Drawing a super for winter stores

[John stockburn]

What is growing near you?

If he is near the river ouse or Foss there is endless himalayan balsam and later plenty of ivy very soon , a lot better location than me

 

[Matthew Roberts]

There some balsam and a bit of ivy.

 

[John stockburn]

There some balsam and a bit of ivy.

The thing we all need is the weather ,just half decent weather and the bees can quickly gain from balsam .

 

[ericbeaumont]

considering feeding these colonies

Queens often go off lay for quite a few weeks at this time of year when income dries up, and as late summer bees are really winter bees, an absence of brood in this period will weaken the winter colony.

any chance of more honey this year?

Balsam will produce variably until the frosts so long as its feet stay damp, and gardens will bring in a little - goldenrod is in flower now - but though this will not produce surplus honey, it may feed bees & keep the queen laying.

shouldn't be taking any honey as there wasn't enough for the bees for winter

Better to have been given a choice than an edict: take the honey if you wish. Half a super is about 5.5kg which is nowhere near enough for winter, so you'll feed anyway later on.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well you can tell if the bees are bringing in balsam. They get dotted with pollen so have a white thorax. You'll just have to look in the super after the promised warm spell. I have balsam and the bees do use it but get very little from it. In some places people report a good crop.

 

[Garry R]

Queens often go off lay for quite a few weeks at this time of year when income dries up, and as late summer bees are really winter bees, an absence of brood in this period will weaken the winter colony.


Balsam will produce variably until the frosts so long as its feet stay damp, and gardens will bring in a little - goldenrod is in flower now - but though this will not produce surplus honey, it may feed bees & keep the queen laying.


Better to have been given a choice than an edict: take the honey if you wish. Half a super is about 5.5kg which is nowhere near enough for winter, so you'll feed anyway later on.

If you are on a single brood box you'll want the feed in there not in a half superfull above it. Also leaving the super on with no excluder means a brood and a half come springtime. A well filled broodbox in a poly hive does the job for me with fondant on standby just in case come mid-winter.

 

[Matthew Roberts]

Yes, I'm on single cedar brood box. I was thinking of including some Kingspan in to the roof for winter.

 

[Lolly Bee]

My garden is still in full flower with bees, bumbles and wasps (grr) snacking away like fury. I've just removed the final supers for extraction (another sweaty afternoon!) then plan to start thinking about winter in a couple of weeks. I overwintered last year with a super under the BB and it meant no expensive sugar or fondant required and happy (and I am sure healthier) bees come spring. Not sure if that's helpful but I guess if it didn't break last winter (keep fingers crossed) then don't fix it!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was thinking of including some Kingspan in to the roof for winter

fix it in there permanently - it's good for summer as well as winter

 

[Garry R]

Yes, I'm on single cedar brood box. I was thinking of including some Kingspan in to the roof for winter.

I have insulation in the roof all year round and small entrances all year round. Open mesh floors too. Plastic electric ducting wasp guards all winter from now. Help your bees in heat and defence of the colony, Keep it simple.....

 

[Gilberdyke John]

" I was thinking of including some Kingspan in to the roof for winter."

Do it!

 

[robmort]

...... I overwintered last year with a super under the BB and it meant no expensive sugar or fondant required and happy (and I am sure healthier) bees come spring. Not sure if that's helpful but I guess if it didn't break last winter (keep fingers crossed) then don't fix it!

The honey in the super is far more expensive, if ripe, than sugar or fondant so not profitable or necessary to use a super

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

happy (and I am sure healthier)

A load of anthropomorphic nonsense

 

[Erichalfbee]

A load of anthropomorphic nonsense

It’s ok to do that though, it’s harmless. People calling their bees “girls” grates with me but each to his/her own.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It’s ok to do that though, it’s harmless

but assuming the bees are going to be 'healthier' just because they are not fed on sugar implies that sugar isn't. Certainly won't make them 'happier'

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well….. you never know

Insects are more sensitive than we think

 

[ericbeaumont]

wasps (grr)

Hold on! Wasps are lovely!

The usual auto-response by the public (and some beekeepers) of hatred & fear of wasps is regrettable, but you won't hear gardeners and farmers joining in because wasps are not only pollinators, but remove millions of larvae and aphids that would otherwise reduce crop yields.

That wasps seek sweet at this time of year and come close to the nervous human ought to be no big deal: just don't sit on one and don't drink from a can in August. Apart from that, they can be fed by hand without fear, and if beekeepers keep strong colonies (many beekeepers are wary of the idea or have never seen such a beast, or prefer tiddling ones) then by and large, bees have a good chance of surviving.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Agree with Eric. Keep your colonies strong and wasps have no chance....by and large
They do a good job through the year and are vital for the ecosystem.
I read somewhere that 90% of Large White (the sort that eat your cabbages) caterpillars are gruesomely parasitised by wasps (though not the Veaspula we are familiar with). If it weren't for these wasps we would have far fewer brassicas

 

[Lolly Bee]

A load of anthropomorphic nonsense

1. Having the form of a man.

Nice dictionary definition of anthropomorphic here.

 

[Erichalfbee]

1. Having the form of a man.

Nice dictionary definition of anthropomorphic here.

More like having characteristics of a human