Away for 3 weeks

[mazzamazda]

Hi everyone!

I'm looking for some ideas, I'm going away for 3 weeks on 28th July, getting married actually!

Problem is, I have 10 full colonies and roughly 20 nucs or hopefully will have. I have a few beekeeping friends but dont want to put on them and ask them to inspect. So how do I cut the swarms down to a minimum. I have a mix of carni and local bees however I plan to swap the carnis for some of my local queens before I go.

I was thinking of putting an extra BB on the full colonies and some walk away splits on any big nucs. Never been away for longer than a week before.

Im on National, and langstroth and 6 frame poly nucs.

Any advice very much appreciated.

Mark

 

[susbees]

Congratulations

But you do have a responsibility to your bees, neighbours and other beekeepers and three weeks in the active season is way too long to leave them alone.

What about possible starvation if you've just taken your crop and the weather goes tilt, vandalism, high winds, animals knocking over hives?

Sort out a schedule with your beekeeping friends and don't leave things to chance.

 

[winmag270]

Congratulations

But you do have a responsibility to your bees, neighbours and other beekeepers and three weeks in the active season is way too long to leave them alone.

What about possible starvation if you've just taken your crop and the weather goes tilt, vandalism, high winds, animals knocking over hives?

Sort out a schedule with your beekeeping friends and don't leave things to chance.

it's what i'll be doing for the two weeks i'm away on holiday this year

 

[Luminos]

Congrats!
So there'll be a MissizzMazzamazda

 

[susbees]

Congrats!
So there'll be a MissizzMazzamazda

That's a presumption...lol. The only mazza I've known was a Margaret...

 

[AnotherNewBee]

Congratulations!

Responsibility to (and for) pets and livestock always comes first. You have to see that their needs are met before considering yours.

If you're in your local association don't hesitate to ask for help. What goes round, comes round. You'll be able to offer help in return to other members of the association sooner or later.

You'll also be able to go away knowing that someone you trust is keeping an eye on things for you. No sleepless nights worrying about the bees. Confine your sleepless nights to the birds and the bees.

 

[Into the lions den]

28th July is the key thing, and you are in the north. Any time after the end of the first week of July swarming can normally be halted for the rest of the season by simply double chambering, preferrably with drawn comb. It is right in the period when swarm preparations are coming to and end anyway, if not already finished. Only exception would normally be in the event of a strong flow and a space constraint.

After we do our 'hill prep', getting them ready for the heather, which is any time after the 5th July and before about the 25th, the broodnest never gets opened again for a swarm control check, as it is so rare as to be non viable looking for it.

Are your bees on heather by that time?

 

[mazzamazda]

Thank you!

You are all correct and I assure you I do put my bees first, just looking at options without pulling in favours.

I should have said I wont be taking any honey this year.

28th July is the key thing, and you are in the north. Any time after the end of the first week of July swarming can normally be halted for the rest of the season by simply double chambering, preferrably with drawn comb. It is right in the period when swarm preparations are coming to and end anyway, if not already finished. Only exception would normally be in the event of a strong flow and a space constraint.


After we do our 'hill prep', getting them ready for the heather, which is any time after the 5th July and before about the 25th, the broodnest never gets opened again for a swarm control check, as it is so rare as to be non viable looking for it.

Are your bees on heather by that time?

Im not putting the bees on the heather this year.

Thanks,

Mark

 

[winmag270]

I should have said I wont be taking any honey this year.

Mind if I ask your reasoning for this statement?

Not criticising, just curious as to why.....

 

[Skyhook]

Thank you!

You are all correct and I assure you I do put my bees first, just looking at options without pulling in favours.

I should have said I wont be taking any honey this year.
Mark

So if theres a big flow, what exactly will happen to the 5 full supers on each hive? If you're not going to super they will be swarming left right and centre.

 

[susbees]

I should have said I wont be taking any honey this year.

Which greatly affects ITLD's suggestion...which works great in his system with his experience so good advice

BUT...with 20 colonies seems they're either on such a poor site you don't expect a surplus or you could be offering honey as payment for someone to mind your hives properly: and there is presumably still the chance of all the things I mentioned before....vandals, thieves, livestock, bad weather...

 

[mazzamazda]

Mind if I ask your reasoning for this statement?

Not criticising, just curious as to why.....

No Probs, I usually take very little honey as only breed queens and make nucs. Working with a guy who is researching bees.

 

[mazzamazda]

Which greatly affects ITLD's suggestion...which works great in his system with his experience so good advice

BUT...with 20 colonies seems they're either on such a poor site you don't expect a surplus or you could be offering honey as payment for someone to mind your hives properly: and there is presumably still the chance of all the things I mentioned before....vandals, thieves, livestock, bad weather...

They are on a poor site, a compound with very little forage, vandals thieves are not a problem, middle of no where with chain linkage netting. We need a 4wd to get anywhere near so thats the problem, its a big favour to pull to get anyone other than the doc there.

Thanks for the suggestions though

 

[AnotherNewBee]

So, safe enough from animals (including the hooded ape). If it's a research project I'm guessing you probably wouldn't want anyone other than you and the doc anywhere near them. So that leaves the doc to look in on them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They are on a poor site, a compound with very little forage, vandals thieves are not a problem, middle of no where with chain linkage netting. We need a 4wd to get anywhere near so thats the problem, its a big favour to pull to get anyone other than the doc there.

Thanks for the suggestions though

No need to worry about anything much really then,just make sure they have enough room and food, and go. Congratulations, hope you have a great wedding.

 

[Polyanwood]

That's a relief. I was planning a break at a similar time. I'm planing to cycle from land's end to john o'groats at the beggining of the school Summer holidays. It will take us at least 3 weeks as we are taking children with us. Sometimes we have a good glow in August - blackberry and lime I think.

I was thinking of putting them on brood and a half if there was brood on 7+ frames (I'm on jumbo Langstroths) and then put another empty super above the QE. Of course the queens will all be clipped too.

Usually I get honey from most hives..... I would take off as many supers as are ready before I go.

Plan when I get back would be to place the partially full supers under the brood box to get them emptied and then take off the full ones.

Will that work?

 

[winmag270]

That's a relief. I was planning a break at a similar time. I'm planing to cycle from land's end to john o'groats at the beggining of the school Summer holidays. It will take us at least 3 weeks as we are taking children with us. Sometimes we have a good glow in August - blackberry and lime I think.

I was thinking of putting them on brood and a half if there was brood on 7+ frames (I'm on jumbo Langstroths) and then put another empty super above the QE. Of course the queens will all be clipped too.

Usually I get honey from most hives..... I would take off as many supers as are ready before I go.

Plan when I get back would be to place the partially full supers under the brood box to get them emptied and then take off the full ones.

Will that work?

could you spin off the full supers and replace one / two on each hive, before you go?

that'll give them plenty of room and time to clean things up for you while your away

 

[drstitson]

shouldn't need brood and a half on jumbo LS hives.

just make sure you don't have outer frames packed with stores and ensure you have adequate supers in place.