Brood box rammed with bees…action required?

[Murox]

I echo your whinge @BeeBird, similar forecasts up here. I'm itching to get a look into my hives and just hoping the poor weather generally will hold them back long enough for a few warmer days to come along together.

 

[ericbeaumont]

hoping the poor weather generally will hold them back long enough for a few warmer days

That is the problem: it won't, and it may be better to take the least worst window of opportunity and get essential work done.

Campbeltown temps. rise slightly from Friday to 11C and hover around 11-12 for about a week, admittedly with rain here and there; warmest time of day (even here in the South) is usually midday to late afternoon.

Yesterday afternoon was an overcast 12C when I upgraded nucs and by the time I'd finished at 7pm I was soaked. Bees didn't mind and I was glad to get it done: all had 6 frames of brood + fresh nectar, one had QCs, and all were rammed in the feeder slots.

The South has had the wettest March on record, but that and hot-water bottle nights haven't held bees back, and from tomorrow London will have 16-19C until the middle of April. With the dandelion and willow opening, all those nucs would have been in swarm mode by the weekend, and I expect to double-brood them in less than a fortnight.

 

[user 819]

I was considering doing a demaree on them as soon as I got back…do you think it would be too late by then?

That said, there’s so many bees, I’m not sure I’ll be able to find the unmarked queen.

One will see the queen by not intentionally looking for her, just run your eyes over the comb as per norm in circular CW motion checking brood for disease or unusal laying pat and often she will just be there in view.

 

[Murox]

That is the problem: it won't, and it may be better to take the least worst window of opportunity and get essential work done.

Campbeltown temps. rise slightly from Friday to 11C and hover around 11-12 for about a week, admittedly with rain here and there; warmest time of day (even here in the South) is usually midday to late afternoon................................

Yes that exactly my plan

 

[BeeBird]

Yes that exactly my plan

Yeah me too

 

[Swarm]

Beekeeping reality.
Many years ago I was sitting down chatting over a cuppa with Ricky Wilson as he recalled his first foray into beekeeping, when his wife used to help. You've no choice and just have to get things done was one of the things he said as he laughed about them rattling through the hives in the pouring rain, trying to keep the brolly in one piece, never mind keeping the bees dry.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Heavens....Ricky could talk....Nearly as much as Pete Little. I went to buy a back queen from him and ended up with a Buckie as well. He spent an hour explaining her Danish heritage. I had never seen a yard stacked with so many boxes with thousands of bees buzzing round them

 

[Curly green finger's]

April showers - it’s brolly time.
And any window of opportunity things need to get done because like yesterday the bees were going mad and they wait for no man even at low temps.