepared for next year
gary

 

[Swarm]

That's what you think