Bee honest…did you inspect this weekend?

[drdrday]

No inspections, but I couldn't resist sitting up by the bees and just watching them coming and going in the sunshine for a little while.
Quick peek through the clear crownboards, and a heft, but all still seem to be good for stores.
Of course we're getting to that most vulnerable point in the year now though, so I'll be hefting them again next weekend, although apparently it will be much cooler so I doubt I'll be that keen on spending too long sitting and watching them!

 

[Penninetrader]

No inspections, but I couldn't resist sitting up by the bees and just watching them coming and going in the sunshine for a little while.
Quick peek through the clear crownboards, and a heft, but all still seem to be good for stores.
Of course we're getting to that most vulnerable point in the year now though, so I'll be hefting them again next weekend, although apparently it will be much cooler so I doubt I'll be that keen on spending too long sitting and watching them!

I do the same as in watching them, I have my reasons beyond fascination and curiosity. By sitting amongst them at this time of year they become accustomed to my presence long before their numbers increase and become more defensive. You learn a great deal if you sit a while, today I watched a single bee on a landing board that stared outwards to the incoming bees, every now and then it challenged an incoming bee teeth bared it looked like, most of those challenged flew off. Clearly it was a guard bee and very effective it was to. And no I did not lift crown boards, I will do when we have the next warm days in a week or so.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I actually think it's a disadvantage.

It's not unusual to find the nest against a poly wall as its the most insulated spot. Whereas in wood, they are usually more in the middle of the hive and hence have food either side.

But we only have 3 wood hives vs 46 poly, so it may be a poor sample size.

I disagree. The bess are active across all the frames so reaching food is never a problem.

 

[beeker]

No, but then I am currently sat on the sand in Tunisia . Still cold at night here too, 2⁰c by the weekend here, and it's rained a bit. But am amazing place, very friendly, and awesome local food.
Home later today, but still shan't be inspecting just yet. A last check in hope of the remaining fondant lasting through before every gets going properly. Then the usual panic when I realise, all the things I should have ready aren't

 

[Ely]

I was very tempted but didn't. Night time temperatures are still cold. There was frost this morning

 

[Do224]

No, but then I am currently sat on the sand in Tunisia . Still cold at night here too, 2⁰c by the weekend here, and it's rained a bit. But am amazing place, very friendly, and awesome local food.

It’s surprising how cold it gets at night in that area. I remember getting off a night bus in Merzouga, Morocco at 5am one morning in November. I think it was the last time I remember my teeth chattering from the cold

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s surprising how cold it gets at night in that area

Stan and I did a weeks desert trek in Tunisia. The tour company provided a communal tent but we slept on the dunes in 4 season sleeping bags. Bitterly cold but watching the stars snuggled up in the warm was unbelievable. Always woke to dew covering us and gerbil footprints all round us.

 

[Murox]

I actually think it's a disadvantage.

It's not unusual to find the nest against a poly wall as its the most insulated spot. Whereas in wood, they are usually more in the middle of the hive and hence have food either side.

But we only have 3 wood hives vs 46 poly, so it may be a poor sample size.

They have the sense then to only expose one side of the cluster to cooler conditions. I wonder if D. Mitchell has compared the thermal qualities of a frame of stores to the wall of a poly hive ?

 

[Dodge]

I disagree. The bess are active across all the frames so reaching food is never a problem.

That's my experience of poly hives. The bees are able to access isolated food from the brood nest due to the hive being warmer overall and allowing them to cross over to the stores as and when they need it.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

As I over winter mine on brood and a half I wasn't going through the brood nest (ideally). Not done any feeding yet. Thought I'd check a couple that have dropped the most weight. Ended up looking at top box all 5. Not all the frames, just work out where the stores are and the odd frame over the cluster.
One had eaten it's way up into the super and filled the space with capped brood and eggs. They're the only one that's been given fondant.

I could just put fondant on all of them and not worry. I could be an idiot.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My local BKA has just put out a leaflet from the NBU recommending we look into our colonies late Feb/early March

 

[rolande]

My local BKA has just put out a leaflet from the NBU recommending we look into our colonies late Feb/early March

Weather permitting. I'm sure a lot of people will be horrified to find out that biology doesn't rely on calendar dates.

 

[Ringlander]

Didn't inspect mine but when I weighed them found all of them had lost between 3 and 6 kg over the past week, taking them down to critically light, especially at that rate of consumption. Added 5kg of 1:1 syrup to each of the miller feeders and all of them had taken it all down by this morning. The floors suddenlyshow quite a bit of brown brood cappings alongside the stores cappings so clearly the brood is coming on strong. Now getting more syrup mixed up and the spare hives and swarm gear ready!