First hive advice

[cerbfan]

Hi,

I got my first hive c/w colony of bees on Saturday. Along with this I also got a 2nd hive and both have 2 Supers with them. I also have bought new frames and foundation to go with all of these so no drawn frames accept what is in the brood box with the colony.

The colony did not have lots of food stores however since I have moved them to my house which is surrounded by gorse in flower and lots of trees including some cherry blossom they have been coming back to hive non stop laden with pollen so think they will be OK for food at the moment.

Question is what am I best to do with them next when I go into the hive for the first time this weekend. The lady I got them from who had 100 hives always only kept her bees in a single national brood box but I see on here that a lot of people advocate using a double brood box, is this what I should be looking at doing before going to add a Super?

Other issue is that I'm going to work offshore in 2 weeks time probably for a 3 week period so the bees will be left to their own devices for that period so want to make sure that they have plenty of space and not going to want to swarm.

My ultimate aim this year is not really to get honey but get at least 2 strong colonies so that I have backup over my first winter although if I can get a super of honey all the better.

So should I swap out some frames of supplies for foundation, add the extra brood box underneath the current brood box or add a queen excluder and Super or a combination of this or something else entirely.

Last piece of info I'm up North near Peterhead so climate is not as warm as down South but garden is full of flowers including a very large pond absolutely surrounded with water mint for most of the year so should be plenty of nectar going around.

 

[MartinL]

Hi,

for a 3 week period so the bees will be left to their own devices .

Worth a load of hay or even a silver spoon springs to mind!

so want to make sure that they have plenty of space and not going to want to swarm.
.

Soon as your back's turned.

I think you have already foreseen the possibilities here.
Best bet (if there's nobody to look after them while you're away), would be to super up just before you go but to position the spare box as a bait hive, perhaps with some scent from the colony?

You could move the entire colony into the empty box & place the used box as the bait hive?

 

[Poly Hive]

Welcome to the forum cerbfan,

Having worked a 21/21 rota for many years whilst keeping bees there is tbh only one answer to the issue and that is a partner to work the hives whilst you are away. The other path is certain disaster.

I would suggest you join the Scottish Beekeepers group on Facebook and see if you can find a partner on there.

PH

 

[madasafish]

Yes add supers before you go.

As far as climate is concerned I was brought up near Macduff so was winter hardened. ## I would suggest you read at your leisure about insulating hives for winter (I assume yours are wooden). Insulation under the roof makes wintering easier..

## 10 foot drifts outside our backdoor in 1963.

 

[enrico]

It totally depends on how prolific your bees are as to whether they need a double brood or not. That will come with experience. However you can do no harm by adding an empty brood box below the existing one. What may happen is that they move down into it and fill the original one with stores. But that is not the end of the world and at least they will have room. Further to that I would add a queen excluder above and a super. You can never prevent your bees from swarming so I would leave an empty box with frames In somewhere near your existing one in the hope that if they swarm while you are away they MAY decide to use it! All risk assessment stuff really. Welcome to the forum
E

 

[cerbfan]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Interesting there are other North East Scotland and offshore people on here. I'm not on a regular rota this is a rare trip for me nowadays so should be not to much of an issue in future. Hopefully by the next one my Wife will be willing to get involved with them....

I'll have a look in this weekend and add a Super then next weekend before I go away maybe place the second brood box under them if they are looking short of space.

Do you think I'm best to swap out a couple of frames of stores with foundation just now as well so that they can start to draw that down. The frames with stores I could put in the 2nd brood box underneath if I need to add it so they are not just starting down there with 11 frames of foundation.

Good idea on the bait hive as well just in case I can set that up as well.

And I've got a few months to look into insulation, don't want to think of Winter again just yet, only just getting out of this one ;-)

 

[Murox]

Thanks for all the replies everyone. Interesting there are other North East Scotland and offshore people on here. I'm not on a regular rota this is a rare trip for me nowadays so should be not to much of an issue in future. Hopefully by the next one my Wife will be willing to get involved with them....
I'll have a look in this weekend and add a Super then next weekend before I go away maybe place the second brood box under them if they are looking short of space.
Do you think I'm best to swap out a couple of frames of stores with foundation just now as well so that they can start to draw that down. The frames with stores I could put in the 2nd brood box underneath if I need to add it so they are not just starting down there with 11 frames of foundation.
Good idea on the bait hive as well just in case I can set that up as well.
And I've got a few months to look into insulation, don't want to think of Winter again just yet, only just getting out of this one ;-)

Sound like a plan. Just remember that drawing wax will require the bees to utilise their stores/nectar - so you may well have a low honey yield this year.

 

[Madge]

...

The lady I got them from who had 100 hives always only kept her bees in a single national brood box but I see on here that a lot of people advocate using a double brood box, is this what I should be looking at doing before going to add a Super?

Other issue is that I'm going to work offshore in 2 weeks time probably for a 3 week period so the bees will be left to their own devices for that period so want to make sure that they have plenty of space and not going to want to swarm ...

...

I would suggest you join the Scottish Beekeepers group on Facebook and see if you can find a partner on there.

PH

Using a single broodbox is fine. When you know your bees better, you can try double brood with dummies on the outside as necessary.

Have you joined Aberdeen and District Beekeepers? If not, I'd say that's rather more important than joining a Facebook group - but heed PH's advice of seeking help.

 

[Poly Hive]

I was suggesting FB as a way of making a contact, though the A&D may well have one themselves, a FB group that is. He needs a partner for the short term at least.

PH

 

[Madge]

Yes, they have, PH. There's a link from the website's front page to the FB page.
Kitta

 

[Beefriendly]

but I see on here that a lot of people advocate using a double brood box, is this what I should be looking at doing before going to add a Super?.

Whether a queen can lay enough to be on double brood is a question only you can answer by seeing how many frames of brood she can lay. There are no hard and fast rules, but if say brood is only on 4/5 frames leave as is. If 8-9 frames wall to wall brood, not just little ovals in the middle then alsmost certainly she can cope with double brood.
It's a decision made by the bees not the beekeeper.
So count the frames of brood when you inspect, and keep an eye open for empty frames that she can lay in (i.e she has space to lay).

 

[Millet]

I will add that if your Queen is clipped you will lose her if the bees try to swarm but not the flying bees..it will give you a little extra time to go through the hive and knock all but one Queen cell down...that is if they do try to swarm while you are away.

 

[Poly Hive]

The problem with a three week period offshore is it may actually turn into a month if the weather gets awkward. I have seen it happen several times and been offshore myself for 24 or 25 days more times than I care to think of which is why I am suggesting the OP needs a partner for this period of time. It is very high risk to leave them untended for that length of time.

After 28 years in the North Sea, I knows the risks.

PH

 

[buchaness]

i live in Peterhead too, give me a pm if you like