Colony management now !

[dryar]

Hi,

I am looking to unconfuse myself.

I have extracted two supers of honey and am currently treating my colonies . I have Brood box , eke and Apiguard on all hives. I am clearing Varroa which is evident on trays as I inspect.

The brood has stored pollen and some capped honey at edges on a couple of frames. This will be the first overwintering for me.

I intend to replace a super with some capped honey at the conclusion of Apiguard treatment.

I have a tub of Ambrosia ready to go.

There seems to be varying trains of thought I am after a collective simple list to secure my winter preparations from this point

I was going to wait for Apiguard to finish and then replace a super feeding at same time Ambrosia. Is this timely or should I feed at same time as treatment.
Bees are still working pollen.

Also should I add any other treatment to feed in order to boost Bees immune capabilities etc.

And finally when super is packed with stores should it sit beneath Brood to progress through Winter.

There seems to be so many great ideas but no time for me to understand them,, I need a leg up .

Cheers

 

[biggles]

If we are talking std nat hive.

Feed them now don't wait. Feed until they have a full super and then check weekly. If the weather stays warm and they are not collecting they can eat a lot before winter.
Add fumidil b to the feed to stop nosema. Remove the QE and leave the super on top.

This is what I do, I'm sure others will be along to differ.

 

[itma]

...

This is what I do, I'm sure others will be along to differ.

It might depend on where in "uk" the op (and advisors) might be located, as to timing.
On the Kent coast, there still seems to be plenty coming in, I'm a little surprised that, thirty miles or so up the road, peeps would already be stuffing feed into a normal/strong colony ...

 

[Moggs]

Why put a super on for winter? More space to heat and the colony won't move very far to search for these stores if it's cold! As the brood diminishes in the brood chamber, bees will pack this comb with stores. You can overwinter with a standard brood chamber of stores quite adequately. By all means put a super under to effectively go brood and a half but the benefit of this may only be to act as a wind break.

Edit: I may have misread the OP intention as putting on an empty super after extraction. A full super after varroa treatment is different but still calls for a little careful management!

 

[psafloyd]

If we are talking std nat hive.

Feed them now don't wait. Feed until they have a full super and then check weekly. If the weather stays warm and they are not collecting they can eat a lot before winter.
Add fumidil b to the feed to stop nosema. Remove the QE and leave the super on top.

This is what I do, I'm sure others will be along to differ.

Shouldn't Fumidil should be used to treat nosema, rather than used as a precaution?

 

[WaxManSmokerBoy]

Nosema is largely endemic. the question being how much and how problematical?

Thymolated syrup is used as a bactericide(?) against spore buildup in the hive and fumadil-B where used is a prophylactic which prevents the nosema spores rupturing the gut wall within the individual bees, thus limiting the physical damage and minimising the spread.

If you have no obvious nosema problems, then the Thymolated syrup may be just the job. It is very and very effective.

Do you give your children antibiotics, clean the bathroom or both? So get out the thymol . . .

How many beefarmers do you think shell out on Fumadil-B? An awful lot don't thymolate their syrup either.

Decisions, decisions! FWIW, I thymolate my syrup and have never considered Fumadil-B.

 

[Poly Hive]

I am not going to comment on treating and or feeding as that is an individual choice, though some seem to be feeding very early as here in the east mids there is still a flow of sorts on from HB.

As for where I would put the super of feed then my answer is on top of the BB.

PH