Funny weather, do I need to look.

[AndyJThompson]

Hi Every one, I have not had any experience with spring build up, although keeping bees for 2 years lost first due to lack of winter experience. We had some balmy hot days here in south Lincs two weeks ago so moved bb and super boxs round so bb at bottom and check through breifly.
Collected swarm was on 4 frames of brood, plenty of pollen and stores and some room to lay, two bb frames I removed and replaced with foundation due to large amounts of mouldy stores no super box left on top due to the small collony so they have less space to keep warm.
My bought colony was really doing well on about 7 frames of brood with room to lay stores and pollen I left a super above them.

The bit that I am nervous about is due to bad weather they have not been looked at for more than 10 days and they have been so busy could they be getting crampped for room will they be preparing for swarming and waiting for a nice day. I have just got no experience to go on.
Maybe I am fretting for no reason.

Any advice welcome.

Andy


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[justme]

Hi, I know where you are coming from, weather up and down like whores draws. 2 of my colonies that are more likely to swarm I did manage to get a quick look and put another box on, 1 box I dummied to leave 5 only frames in the middle, now I'm thinking of panicking. But intead I 've put bait hives around the area. i'm lucky in that these bees are on a private veg garden and orchard. Plenty of trees to hang up in and someones in the garden and able to call me almost all the time the weathers reasonable or better.
Not sure that helps you though:.)

 

[Headnavigator]

Hope the originator doesn't mind me passing this on, but I found it very helpful, hope perhaps you do too.

http://pembsbeekeepers.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/wag_queen_cellseng.

You'll need to put the suffix 'PDF' on the end of the above address

 

[enrico]

A swarm is not the end of the world! Your bees will soon build up again this early in the year. I personally think that any swarming ideas your bees may have had will have gone with the sunshine! If it is cold again they are not bringing in stores and the queen will regulate her laying accordingly. I would've worry, and a I said if they do swarm then just be prepared with a bait hive, spare hive etc
Good luck
E

 

[AndyJThompson]

Thanks for the replies the PDF was very helpfull headnavigator. I will also put out a bait hive at both apiaries and wait for the next decent day to go through and check. Unless others have any differing veiws.

Andy

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[Baggyone]

Am only 20 miles away and I did full inspections on all 5 of my hives yesterday as the weather was pretty good. Last full inspections were week last thursday.

Biggest hive that was working on 8 brood frames has halved in laying. Other 4 have virtually stopped. Only very small patches of eggs.

Now that has to be down to environmental reasons and not due to queen failure.

I would beware of worrying too much.

Baggy