Contemplation and plans

[Tremyfro]

I'm back after some time doing other 'stuff'.
My bees are all wrapped up.
So now it's time to think about how things went this year and what to think about for next year.
This year wasn't an unqualified success...
It started with the realisation that nosema had killed some of my hives during the winter and one was struggling. Thankfully...after following some fab advice from here...they were saved and bounced back amazingly.
I lost a favourite queen in a swarm...so requeened ...but that scuppered the spring honey with that hive.
I had a lovely queen emerge from her cell on my Aga......then the bees in a supposably queenless hive dispatched her! However...they did go on to make honey for themselves for the winter.
The Flow frames were a wonderful success...shedding a glowing light over the Bee Yard. A great experience and one to treasure.
There were a number of queens faffing about but eventually it all settled down by midsummer. Sadly, the nectar flows around here were poor...so not a lot of honey to take off and we decided to leave most of it to them.
So a summer of ups and downs...but a lot of learning! Especially in regard to earlier swarm prevention on the larger and more mature colonies!
Plans for next year will depend on how many colonies survive.
Mainly though...my aim is to use each beehaus as one big hive...expanding sideways. Not using the supers which will eliminate the need for QE. If my spare colonies come through they will be transferred to beehaus in the spring.
I will use national brood size frames for honey in the beehaus with a raised block under them to prevent the extra comb being built. We can extract this size of frame in my extractor.
How did your summer go?
What plans do you all have?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Winter losses substantial and heartbreaking for me last year. I was saved by the generosity of two forum members who gave me bees. Two surviving colonies rose like Phoenixes from Ashes.
The Buckfast hive kicked out their queen and re-queened themselves. The other surviving hive came from a swarm the year before and a split failed to make a queen so they were reunited. They are very defensive but manage varroa with little help from me so they are a keeper.
I decided to forego any hope of honey and go for increase instead, making nucs up for bought-in queens. One local and two from Sussex Uni (interesting times ahead next year)

7 colonies into winter. One has had significant varroa drop after treatment in the Autumn.

 

[Eyeman]

Especially in regard to earlier swarm prevention on the larger and more mature colonies!

Hi
Will this be 'proactive' or 'reactive'?
Any tips?

 

[Tremyfro]

Hi
Will this be 'proactive' or 'reactive'?
Any tips?

Pre emptive I hope! Ha ha...l was caught on the hop...we had a few days of good weather...and they were gone!
I also lost my Hygeniec queen and her entourage....they scarpered as soon as there was any real work to be done...like honey gathering!

 

[Tremyfro]

Winter losses substantial and heartbreaking for me last year. I was saved by the generosity of two forum members who gave me bees. Two surviving colonies rose like Phoenixes from Ashes.
The Buckfast hive kicked out their queen and re-queened themselves. The other surviving hive came from a swarm the year before and a split failed to make a queen so they were reunited. They are very defensive but manage varroa with little help from me so they are a keeper.
I decided to forego any hope of honey and go for increase instead, making nucs up for bought-in queens. One local and two from Sussex Uni (interesting times ahead next year)

7 colonies into winter. One has had significant varroa drop after treatment in the Autumn.

Commiserations...I did much the same...managed to have 6 colonies to go into the winter but one of them seems to have shut up shop earlier than the others. I didn't get much of a varroa drop...so will be doing a midwinter vape.

 

[enrico]

My year was all about a house move from Shropshire to Somerset. I dwindled my hives down to two but moving them in the middle of the swarming season was always going to be a challenge and two weeks before I moved I needed to split a hive after a swarm. I threw two virgins into nucs and left one in the main hive and hoped for the best. Moved all four colonies in the back of my car and moved them a week before the actual move date. I just left them to get on with it in their new home. On the first inspection It appeared that the virgins in the nucs had not mated prior, during or after the move but then one of the nuc queens started to lay. By then I had queen cells in the swarmed hive as the virgin failed to survive so combined the laying queen and nuc with the q- hive using air freshener and just combining the whole lot in one move and put a queen cell from the q- hive into the nuc. we were blessed with a long warm autumn and not only did the new queen start laying well in the new hive but the queen cell emerged, mated and is now filling the nuc so.....I have three workable hives and a good nuc to get through the winter. Looking forward to next year. I will miss my avenue of ancient lime trees which opened my eyes to 'runny' honey, here I have only one lime in flying distance, and I will have to cope with rape honey again which I have not had a for some years but.... my bees are happy with the long days, the welsh hills meant that in the winter the sun barely touched the hives, here in Somerset on a sunny day the bees are out at first light!
I even managed some honey this year.
Roll on 2017
E

 

[B+.]

