Beekeeping time table - how to understand

[bellabee]

Hello,

Any thoughts on how to properly understand this time table:

Link to open larger and clearer here:
http://www.devonbeekeepers.org.uk/downloads/BeeTimetable.pdf

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Looks like someone has spent a lot of time designing that!

I'm sure it could be really useful, but I often find that trying to stick to someone else's timetable often creates problems. For example, I have to complete my winter feeding a good 2-3 weeks earlier than some other beeks in Montgomeryshire because my altitude is higher than theirs.

 

[drstitson]

in what sense?

 

[bellabee]

greatbritishhoney yes I agree, always look at it with margin to change to your situation. And you are correct someone did spend time doing this, shame they did not leave further instruction. It is a nice idea with all to remember throughout the beekeeping year.

drstitson... any? So would I assume in being correct that in June (ish taking with a pinch of salt depending on location) you should have 60,000 bees and 50,000 brood?

August - September, start varroa treatment?

It is just nice to have some sort of reference for us beginners to look over and work out what we are needed to get ready for a head of time.

 

[Headnavigator]

Rather like it, but I would guess from the words 'feed candy' that some of it may have originated elsewhere? Or is 'candy' normal Devon parlance for 'fondant'? (visions of barley-sugar twists!)

 

[bellabee]

Maybe my bees would like me more if I fed the barley-sugar twists! Might give it a go.

 

[bellabee]

This is also useful information 'A Beekeeping Year'

http://www.abka.org.uk/issue3/BeekeepingYear.html

 

[drstitson]

aside from winter oxalic timing not being clear - think xmas-new year - and swarm control period being off, provided you remember that you must read your bees and your season it does exactly what it says on the tin.

2x bees in july vs april is fair enough - double vs single brood full.

 

[bellabee]

"WINTER
NOVEMBER TO FEBRUARY
Leave Bees Alone"

Bottom left?

What do bees do for New Year?

Swarm control - fit more supers? May - August?

You are right though, learn to read your bees! Being new to this is always good to have a heads up, I do not like to rely on my bee buddy all the time.

What would you add change drstitson?

 

[drstitson]

re oxalic - yes it is at bottom left BUT there is also the winter anti varroa bit in mid feb!!!!

 

[bellabee]

I think he mentions the varroa treatment Feb 15th.

Oxalic... Can you tell me more? (sorry newB) We have a brood and half full of winter stores for them (their honey). So mid Dec we feed with Oxalic, which does what? Many thanks drstitson.

 

[drstitson]

presume you'll be running super under brood for the winter?

oxalic - sometime midwinter - think xmas hols - good excuse to leave family to deal with great aunt maud. open. trickle oxalic solution down the seams of bees. close.

 

[circe]

There is an excellent booklet you can download from Beebase (FERA) about varroa control as well as info on many other bee diseases and methods of disease control which you can download which will assist in your research. If you are a member of a local beekeeping association and attend meetings you can often get a lot of useful info about bee husbandry too.

 

[bellabee]

Thanks drstitson, just reading up about it, and web said trickle down best idea. I presume they mean trickle down the inside of the corners of the hive? Is that correct?

Then close.

Super/brood winter configuration - um I read on here to keep the brood box bottom and super brood top, so the bees would eat feed through the bottom to top and then in spring she would have loads of room to lay back down in bottom brood... What are your thoughts?

Many thanks

 

[bellabee]

There is an excellent booklet you can download from Beebase (FERA) about varroa control as well as info on many other bee diseases and methods of disease control which you can download which will assist in your research. If you are a member of a local beekeeping association and attend meetings you can often get a lot of useful info about bee husbandry too.

Thanks circe

 

[circe]

No probs - I know how bewildered I was with all the info thrown at me when I started keeping bees ... it was ages before I realised that an eke wasn't a noise made by a mouse ..

 

[bellabee]

No probs - I know how bewildered I was with all the info thrown at me when I started keeping bees ... it was ages before I realised that an eke wasn't a noise made by a mouse ..

What the heck is an 'eke'? I recently learnt what a skep is!!

Yes it can be quite overwhelming and we just want to do right by our bees!! This first year has defiantly been a learning curve, and this forum has been a great help too

Hopefully we can learn by our mistakes, and the bees will forgive us (they usually do)

 

[greatbritishhoney]

The oxalic acid is trickled directly onto the seams of clustered bees (i.e - the lines of bees between the frames). From memory it is meant to be 5ml per seam, but you need to double check that before doing it.
You also need to make sure the operation is done quickly - you don't want to stand around letting all the heat out of the hive.
I think our bee inspector did a youtube video on how to do OA. I'll see if I can find it.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Here it is...

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mj_FV40DEwk[/ame]

 

[bellabee]

Thank you greatbritishhoney

So where the bees are clustered.... in between those frames like Hive Clean, but with OX just the frames with clusters, and on the frames not on the bees (?)

Ya if you could find the video that would be great thanks again.