Backfilling the brood nest / box

[RichardK]

Totally agree and my observations of colonies especially the higher elevation ones, are just the same. Keeping stores close to brood nest. Reluctant to move up - when I add a wet super they jump up to it and dry it out then recede back into the brood nest.
We need a blast of warm weather!
From your experience how does this spring compare to others you’ve experienced?

For me Spring has been very kind. Barely any rain, relatively warm (no heating since late March) with blossoms being 1 to 2 weeks ahead of last year. I doubt if since last Autumn the bees have had any more than 3 days at a time stuck 'indoors' & probably no more than 15 days in total. In the 20 years we've been here, I've never seen it this dry & I don't remember a winter / spring more clement.

 

[elainemary]

For me Spring has been very kind. Barely any rain, relatively warm (no heating since late March) with blossoms being 1 to 2 weeks ahead of last year. I doubt if since last Autumn the bees have had any more than 3 days at a time stuck 'indoors' & probably no more than 15 days in total. In the 20 years we've been here, I've never seen it this dry & I don't remember a winter / spring more clement.

Shows the difference of France vs Uk!

 

[RichardK]

Shows the difference of France vs Uk!

Not really a fair comparison as I'm way south. Barcelona is almost my closest major city...

 

[Antipodes]

Not really a fair comparison as I'm way south. Barcelona is almost my closest major city...

You get the strong sun there at that latitude I'd imagine, like us here. Evaporation can really hammer you even if there has been a bit of rain. Our rainfall here is not far off much of the UK , but our evaporation is alarming at times.

 

[Jonnyl]

That's an idea. I could move things around so that 1 has only undrawn comb & give it a go. Thanks for the idea - will get on it tomorrow.

I'm not an experienced beek but ive found that they will move up when they're ready to. Trust the bees to give you the heads up. Good luck.

 

[debbie.jane61]

I have a hive that is totally confusing me . It was very aggressive, then it wasnt. Opened this morning and its a bit lively again but manageable. It was left with a super on the brood box over winter and I added the QX a few weeks ago between the brood and super after seeing capped brood and larvae in the brood box. The brood is now full of stores but not a single egg or larvae in sight. Obviously I missed the queen and she was in the super. But no, that now has 8 of capped brood with no sign of eggs or larvae. No QC or evidence of a new queen anywhere. Am I missing something? Having a senior moment? Im usually able to spot eggs and brood.

 

[ericbeaumont]

It was very aggressive, then it wasnt

I've had this during March and April and put it down to iffy weather. Do you have OSR growing within flying range? That will turn bees doolally, esp. after flowering ends.

Queenless colonies can also be very defensive (what you call aggressive). Is there a chance they swarmed early, requeened and have removed all trace of QCs?

no sign of eggs or larvae

Put into the BB a frame of eggs & young larvae from your best other colony. Yesterday is not to soon. Check mid-week for QCs.

The brood is now full of stores

Is it capped? If so, or nearly so, remove and extract some today, replace with foundation, put back or save the extracted combs, but whatever you do, don't leave it full. Even if it's nectar, you could extract and feed back later. No queen can lay in a box full of stores.

Less work will follow if you put the brood super on the floor and the stores BB on top, which is the natural order and will enable you to remove and replace extracted combs with least fuss.

Winter configuration is also better that way round: nest retains heat under the CB and packs the stores around it. If the super is on top it's like asking you to sleep in a cathedral and keep warm.

 

[RichardK]

By way of an update, from a quick look today, since removing the queen excluders one of the two have indeed moved up into the super and appear to have moved stores up. Certainly there's been a run on egg laying over the last few days. So a big thanks to [SIZE=4]Erichalfbee[/SIZE], Newbeeneil & E&MBees for sharing their experience with me on this.

 

[debbie.jane61]

I've had this during March and April and put it down to iffy weather. Do you have OSR growing within flying range? That will turn bees doolally, esp. after flowering ends.

Queenless colonies can also be very defensive (what you call aggressive). Is there a chance they swarmed early, requeened and have removed all trace of QCs?


Put into the BB a frame of eggs & young larvae from your best other colony. Yesterday is not to soon. Check mid-week for QCs.


Is it capped? If so, or nearly so, remove and extract some today, replace with foundation, put back or save the extracted combs, but whatever you do, don't leave it full. Even if it's nectar, you could extract and feed back later. No queen can lay in a box full of stores.

Less work will follow if you put the brood super on the floor and the stores BB on top, which is the natural order and will enable you to remove and replace extracted combs with least fuss.

Winter configuration is also better that way round: nest retains heat under the CB and packs the stores around it. If the super is on top it's like asking you to sleep in a cathedral and keep warm.

Thanks for that. been again today and no chance in aggression/defensiveness. Still no eggs or larvae or the queen but I have seen queen cells, some empty but at least two fully capped. Ive left them too it and Ill see what has happened next week.

And yes, they are in acres of OSR. Does it act a bit like catnip for bees? That may explain why all the hives are a bit lively and Ill have calm bees for a while.

 

[ericbeaumont]

have seen queen cells, some empty but at least two fully capped. Ive left them too it and Ill see what has happened next week.

Assume the colony swarmed early.

Two QCs will hand decision-making to the bees. Leave one only or they may swarm again.

Option: take out one QC + frame of brood & bees and a frame of stores & bees and make up a nuc. Shake in three more frames of bees. Stuff the entrance with grass, but not tight. This is your backup plan.

Once both have mated you will have choices; if only one mates, you have a solution.

 

[ericbeaumont]

acres of OSR. Does it act a bit like catnip for bees?

Bees have a history of foraging strongly on OSR and producing vast crops of (dull) honey that sets like concrete when the flowers fade. They also swarm on it, as it floods the broodnest..

Over the years seed development to increase yield of oil has reduced nectar production and some varieties are no good for bees; I understand that biofuel OSR is one such. My bees in West Surrey are on it now and bringing in nectar, and they decided that as the beekeeper was slow off the mark that it was holiday time, so now I've split the lot vertically and made increase. Once the virgins are mated I'll take out a nuc and unite the rest, well before the main flow.

Catnip? Not quite! There is, or used to be, a natural chemical in OSR that was either addictive and/or poisonous and bees would turn truly venomous during, but especially after the flow. My limited experience of OSR is recent and I went through all 15 or so today and they ignored me. Mind you, it was a windless 20C on a flow.