First spring inspection 2015

[BrianO]

Also would add, even with a decent temp would not have open to long to be on ultra safe side.

Additional "Also" ..... was a reasnoble question !!

 

[gregior]

Weather for next week looks fantastic! Temps on the rise day by day up to the low 20.s by next weekend.

Planning on doing my 1st inspection next Friday.

 

[BeeJayBee]

... the books its saying feed in march and a quick look. ...

... Ive been flat out reading in books and on net and all im getting is conflicting bullsh1t everywhere i look ....

Try reading only one book, or one source of information. You won't go too wrong with the NBU booklet, which is on this page http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=167

The only thing that doesn't apply this year is, "You must not wait until April", because it's already April and you are not the only one who has not carried out the first inspection for 2015 because it has been too cold, or too wet, or too windy.

If you think you may only have time to inspect one colony choose either the one that seems most busy or the one that's least active. The busiest could already be preparing to swarm, or could be critically short of food. The least busy could be diseased, on the brink of starvation or - well, you'd find out when you look.

 

[Erichalfbee]

limiting my interference to hefting and checking fondant levels - plenty to do at the moment preparing all the kit for when the fun starts - now if it was blazing sunshirne and constant high temperatures with plenty of pollen going in I might have felt different - and gone in in a couple of weeks

Absolutely agree here. I have had all monitoring boards in for the last there days. 1 colony is dropping a few mites. ALL have lines of uncapping wax across most of the board. No NEED to look in. I'll leave it till later......even if the sun shines and it's 15˚ tomorrow.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No NEED to look in. I'll leave it till later......even if the sun shines and it's 15˚ tomorrow.

I will be setting up cell raisers tomorrow, ready for the first grafts on the 13/14th of April.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Exciting...I'd love to watch you do that.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Exciting...I'd love to watch you do that.

Video would be nice

 

[Swinton apiaries]

Video would be nice

 

[Hivemaker.]

Exciting...I'd love to watch you do that.

And you would be welcome any time... only did two today though, fog did not lift until nearly lunch time, then warm, with wall to wall sunshine, also needed to check on 80 mini nucs for stores.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I must plan a trip down your way in the new camper