Feeding Bees though the winter.

[Hivemaker.]

Mons A I did the same and mine swarmed. At the time I blamed the "leave 2 queen cells and they will sort it out theory" because as soon as the first queen emerged off they went. In future I intend to remove one of the 2 cells 2 days before emergence. Like you because of space I could only go one way.
So at least this thread has taught me something as I will move a 2nd time in future.

If you carried out your AS all under one roof then you would not be needing to move box's from one side to another,and only need an extra brood box frames and crown board.

 

[oliver90owner]

PeterS,

As long as the two colonies are pretty well adjacent you could move the emerging queen colony to another part of the apiary a day or so before she emerges. The effect will be the same.

It is just that the less distance the hive is moved is better for the frail queen cells. A case of gently does it. The larger move may cause some of the foragers to re-orientate, so a little greater risk of a cast swarm, than moving it less than a couple metres.

Another alternative is to put that second queen cell into a nuc until all is sorted - queens emerged, mated, hatched brood present - before deciding what to do with any surplus queen. Loads of choices.

Regards, RAB

 

[oliver90owner]

I'm gonna be lost, what with this thread and Skyhooks on A/Sing!

RAB

 

[Skyhook]

PeterS,

Loads of choices.

Regards, RAB

Oh god, not more!!!!!

 

[kazmcc]

We still haven't got our feeder on. We need an eke to raise the roof a bit to fit the feeder under and although I can put one together easily our mentor told me not to, and to wait for him to bring down a spare super. It still hasn't arrived. I am starting to get concerned. Should I be? The super was almost full, they had one frame left that they hadn't started on. Will they be ok using that for now until I manage to get the feeder on? I'm starting to think I'm mithering him but I just want the feeder on so i can relax about it.

 

[richardbees]

Hombre, yes - that off-set canopy was the PR9 last seen at RAF Wyton a few years ago. I go back a further thirty years to the the B2s and PR7s watching the Fulda gap!.

I still think Ted Hooper was right with his suggestions for reinforcing an AS hive in a small apiary. It's always worked for me Obviously the question is would my bees also have been successful if I hadn't used his method....who knows?
Richard

 

[tonybloke]

We still haven't got our feeder on. We need an eke to raise the roof a bit to fit the feeder under and although I can put one together easily our mentor told me not to, and to wait for him to bring down a spare super. It still hasn't arrived. I am starting to get concerned. Should I be? The super was almost full, they had one frame left that they hadn't started on. Will they be ok using that for now until I manage to get the feeder on? I'm starting to think I'm mithering him but I just want the feeder on so i can relax about it.

why you worried, Kaz?
if they've got the best part of a super full of winter stores they'll be fine.
it's too late to put on a feeder, anyway. (of syrup)

 

[kazmcc]

why you worried, Kaz?
if they've got the best part of a super full of winter stores they'll be fine.
it's too late to put on a feeder, anyway. (of syrup)

lol, I don't know. I didn't really think about it. Well, i did a little, but I thought I would like them to fill up the last of that super before going into winter proper. Why is it too late to feed now? Our mentor brought the spare super down yesterday and we put the feeder on. The bees are still very active and they've found a new source of pollen it seems as they did slow down on the pollen collecting.

 

[oliver90owner]

It's not for me to argue with your mentor (well, I have done before - when he said the beehaus was of a 'completely different design principle to the Dartington' (or similar), knew I was wrong and refused to explain his reasons. Well, surprise, surprise, guess who was correct?) but I feel you would be better removing any empty frames and replacing with 'unchewable' (by the bees) insulation at the sides of the super (2 frames?), if you were worried. Far too late to reliably feed liquid syrup now, but you may get away with it, who knows? I would simply not take that chance.

Fondant from now on, if required, would be my choice, but probably not needed - at least until well after the new year?

Winter can close in very quickly at any time now; there again, it may stay warm until next month; who knows? I hope your mentor does.

Regards, RAB

 

[Vergilius]

Winter can close in very quickly at any time now; there again, it may stay warm until next month; who knows? I hope your mentor does.

I know that long-range weather forecasts get slated on here but netweather are predicting a cold 2nd half of November and colder-than-average December. I think that we have definitely had the best of the mild Autumn weather now.

Kaz, I don't think the bees will take down much feed now. Brood box and partly filled super of stores should get them through easily. And if you don't feed any more they will be able to cap it all. If still worried put a slab of fondant over the feed hole in a couple of months. If it helps you mine have always been fine on just one brood box full of stores over the past couple of (cold) winters.


Ben P


Ben P

 

[kazmcc]

How do you know if they will need the fondant? I know those with experience will heft, but what about those of us who have no experience? I have been told not to take off the crownboard now and I can't see through the holes ( although I have tried ) Do you think we should just give it to them until I do have that experience to be on the safe side, or would you say they have plenty with 9 1/2 full frames and the brood box full? The thing is, I would like to interfere as little as possible, maybe I am being naive but I just think the bees know best and are designed to store as much as they need, and seeing as we haven't taken anything, I would have thought ( with my beginners logic ) that they would make sure themselves that they have enough to see them through.

You see admin....this is why I don't have my own colony at the moment lol

 

[Vergilius]

Kaz,

As I said brood+super should be more than enough stores. However If you are still going to do a winter feed of fondant just put the fondant over the feed hole of the crown board. If the bes need it they'll take it and if they don't they'll leave it.


Ben P

 

[kazmcc]

That's what my mentor said. Feeding is just part of my learning he said, but they would be fine without it. These have to be the most fussed over bees in the history of bee keeping.

 

[richardbees]

"Winter can close in very quickly at any time now"

Totally agree with RAB on this....they may not be able to convert any syrup they're fed now and it could just sit and moulder in the frames.

I had a look through my glass cover board this afternoon; the temperature has dropped to 9C here and they've already started to cluster.

 

[Dishmop]

Norwich about 12 c and only a handful of mine ventured out...

 

[Silly Bee]

These have to be the most fussed over bees in the history of bee keeping. Kaz


Maybe.

 

[kazmcc]

lol, I really admire my mentors patience. I must send him on average two emails a day asking all sorts of things about the bees, and he never fails to answer. He must think I am a right fruit loop, a bee obsessed nut lol

 

[Silly Bee]

Not many days I don't have a sit and watch them coming and going. I gave up smoking, doubt if I could give up bees,

 

[Vergilius]

That's what my mentor said. Feeding is just part of my learning he said, but they would be fine without it. These have to be the most fussed over bees in the history of bee keeping.

Kaz,

There is a difference between winter feed of fondant and autumn feed of sugar syrup. Just for the record colonies do normally need an autumn feed of sugar syrup (but not always a winter feed). However I am presuming that this year, as your colony is young and new, you did not remove any supers to harvest the honey. It also seems like your colony has built up quite well in the early autumn to fill a super full of stores. For these reasons an autmn feed may not have been necessary for you this year. However, for next year, it is advisable to give the bees a feed of sugar syrup in September. I find that mine normally take down about 10 kgs of sugar.

Just a few Qs; have you removed the QE from your hive? Are you intending to keep your hive as 1 1/2 brood?

Ben P

 

[Dishmop]

He must think I am a right fruit loop, a bee obsessed nut lol

probably no more than he is...