It was paste in from the previously linked sheet about apiguard.
It all seems really strange. Wanting the bees to store plenty for winter and then for 4 weeks we take away the supers so they can only store in the brood ...
Does giving them no supers to store in mean they pack the brood box with everything they need? Does this not interfere with them making winter bees? What if there are eggs in the super? (Followed advice to put it on with no QE to encourage them to move into it quickly)
Does this varroa treatment method likely to mean they have enough stores in the brood box to keep them over winter? Or will they then need feeding after the treatment (as 4-6 weeks takes us to October when there's probably a lot less natural food about for them)
So the half filled super my lot have got on needs to be cleared of bees and put away somewhere safe until after the varroa treatment? Where does it need putting? Just anywhere bee proof or somewhere cool? What if they've not capped it? Will the honey go off and be useless for them?
When do they get it back? October or Spring?
You: It all seems really strange. Wanting the bees to store plenty for winter and then for 4 weeks we take away the supers so they can only store in the brood ...
Me: That is quite normal practice. Repalcing the supers after the Apiguard treatment this time of year still leaves time for further foraging eg himalayan balsam, ivy, etc.
You: Does giving them no supers to store in mean they pack the brood box with everything they need? Does this not interfere with them making winter bees? What if there are eggs in the super? (Followed advice to put it on with no QE to encourage them to move into it quickly)
Me: Yes and no. It is only temporary and they will not collect that much due to the disturbance of the Apiguard treatment so that the normal BBs almost certainly have enough space for more stores especially as the brood area is declining as the queens laying diminishes.
You: Does this varroa treatment method likely to mean they have enough stores in the brood box to keep them over winter? Or will they then need feeding after the treatment (as 4-6 weeks takes us to October when there's probably a lot less natural food about for them)
Me: Feeding with heavy syrup after treatment for varroa is quite normal. This is only appropriate when they have taken down anything in the supers that were replaced after treatment and the empty drawn supers are removed. They should only be allowed to take as much syrup feed as is necessary to keep them going to Xmas. That is what hefting is about. Soon after Xmas oxalic treatment is necessay and that is when the stores situation needs to be reassessed and to give fondant if thought necessary to carry them through to spring build up when light syrup is given.
You: So the half filled super my lot have got on needs to be cleared of bees and put away somewhere safe until after the varroa treatment? Where does it need putting? Just anywhere bee proof or somewhere cool? What if they've not capped it? Will the honey go off and be useless for them?
When do they get it back? October or Spring?
Me: Yes - anywhere bee proof, capped or not. They should be given it back as I've indicated above. Even if kept till spring, capped honey will not go off (capping preserves the sterilised contents of the cell) but may crystallise. Crystallised frames are dealt with by breaking any cappings and dipping in a warm bath of water before being given back to the bees. The bees will then sort it out at their leisure. As it hasn't been affected by Thymol it should be OK for extracing as usual.
I give what I consider to be normal best practice but of course beekeeping is not an exact science so do as you think best.
