First Inspection

[E&MBees]

Fifteen degrees and glorious, warm sunshine today, Dandelions everywhere.

Send some this way please?! Damp and chilly most of the day. Hardly seen any dandelions out as yet

 

[The Poot]

Send some this way please?! Damp and chilly most of the day. Hardly seen any dandelions out as yet

Same here unfortunately.

 

[Moobee]

Spring crops I find will depend on how warm or sunny it is , when the sun is out the bees do go bonkers. Last spring here was exceptional.
This year so far not only has it hardly stopped raining also the wind never seems to drop and that certainly knocks the edge off temps.

It was also reported today that the south of England had the wettest February since records began. Although I’m not sure we needed a report to tell us that!

 

[JamezF]

It was also reported today that the south of England had the wettest February since records began. Although I’m not sure we needed a report to tell us that!

And on one of the few dry days that we've had, a large water main (big enough to walk down when it isn't full of water, apparently) has burst just outside the local town. The pressure is so great at that point I'm told that spray carried by the wind is running down the (insides of the) chimneys of nearby houses.

James

 

[Antipodes]

It was also reported today that the south of England had the wettest February since records began. Although I’m not sure we needed a report to tell us that!

That's amazing.
I've never known it so dry as it is here now. I don't think the ground around here has been damp since September!

 

[fian]

Yesterday a second partial review, and thank goodness with a week without any rain I began to have the breeding chamber blocked with honey and pollen, I removed frames by comb without stretching and half raising to give space. The retired frames with some breeding provided for new nuclei.
The reason for the advance is that rain and cold are expected next week.

 

[Moobee]

That's amazing.
I've never known it so dry as it is here now. I don't think the ground around here has been damp since September!

Not sure I would describe it as amazing! I’ve lost count how many times our garden has been underwater and everything is so sodden, I haven’t been able to do any spring prep in the garden until last week

 

[JamezF]

I haven’t been able to do any spring prep in the garden until last week

I'm so behind with stuff at the moment. It's going to be a lot of work to catch up.

James

 

[E&MBees]

I'm so behind with stuff at the moment. It's going to be a lot of work to catch up.

James

I’m equally way behind schedule. Not sure if I’ll ever catch up tbh. Running therapeutic gardening sessions through this winter for vulnerable adults and children has been incredibly challenging. A bit of dry weather would be very welcome. We’ve had bright sunshine with a cold wind, torrential rain, a bit of thunder and hailstones so far today.

 

[JamezF]

I’m equally way behind schedule. Not sure if I’ll ever catch up tbh. Running therapeutic gardening sessions through this winter for vulnerable adults and children has been incredibly challenging. A bit of dry weather would be very welcome. We’ve had bright sunshine with a cold wind, torrential rain, a bit of thunder and hailstones so far today.

We've not had thunder that I noticed, but otherwise it's been much the same here and seems to change every ten minutes.

James

 

[madasafish]

It hailed this morning and was 5C.
Thankfully tomorrow's high is forecast to be a balmy 8C. No hail: just more rain..
I managed to top up one nuc yesterday with fondant..

Err .. that's it,,

 

[Vanterrier]

Remember, the earlier you fall behind, the longer you have to catch up

K

 

[JamezF]

Remember, the earlier you fall behind, the longer you have to catch up

K

Just once it might be nice to get to the end of April and feel like everything is under control though. If only for the novelty.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just once it might be nice to get to the end of April and feel like everything is under control though. If only for the novelty.

James

In year 2 I felt I had nailed it.
Every year since then I’ve been further away from that concept.

 

[StephenT]

What did you decide, Nwb?

By way of an update, yesterday I had to upgrade two contract nucs asap in a windless 17C. They were hanging off the front of the nucbox, one had half a frame of open drone brood and filled the BB; in a fortnight it's likely to be on DBB, with the brood split vertically.

After that I went round the corner to the farm apiary and supered the DBBs before they rammed the top box with nectar: dandelion, cherry, plum, & blackthorn is out, and willow beginning to flower, so in this part of Essex it's booming. Swapped the BBs round to get them working.

