Feeding back and apiguard

[Essexgary]

Hi all, just a quick question (well, 2 really)

I have decided to feedback 5 super frames of honey back to the bees for winter stores, i will make a small space in the crownboard, place under the super and let them rob it onto the brood box.

1) how long will it take them to take it downstairs, and 2) can i treat with apiguard at the same time?

Thanks as always

Gary

 

[Walrus]

When I do that (on 14x12) I put the box with the honey in under the brood box and leave it until spring. Doesn't matter how long they take to move it up, it's empty in Spring.

You can treat with thymol at the same time as long as you have taken away all the honey that you are going to for this season.

 

[Luminos]

When I do that (on 14x12) I put the box with the honey in under the brood box and leave it until spring. Doesn't matter how long they take to move it up, it's empty in Spring.

You can treat with thymol at the same time as long as you have taken away all the honey that you are going to for this season.

I did this last winter, but I wasn't quite quick enough to remove the empty boxes in spring, and they started filling them with pollen...

 

[Arfermo]

I assume you are not using 1½ brood boxes? If so, your best bet imho would be to put a super with the frames of honey you mention and as many other drawn frames as you can find under the main BB instead of your proposed configuration which imho would be quite unusual. No supers on top of QE of course. The bees will then fill any free space in the super and the main BB with whatever stores they can forage while the queen continues do her thing. But then everything is possible in beeking if you want to try it. Your choice. As you aren't going extract honey for consumption or sale then no harm in thymol treating (Apiguard or similar) now - or even MAQS which they say does not contaminate honey for eating anyway. More usual to do Apiguard commencing last week of August.

An alternative would be to chop out the honey filled combs and feed the bits back in, say, a Miller/Ashforth feeder so that the bess leave only the wax behind - for making candles? Think it might be longish process though with the quantity involved.

 

[Essexgary]

Thanks everyone, really appreciate the advice. If i put the supers under the BB now, should there be a queen excluder between or a crown board with a small space? Or just as it is (ie super, then BB with nothing in between). Thanks again

Gary

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing.
Floor,super,brood,crown,roof.
That's what I did last year on one box.
This year i have two on brood and a shallow and one unite to do before Oct 1st so have some thinking and planning to do

 

[itma]

Two different things.


1/ The quite usual practice of putting supers to be cleaned out 'outside' (they think!) the hive - by putting them above a crownboard with a small hole - so that they are 'robbed' down into the main hive.
However, if they think its 'in' the hive, and they have enough income, they will add to it rather than empty it!
So put it well above - like with an empty shallow box between or the shallows in your spare brood box -- lots of space between them and the hole!

2/ Putting stores in the 'wrong' part of the hive (low down) so that it is rearranged into a better winter config.

They normally only move (2) open stores, so capped stores remain until the start of winter. They cluster on the lowest stores and gradually move up.
However, they would likely 'rob' (1) capped stores. If they think they are robbing. And robbing would then be prompted all round the hive - the dance language doesn't have the vocab for "right above you" - only "nearby".

No QX involved in any of this.


More generally, I'd say its a month or more too early to be filling the brood box with winter stores just yet.
Don't you have any Ivy round your way?


I'd try and avoid cutting up drawn super combs. They are a very very very valuable asset to the new beekeeper.


/// If you are on single-brood national, I'd go for option 2 ... and hope they add to what's there.

 

[Essexgary]

Thanks everyone! So i might as well leave as is if im not going to harvest anymore, treat or varroa and then move the super under ready for the winter. Giving them more time to fill the super. Guess there's no rush with moving things about yet...

Gary

 

[itma]

IF you'd rather keep the comb in the shallow clean (not used for brood), and/or its not got hoffman-spaced frames, I'd leave the QX in place while the shallow is on top.

 

[Finman]

.
Why don't you keep the food as such and give it for winter.

You need not feed it back. They use 24% of food to storev it again., Vain work.

You there in UK are too eager to move stores here and there if bees have put it in "wrong place".

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's useful to have the cluster in the one box for Oxalic.....rather than spread over two boxes or buried in the bottom box.
I don't think hobby beekeepers mind the "vain work" and consequent loss of honey.....perhaps I'm wrong?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

, I'd leave the QX in place while the shallow is on top.

What, for the whole winter? orj ust until the super gets put down below?
I think I know what you mean but just underlining for the beginner that a QX should never be left in place overwinter at a risk of losing the colony to isolation starvation.

 

[itma]

... i might as well leave as is ... and then move the super under ready for the winter. Giving them more time to fill the super. Guess there's no rush with moving things about yet...

IF you'd rather keep the comb in the shallow clean (not used for brood), and/or its not got hoffman-spaced frames, I'd leave the QX in place while the shallow is on top.

What, for the whole winter? orj ust until the super gets put down below?
I think I know what you mean but just underlining for the beginner that a QX should never be left in place overwinter at a risk of losing the colony to isolation starvation.

Quite.

 

[Essexgary]

.
Why don't you keep the food as such and give it for winter.

You need not feed it back. They use 24% of food to storev it again., Vain work.

You there in UK are too eager to move stores here and there if bees have put it in "wrong place".

You Finns are too quick to write a response before reading the thread properly. After all the helpful advice given, i said i had decided to leave as is.

Thanks all.. As helpful as always and i shall ensure no QE when i move the super down below.

Gary

 

[MuswellMetro]

.
. They use 24% of food to storev it again., Vain work.

".

Thanks Finman, i have wondered what the loss of honey is if they have to move it to store elsewhere

Never found it in any literature