I also lost my Hygeniec queen and her entourage....they scarpered as soon as there was any real work to be done...like honey gathering!

Did she leave ay brood/bees behind? Was it clean?

 

[madasafish]

This year I was recovering from AFB so 6 out of 7 hives were new /swarms/splits late 2015.. Basically the season was finished 4th June when the hawthorn blossom finished and summer stopped and continuous rain began.

My plans for 2017?
Sell a couple of Lang nucs.
Bring all my Lang hives to peak before hawthorn nectar flow starts in May (? weather)...

Take off hawthorn honey and extract in June. and feed if needed.

Requeen all swarmy hives with own non swarmy queens.

AND
Hope for a good summer.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Top priority, produce as much honey as possible.

 

[B+.]

Top priority, produce as much honey as possible.

My top priority is always to be better placed going forward than I was at the same time the previous year.
I believe I have done that with the inclusion of the NL line in my test material. Time will tell.
I have also joined the ranks of those testing for VSH so I have learned something new (Arista VSH test protocols) and will be looking to perform those next year.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Top priority, produce as much honey as possible.

True here, too. But same goes for raising quality nucs and queens. Sales of these pays the labour bill.

 

[bjosephd]

My year was all about a house move from Shropshire to Somerset ... here in Somerset on a sunny day the bees are out at first light!
I even managed some honey this year.
Roll on 2017
E

Welcome to Somerset Enrico!

Without giving coordinates where abouts roughly in Somerset did you settle?

I'm up and down to London, but my bees stay in Somerset. I hear insane rain and flooding at the moment! Hope your bees are on high enough ground!

Bjd


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[Hivemaker.]

Without giving coordinates where abouts roughly in Somerset did you settle?
I hear insane rain and flooding at the moment! Hope your bees are on high enough ground!

Somerset levels, says on his profile.

 

[Hivemaker.]

But same goes for raising quality nucs and queens. Sales of these pays the labour bill.

Yes Mike, they help to pay the wages here as well.

 

[bjosephd]

Somerset levels, says on his profile.

Haha...

It does indeed. Which is why I was concerned about the floods.

The levels are not huge, but also not small. Was just wondering if he was vaguely near to me.

You're a bit further sadly... I've been tempted to drive down to purchase one of your mighty queens... but at the moment I'm trying to limit increase. Rather worried I'll be doubling up+ on all my colonies next year!

So my plan is to pre-empt swarms and NOT make significant increase. Not sure if that's even possible!

(Assuming they make it through winter!)

Bjd


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[Beefriendly]

I'm with the lots of honey......to be able to afford buying those queens you breeders breed. Someone has to keep your staff employed

 

[REDWOOD]

half of my family came from Somerset and I said years ago Ill return to my roots some day. Not sure if welsh bees are allowed though

 

[Jimmy]

... I've been tempted to drive down to purchase one of your mighty queens... but at the moment I'm trying to limit increase. Rather worried I'll be doubling up+ on all my colonies next year!

So my plan is to pre-empt swarms and NOT make significant increase. Not sure if that's even possible!

In my limited experience, the cost of prolific non-swarmy queens is soon forgotten due to the savings made on less equipment needed to manage mulitple artificial swarms and greater sales from consequently higher honey yields.

 

[enrico]

half of my family came from Somerset and I said years ago Ill return to my roots some day. Not sure if welsh bees are allowed though

Mine lived in Shropshire, but flew to wales, I always said i lived in Shropshire but could spit into wales!!
They have been accepted into the levels. I can see the floods by the way but prudent enough to buy a house on a hill. Not many round here but am on I one of them!
Cheers BJD
E

 

[nantmoel]

We were caught out with late (very late) swarming, a number of hives swarmed in late September. The honey our hives produced was OK, but its was a year we expanded. I'm on the association and local council swarm list - I need to rethink this, far too many wasted calls and many miles traveled.

I have enjoyed raising our own queens (massive learning curve) and look to be more productive next season.

Too many hives than we want, so come the spring we need to take stock of what we have and reduce.

Next season will be a season where honey production will be a priority (weather permitting).....