Colony analysis

[elainemary]

I love a good piece of analysis, especially when it leads to a new insight about bees! So I particularly enjoyed Steve Donohoe’s blog this week on queen laying rates and how he uses the data to keep ahead of his bees. Link below.

Whilst I can’t claim to have Steve’s Excel prowess, I do enjoy reflecting back on the season and analysing my own data to decide which queen (s) to rear from. This leads to a summary sheet of colony performance which I must crack on and complete ready for next season. Photo of last years Summary sheet below

Do you complete any analysis on your colonies & have any insights to share?

https://thewalrusandthehoneybee.com/crunching-numbers-to-stay-ahead-of-the-bees/#comment-717

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you complete any analysis on your colonies & have any insights to share?

Yes spotted Steve's tweet
Absolutely none...never enough time and absolutely hate number crunching of any sort.
I keep a raggedy notebook on inspections, notes in which get transferred to the laptop then archived at the end of the year.
I just about know where my queens come from as I name them
I do rough-count first and 4th 24 hour drops after OAV to facilitate a plan for that colony

 

[elainemary]

Yes spotted Steve's tweet
Absolutely none...never enough time and absolutely hate number crunching of any sort.
I keep a raggedy notebook on inspections, notes in which get transferred to the laptop then archived at the end of the year.
I just about know where my queens come from as I name them
I do rough-count first and 4th 24 hour drops after OAV to facilitate a plan for that colony

I’ve stopped counting varroa this year, having concluded its fruitless, but can understand your strategy when sublimating to assess whether follow up(s) required

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

nope
I tend my bees rather than generate loads of (mostly) irrelevant spreadsheets

 

[Amari]

 

[drex]

I keep records at each inspection. That helps in my management from inspection to inspection.. A glance over them at the end of the season tells me the ones to propagate from etc. It is not complicated and I don't need to make it so, unless I like that sort of thing

 

[ericbeaumont]

analysis on your colonies & have any insights to share?

Code on a hive roof is as much as I can manage, and then minimal - colony number, dates checked, date to check for eggs.

Donald Sims' '60 Years with Bees' (one of the very best beekeeping books) gave me insight some years ago and his use of coded notes led me to abandon written records.

 

[Moobee]

Heavens! I keep quick hive notes largely so I remember what I did and know what needs doing next time but that’s about it. They go onto a spreadsheet just so I can eventually ditch my propolis stained scribbles but that’s mostly it.

 

[B_north]

I keep records just because as a new beekeeper there is so much to learn and then forget.

I have a sheet for spring/summer manipulations, one for varroa treatments, and a wintering sheet.

All these only have a few columns but I find that the wintering notes for me have been the most helpful. Notes the last two years for what temperature I started wrapping and insulating, when they did cleansing flights/how many, when I added more sugar, and how much they consumed have simplified what preps I do for winter and has taken the guess work out of what to do when.

I have no doubt that once I have it nailed down I will probably wing it, but I am not there yet.

 

[elainemary]

I keep records just because as a new beekeeper there is so much to learn and then forget.

I have a sheet for spring/summer manipulations, one for varroa treatments, and a wintering sheet.

All these only have a few columns but I find that the wintering notes for me have been the most helpful. Notes the last two years for what temperature I started wrapping and insulating, when they did cleansing flights/how many, when I added more sugar, and how much they consumed have simplified what preps I do for winter and has taken the guess work out of what to do when.

I have no doubt that once I have it nailed down I will probably wing it, but I am not there yet.

Thats how I’ve learnt in my early years as a beekeeper by observing, keeping records and reflecting back. As time goes on things become more intuitive, and why I’ve stopped counting varroa mites. After 3 winters of getting the same results on how much feed they need I’m starting to weigh my hives early spring rather than every month too.

As well as learning more, keeping good records, however you do it, has resulted in better queens, higher productivity, nicer colonies to handle and over wintering success.

 

[user 20833]

nope
I tend my bees rather than generate loads of (mostly) irrelevant spreadsheets

Hi Emyr
Have you seen the data generated as part of the BFA knowledge exchange program? I have only seen a little, and only for one bee farmer, but I was amazed at how much data they collect and share (on spreadsheets). For me, the spreadsheet thing is like an illness or addiction - so many years being a finance director and building online services...can't shake it off!

Hope you and your bees are in rude health! Best wishes

 

[madasafish]

I have cut down my record keeping to essentials only.
All it proves is that so many factors affect things that I have no OBVIOUS way of forecasting yields. (And if you cannot forecast, then why bother?
But I know one thing: I do not tolerate badly behaved bees and requeen asap. SO temper and colony strengths are major factors.

 

[fizzle]

oh gosh

 

[Goran]

Without excell it would be toughy for me. Last input is in left. When I want to see what happened during season I just mark the line and in 5 mins have overview. Each part of the season has its own columns needed to fill. First couple columns are nr. of the hive, short description, origin type, year, marking, status ( queen - keep, check, retire). The rest of columns are what I need in planned inspections and usually I just put there numbers, pluses and short description and later enter in the comp.
Each season I replace majority of my queens ( it goes around 90%). When I want to have preserved history ( for trivia) of left side ( usually when major queen changes). I just copy sheet and change the input. I just made it to how it suits me.

 

[enrico]

I never kept notes until five years ago, now I need them to remind me what I need to do on the next inspection, even if it's nothing! ..... It's an age thing!

 

[Wilco]

I keep notes using a laminated inspection sheet for each colony and if I had time, spreadsheets would be handy for tracking colonies. Have found the cards useful for keeping track of who needs what doing when.

 

[Ian123]

I keep notes using a laminated inspection sheet for each colony and if I had time, spreadsheets would be handy for tracking colonies. Have found the cards useful for keeping track of who needs what doing when.

I use a brick…..it occasionally gets complicated and I use 2

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

brief one line of scribbled shorthand notes in the pocket notebook I always carry, quickly transferred into a single line covering everything that's required in the individual card for each colony which I keep at home, this usually lasts until the slowdown after extracting time and gets resurrected afresh every spring

 

[Ali Brown]

Has anyone seen how Mike palmer has duct tape on his hive roofs and writes on there? I use the tape but write differently to him. Just the date and a tick if all is good or a quick note if something needs monitoring etc. I would lose a notebook and even the word spreadsheet depresses me

 

[JamezF]

even the word spreadsheet depresses me

Ah, well, that's possibly because you've confused things. Word is a word processing application. Excel is the spreadsheet one

James