Combining ready for OSR?

[flemage]

Hi all

This is the beginning of my fourth year, last year was my first crop (which was small) due to the horrific winter and all hives needing to build up.

the main crop for me is spring OSR due to the agricultural site

This year all 8 hives have come through most with BIAS some smaller ones with just eggs at first check last weekend. All new queens from last year and I fed them to stimulate ready for the flowering.

I have 1 on eight frames, 2 on six frames, 1 on three frames, rest on four frames.

I don't really need 8 hives happy with less but it does seem a shame to be losing hives, but this year (please god) I would like a harvest.

So should I combine? If yes when do I need to get it done?

Many thanks for any advise.

Simon

 

[Ely]

Winter shouldn't be an issue in this country no matter how bad it is as long as they go into winter well fed, insulated, treated against mites, protected from the environment and are an adequate size colony. (discounting acts of god such as flooding, blown over hives etc.)

 

[Roola]

Winter shouldn't be an issue in this country no matter how bad it is as long as they go into winter well fed, insulated, treated against mites, protected from the environment and are an adequate size colony. (discounting acts of god such as flooding, blown over hives etc.)

And Nosema, failed/DLQ?

 

[oliver90owner]

I tend not to unite, but I do reinforce stocks with emerging brood (a bit earlier than this as they won't become foragers for a while.

It is a weather lottery for an OSR crop when it is potentially so early.

If stocks on the OSR are sufficiently distant from the other colonies, one can also shift across workers from the other hives while leaving them to build up for a later crop or a bit of queen rearing.

You will never/very rarely have eight stocks with just eight colonies, after all.

RAB

 

[susbees]

I don't faff about with stimulative feeding/guesswork on when OSR will flower. I combine to give five full frames sealed brood (on Commercials so that's c brood and a half solid BIAS) a week or so before they move. Sorted.

After all they'll be on Demaree within the month...

 

[Ely]

And Nosema, failed/DLQ?

My point was obviously about poor weather over winter affecting hives (or not). The fact that I didn't produce an endless list of why a hive might perish doesn't make my point any less obvious. DLQ. May be due to poor summer weather...

 

[flemage]

Hi the issue with weather I had last year was that, as it was so cold for so long into spring the queens didn't come in to lay until late which meant that the hives were small and could not take full advantage of the OSR, when it came into flower.

Winter loss's was another issue, lost two to isolation starvation, one got blown over and was flooded.

It's looking a lot better this year

 

[Hengest]

Could I ask for a quick bit of clarification ?(venturing out of the beginners section )

RAB refers to stocks and colonies in his earlier post. What is a stock in this context? I 've seen the term before and didn't understand it then - an American site used it to mean a strain of bees but can't see that makes sense here.

 

[itma]

...
This year all 8 hives have come through most with BIAS some smaller ones with just eggs at first check last weekend. All new queens from last year and I fed them to stimulate ready for the flowering.

I have 1 on eight frames, 2 on six frames, 1 on three frames, rest on four frames.

I don't really need 8 hives happy with less ...

For warm, southerly Devon, this sounds to me like a very slow start to the season.
Not quite certain what you might mean by the bees being "on" however many frames, but they aren't big colonies.

First thing to check for would be Nosema - remembering that ceranae leaves no dysentery traces. Do that, on all hives (to be sure) before thinking of combining anything.

Then I'd be wondering about your local early pollen availability. If it is poor, then think seriously for next year about stimulative feeding of both protein/pollen and sugar.
But for this year, its too late for that - given the time from egg to foraging worker.

What you do might depend on available kit - I've no idea what you have available for artificial swarms and queen/nuc rearing.
But you might well boost your crop by combining the second and third best colonies (and saving the half-decent spare Q in a nuc, because you might be thankful for her later).
I'd just concentrate on getting the 5 weak ones strong and healthy (if they make it). I'd regard their health status for now as uncertain (for whatever reason - maybe ask for an Association opinion), and definitely wouldn't combine them with each other, or any other, at this point.

However, the big lesson to be learned is that the time to prepare for Spring is in the Autumn, and getting strong healthy colonies going into Winter has to be the best shot at getting strong healthy colonies coming out of Winter.

 

[itma]

Could I ask for a quick bit of clarification ?(venturing out of the beginners section )

RAB refers to stocks and colonies in his earlier post. What is a stock in this context? I 've seen the term before and didn't understand it then - an American site used it to mean a strain of bees but can't see that makes sense here.

To me, a 'stock' would be a full, productive colony. Not just a nuc or Apidea - even though those could be counted as a "colony", eg for BDI purposes.

 

[flemage]

Thanks itma

There certainly aren't any dysentery traces, but I will certainly check them out.
However they are on an exposed hill near sea so it can be a bit cooler there than else where in Devon.

I have plenty of spare kit now and couple of poly nukes and one I made my self, so will follow advise.

Many Thanks

 

[Hengest]

Thanks Itma for that clarification