BBC recommend open feeding...

[pargyle]

I've probably been feeding them a Kilo of fondant a week since the start of April. I realised there was little forage and limited chance to get any available due to the weather so they were building up very fast and just l caught me out. 3 other colonies were almost dead when I opened them but I managed to revive the bulk of the bees with a spray of syrup on the comb but most of the slabs of brood was dead. A subsequent inspection shows that I saved 2 of the queens.
I agree that if the hives were in my garden I would likely have noticed earlier but looking after 90+hives over 17 Apiaries make more than weekly visits difficult.
In my 10 years of keeping bees I have never seen colonies so strong so early in my apiaries.

It happens ... I know beekeepers with hives in the garden that have missed the signs ..bees are unpredictable but we always blame ourselves when they starve - there is nothing sadder than a hive with dead bees and the last few with their bums stuck out of the cells desperate for the last microgram of food.

I must admit that my colonies are bigger coming out of winter than I've ever seen them - do you think the mild winter has slowed the winter die off and the relatively mild temperatures (down here in the South particularly) has resulted in the queens starting to lay, in earnest, much earlier than usual ?

 

[Newbeeneil]

I must admit that my colonies are bigger coming out of winter than I've ever seen them - do you think the mild winter has slowed the winter die off and the relatively mild temperatures (down here in the South particularly) has resulted in the queens starting to lay, in earnest, much earlier than usual ?

Yes, I’m convinced that was the case.

 

[Antipodes]

I agree that if the hives were in my garden I would likely have noticed earlier but looking after 90+hives over 17 Apiaries make more than weekly visits difficult.

Yes. Huge difference in managing home apiary bees and those a distance away and on multiple sites.

 

[B_north]

With Ukrainian hives hefting is impossible and with other styles if anyone has back, hip, or knee issues it is not advised. Many factors can affect the consumption of winter stores and catch beekeepers off guard. IMO, if many beekeepers in an area, such as is stated in the article, are saying their colonies are starting to starve it is likely that weather issues have some part to play rather than just beekeeper error.

I live in a very cold zone and even I open my hives periodically in the winter. I do have emergency feed on but I also have had bees that, after a very cold spell, find themselves having consumed the honey in the comb and arrived at the top of the frames. The cold returns within a couple of hours and they do not have the ability to re-locate on the remaining full frames. There they are, stuck up on the sugar bricks, at which time I need to open the hives periodically to monitor the speed of consumption of those bricks. With some hives this can mean I monitor from Jan. till spring.

IMO the long held belief that you must not open the hive in winter to check is too rigid, sure, don't start moving frames and digging around unless you feel you can fix whatever problem you might come across, but also don't follow the non opening rule so faithfully that you become scared to check once in a while during the winter.

 

[SWEET]

Results of all the early work (second super on this lot) - not for everyone but these weigh 30kg+ once finished.

 

[jarmo henttu]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-lincolnshire-68935866.amp

Possibly Might be easier if us beekeepers just monitored and fed our bees accordingly I'm possibly being a bit harsh but losing colonies to starvation is beekeeper error imo and would also question if the bees can't get out to forage how are they to get out to these shallow bowls of sugar syrup that everyone should be putting out?

Makes no sense those shallow bowls.

Take care that the hive has two full frame of food all the time. It means 5 kg sugar. Give it with feeding box. It takes two day when bees suck the juice.

 

[SWEET]

so @SWEET you are telling us that you have been conducting full frame inspections from March (as would usually be carried out for a spring disease check) or lifting the odd frame?

Its nearly the middle of June.
very little surplus nectar being stored in supers
limited egg laying / brood break in some colonies
Queen rearing results negligible
immature drones being uncapped and removed

Spotted your post in what did you do today etc -

This is why I start early; some stocks have 70kg + of stores, zero issues with drones/rearing/breeding/eggs/stores etc etc - granted a totally different part of the UK but my early work is paying off and the reason I do it. I'll be starting in Feb 2025 (unless the weather is extreme)

 

[Curly green finger's]

Spotted your post in what did you do today etc -

This is why I start early; some stocks have 70kg + of stores, zero issues with drones/rearing/breeding/eggs/stores etc etc - granted a totally different part of the UK but my early work is paying off and the reason I do it. I'll be starting in Feb 2025 (unless the weather is extreme)


View attachment 40299

Just wondered do you use pollen sub and feed like mad, how do stocks get by over winter and darths.

 

[SWEET]

Just wondered do you use pollen sub and feed like mad, how do stocks get by over winter and darths.

Tons of Ivy here (vile stuff) and only just started looking at Ultra Bee, but that is more around drone production and II. Fondant winter (if needed) and OSR from the strong stocks is distributed if needed (rather than harvest)

Lots of OSR around here, vile stuff but a huge help (hence the early work) I tend to move brood frames around to *balance* the sites.

Also plenty of lime and chestnut and tons of hawthorn - if the bees can get out early.

 

[Mint Bee]

Spotted your post in what did you do today etc -

This is why I start early; some stocks have 70kg + of stores, zero issues with drones/rearing/breeding/eggs/stores etc etc - granted a totally different part of the UK but my early work is paying off and the reason I do it. I'll be starting in Feb 2025 (unless the weather is extreme)


View attachment 40299

good result, well done. Did you get much from the OSR? very poor locally

 

[SWEET]

good result, well done. Did you get much from the OSR? very poor locally

Yes loads and tend to leave it for the bees/nucs/splits etc - not a great fan and pollen kills me. Also stops the bees hitting the chestnut (which is a pain).

 

[Curly green finger's]

Tons of Ivy here (vile stuff) and only just started looking at Ultra Bee, but that is more around drone production and II. Fondant winter (if needed) and OSR from the strong stocks is distributed if needed (rather than harvest)

Lots of OSR around here, vile stuff but a huge help (hence the early work) I tend to move brood frames around to *balance* the sites.

Also plenty of lime and chestnut and tons of hawthorn - if the bees can get out early.

View attachment 40301

Spring 2023?

 

[jarmo henttu]

Spring 2023?

What heck is happening here!

 

[SWEET]

Quick pic* while out gathering *resource* bees for something else. Fair bit of work goes into assessing sites/areas (over years) before the limits are found, bit like the early start(s) - takes time to learn but works out well and worth pushing the limits.

*Only a few boxes use these little frames, rest are DN4.

PS. 2023, might have started in Jan