Feed your bees

[Easy Beesy]

While agreeing its a good idea to put fondant on any hives which are hefting light, I'd be interested in a little wager.
My bet is many colonies will be well into their first super before this three or four week "cold" period is over, I'm almost certain many will be in my neck of the woods but I'd even go as far as to say they will be in Kent too.
Watch this space

It was September last year before my bees were "well into their first super" in my area! Gotta love your optimism. BTW do you remember that your profile says no colonies owned?

 

[Cazza]

While agreeing its a good idea to put fondant on any hives which are hefting light, I'd be interested in a little wager.
My bet is many colonies will be well into their first super before this three or four week "cold" period is over, I'm almost certain many will be in my neck of the woods but I'd even go as far as to say they will be in Kent too.
Watch this space

Can't see it happening in my neck of the woods sadly.

Cazza

 

[thorn]

MBC, I suspect the temperature where you are is very much out of line with what the majority of us is suffering. My car's temperature gauge has shown 0 degrees or lower on the way to work and on the way home every day for the last two weeks. I bought it in early December and it has not shown 7 degrees once. And no, I don't live out on the moors, although I drive over them to get to work. I live in the burbs.

 

[Ely]

To be well into their first super surely would have needed plenty of plloen to build the numbers. Mine haven't been able to gather hardly any pollen. I assume the only reason I haven't seen larvae on the landing board is due to a good stock of pollen from autumn.

 

[thisgardener]

I have to ask 'why' are you feeding twice a week. The outlook has been relatively accurate fora couple of months, and there is no sign of +15 degrees before the third week of april.
Based on this, isnt it more logical to give them more and disturb them less.
Not being critical... Just seems a bit odd (i only have 25 and streamline as much as possible)

what I should have said was checking food twice weekly and replenishing where needed , its been going down like no tomorrow.
so anyway to take something positive out of the situation . we don't have to worry about shelling out for extra hives to expand into this season just repopulate the empties . some pollen coming in today around dinner time when we got to the heady height of a full 8-9 degrees.
the thing that makes this spring so dire is the
last gasps of winter being so severe after such a diabolical summer of poor foraging for the buzzers.
fingers crossed for a better summer ahead.

 

[peteinwilts]

fingers crossed for a better summer ahead.

Amen to that!

I went around and checked on my bees' feed at the weekend and found another two dead hives.

One very large hive on a 14x12 was separated from its food. It ate the middle first, moved to one side then even though there was a block of fondant two frames away, did not move and perished.

The other hive starved. the colony died immediately below the fondant but did not touch it.

Some of my bees still have plenty of stores, but those that took a lesser amount of syrup in Autumn, I gave a good sized block to in January...
Any left during first inspection time will be taken off.

 

[madasafish]

The nature of betting is that you stand to gain if you guess right.
The odds of the temps for the next month being within a degree or two of the long term average are very good indeed.
Willow is blossoming and I'm seeing more dandelions by the day, and even if "the day after tomorrow" doomsday scenario occurs and the next month is gibbering, my house is safe as no one's taken on the bet

No dandelions here.
Willows? Blossom? Nope.


Your house is mine..


Anyone want to buy a cheap house in Westest Wales.. in need of some TLC . Cheap..

 

[richardbees]

Commiserations Pete

 

[peteinwilts]

Commiserations Pete

Thanks Richard. I still have 23, so am fortunate. With poor matings over the last two years, i think this year will be challenging for many, including me...

 

[Dishmop]

I will go and explain to our surviving colonies your theory on scare mongering unfortunately its too late for the 11 we have lost over the last 6 weeks. 1 degree in day time and hard frosts each night . feeding twice a week and watching our hard work perish and then reading you say about scare /doom mongering cheers for that

Sorry that you lost that number of colonies (or any for that matter) but to me it seems that as feeding didnt keep them alive that perhaps there may have been another reason.
Althought at the moment in East Anglia the weather is better than other parts of the country, it has still been down to near zero during the day for quite some time and a below freezing at night.

 

[casualman]

This long period of cold weather will be good for the bees and beekeepers in the long run because it will allow nature to weed out the diseased, weak colonies of bees as well as bad beekeeepers!

 

[Ely]

Harsh but true.

 

[Little John]

But it will also demoralise first-year beekeepers, and the growing number of people about to take up beekeeping.
LJ

 

[farbee]

This long period of cold weather will be good for the bees and beekeepers in the long run because it will allow nature to weed out the diseased, weak colonies of bees as well as bad beekeeepers!

I probably fall into thew last catergory but I ain't giving up!!

 

[madasafish]

Quote:
Originally Posted by casualman
This long period of cold weather will be good for the bees and beekeepers in the long run because it will allow nature to weed out the diseased, weak colonies of bees as well as bad beekeeepers!

And what about the diseased and weak beekeepers?

 

[Swarm]

Died in front of TV. There was food in the kitchen but they couldn't make it.

 

[Skyhook]

Died in front of TV. There was food in the kitchen but they couldn't make it.

 

[Hivemaker.]

This long period of cold weather will be good for the bees and beekeepers in the long run because it will allow nature to weed out the diseased, weak colonies of bees as well as bad beekeeepers!

I agree, cruel but fair.

 

[Cazza]

But it will also demoralise first-year beekeepers, and the growing number of people about to take up beekeeping.
LJ

If one is that feeble, perhaps it's the wrong activity to be involved with in the first place? "Never let yer mother know she bred a gibber" springs to mind.
Cazza

 

[beeno]

If one is that feeble, perhaps it's the wrong activity to be involved with in the first place? "Never let yer mother know she bred a gibber" springs to mind.
Cazza

The word is jibber and I shall put the phrase into use straight away.