First colony arriving imminently

[ShinySideUp]

My first colony of bees arrives tomorrow evening but it's still going to be rather chilly, do you think they might need a quick feed of syrup until they are established and/or the weather warms a little or will they come with enough supplies for a few days?

 

[Brigsy]

Exciting times! I think more detail is required. Nuc or full colony? Have you seen how much stores are on the frames already?

 

[drex]

Why not ask the person you are buying from. A nucs from a reputable person should have enough stores already. If a nucs and you intend putting in a hive, add a frame of foundation either side at a time, dummy down the vacant space, and a feed would help them draw out foundation. However there should be plenty of forage about now and it should be warm enough in Cornwall for them to fly.

 

[For want of a better word]

My first colony of bees arrives tomorrow evening but it's still going to be rather chilly, do you think they might need a quick feed of syrup until they are established and/or the weather warms a little or will they come with enough supplies for a few days?

http://scientificbeekeeping.com/first-year-care-for-your-nuc/:hairpull:

A feed with 1:1 with a dash of Hivemakers Thymol sugar additive may be adventageous?

All of our bees are just bursting out of the overwintered nucs and are going into full Nationals ( and Rose) hives this week.... check that the nucs are not crammed with solid ivy honey which would not be a good food source for a nuc??? ( comments please)
Near to you....Colonies ( Native Cornish Amm) just North of St Ive ( Church End) were bringing in OSR like no tomorrow yesterday.... more fields just coming into flower!.....

Yeghes da

 

[Poly Hive]

As above and may I suggest you invest in a frame feeder not a top feeder so you are not tempted to have a crown board with holes in it.

If sadly you already have one of those contraptions, that is a CB with holes, get some dense insulation board and cut a 460 x 460 piece and put it on top of the CB. They need all the warmth they can generate and further they need to keep it in. This is where you can help.


If of course it is happily a poly hive then ignore para 2.

PH

 

[ShinySideUp]

It's a 6-frame nuc, 14 x 12 that they are coming on. The person I'm buying from is bringing them along personally so I can also ask him but I was just asking in advance so that I can have syrup made up ready. I suspect they will have enough stores and as the weather is due to warm up (according to this lunchtime's forcast) in the next day or two I'm probably being overly concerned, a bit like a prospective new parent I suppose.

PS Ican, I'm in the middle of Pensilva and probably too far from OSR (nothing like that grows up here) although they may well have OSR stores as I think they are coming from Saltash (or perhaps Liskeard, I'm not sure). Sorry I missed Monday at Harrowbarrow, was otherwise engaged; keep me in touch with their meetings though.

 

[For want of a better word]

Get them into a hive as soon as possible... my latin bees are building very rapidly!

Once them girls get a sniff of OSR they are onto it and seem to think it is worth the 3 mile trip for!!! ( well 6 there and back!!)... how high do they fly to get an aerial view of the country side????.... up on Kit hill this morning and there are patches of yellow everywhere!
( and not gorse !)

Enjoy your bees!

Yeghes da