View attachment 39296
View attachment 39297

Hi Eric. Don’t think my hives are as advanced as yours but interested to know the conditions at which you reverse brood boxes and what the expected results are. Got 3 double brood I haven’t been into yet as never seems warm enough for a full inspection. Thanks!

 

[ericbeaumont]

conditions at which you reverse brood boxes and what the expected results are

Hi, Stephen.

Swap when you recognise three factors: a colony expanding rapidly, weather that is consistently in double figures, and regular forage.

Expansion will provide nurse & wax bees to fill the void created by the swap; good weather will enable flight, and fresh pollen & nectar will feed the engine of expansion.

Two of these three factors are enough: for example, if expansion produced plenty of young bees and recent flight brought in a lot of fresh pollen and nectar, but now the weather has changed for the worse, the boxes are swapped, because further delay will invite congestion.

I would expect the colony to work on the unused combs - they may be empty, contain old pollen, or a honey arch - and fill the space with brood. If a honey arch is seen in the top box combs before swapping, I would scratch or bruise the cappings to get them to move up the honey.

If the flow is strong or consistent I usually add a super of drawn comb, to deflect nectar up and away from the BBs.

 

[Eyeman]

Hi, Stephen.

Swap when you recognise three factors: a colony expanding rapidly, weather that is consistently in double figures, and regular forage.

Expansion will provide nurse & wax bees to fill the void created by the swap; good weather will enable flight, and fresh pollen & nectar will feed the engine of expansion.

Two of these three factors are enough: for example, if expansion produced plenty of young bees and recent flight brought in a lot of fresh pollen and nectar, but now the weather has changed for the worse, the boxes are swapped, because further delay will invite congestion.

I would expect the colony to work on the unused combs - they may be empty, contain old pollen, or a honey arch - and fill the space with brood. If a honey arch is seen in the top box combs before swapping, I would scratch or bruise the cappings to get them to move up the honey.

If the flow is strong or consistent I usually add a super of drawn comb, to deflect nectar up and away from the BBs.

View attachment 39342

With double brood I prefer a more gentle approach to brood nest organisation at this time of year. My ideal configuration going forward with a strong expanding colony is brood just below the QE with an empty super above. Avoid that honey band developing in the top brood box by swapping some combs but not both boxes. Remove stores & provide drawn comb & foundation ahead of when it’s needed.

 

[StephenT]

Hi, Stephen.

Swap when you recognise three factors: a colony expanding rapidly, weather that is consistently in double figures, and regular forage.

Expansion will provide nurse & wax bees to fill the void created by the swap; good weather will enable flight, and fresh pollen & nectar will feed the engine of expansion.

Two of these three factors are enough: for example, if expansion produced plenty of young bees and recent flight brought in a lot of fresh pollen and nectar, but now the weather has changed for the worse, the boxes are swapped, because further delay will invite congestion.

I would expect the colony to work on the unused combs - they may be empty, contain old pollen, or a honey arch - and fill the space with brood. If a honey arch is seen in the top box combs before swapping, I would scratch or bruise the cappings to get them to move up the honey.

If the flow is strong or consistent I usually add a super of drawn comb, to deflect nectar up and away from the BBs.

View attachment 39342

Thanks Eric. The amount of unused comb is the same in both diagrams but is it the more central position of the unused comb and the way the brood nest is split in diagram 2 that encourages the bees to make maximum use of it?

 

[drex]

I split my double broods as above. It puts some brood right under the QE, and I find is good swarm prevention. Not had any queen cells for last couple of years. No intention of doing my first inspection yet. Will swap boxes later according to what I find, hopefully putting a super on at same time.

 

[ericbeaumont]

central position of the unused comb

Yes; bees will work to consolidate the nest and return it to an ovoid shape.

In my first naive summer (no training, no book, the beekeeper had died) I opened a solid colony in August, saw it was rammed with bees & honey and rang one of our senior members (aka a practical old boy). His answer, give them something to do! has always stayed in mind.