Garden set-up

[Paulypaul]

Moved out of a 2-bed flat in inner London last year, to sunny Surrey.
Number#1 item on house requirements list was a large garden. I have just finished a 6-month course with the local Beekeeping association.
In May, using homemade bait boxes, I caught a small swarm in the garden, and received a second larger caught swarm in late May, from my local beekeeping association.

Larger swarm is on National brood-and-a-half, and one almost full super.
Smaller swarm is on a single brood box, and has drawn 9 of the 12 brood box frames. I should have kept them in a nuc, but lacked the equipment.

My goal is to get these colonies through the winter.

Then, looking to do splits in Spring, building up to 5 main colonies, then perhaps do a bit of queen rearing on a very small-scale, and selling of nucs. With the aim of covering equipment costs.

 

[drex]

Brilliant. I like your enthusiasm. With your splits and queen rearing plans, just be careful to not weaken parent colonies too much. I hope the bees go along with your plans, mine often don't

 

[enrico]

Don't spend money until you have had two years experience with full sized hives and how much effort goes into controlling swarming.

 

[user 20297]

Don't spend money until you have had two years experience with full sized hives and how much effort goes into controlling swarming.

Unfortunately, you'll have to spend a lot of money to get the experience of "how much effort goes into controlling swarming."

 

[ericbeaumont]

National brood-and-a-half, and one almost full super.
Smaller swarm is on a single brood box

Balance the colonies by giving a frame of emerging brood from the strong to the weak. Repeat after a couple of weeks.

Brood & a half will limit frame management options (as above) and will be inadequate for a strong expanding colony next spring, so aim to run them on double brood next year and get off brood & a half asap.

Make sure the queen is in the BB, put on a QX and then the brood super. Bees will fill the super with nectar as brood emerges.

Where are you in Surrey? Out near Guildford there was a strong rural flow until last week, but it looks like it's on the way out.

6-month course sounds solid, but how much of it was practical? Your lack of experience may preclude the production & sale of good nucs (don't run before you can walk) but if you get both colonies through winter and don't lose swarms early next year, honey sold will help you recoup early investment.

 

[Paulypaul]

Balance the colonies by giving a frame of emerging brood from the strong to the weak. Repeat after a couple of weeks.

Brood & a half will limit frame management options (as above) and will be inadequate for a strong expanding colony next spring, so aim to run them on double brood next year and get off brood & a half asap.

Make sure the queen is in the BB, put on a QX and then the brood super. Bees will fill the super with nectar as brood emerges.

Where are you in Surrey? Out near Guildford there was a strong rural flow until last week, but it looks like it's on the way out.

6-month course sounds solid, but how much of it was practical? Your lack of experience may preclude the production & sale of good nucs (don't run before you can walk) but if you get both colonies through winter and don't lose swarms early next year, honey sold will help you recoup early investment.

Colony balance
Have already moved a frame of brood from the strong to the weak colony. The effect it had on the weak colony was quite amazing. They've received a huge boost in numbers and wax drawing ability. The smaller colony now has 8 frames of brood. The queen just needed drawn frames to lay in, which is now happening.

Brood and a half
Was recommended brood and a half by an old beekeeper here, as better for overwintering - in his experience. But, he didn't know my future plans.
Last saturday's inspection: I noticed the larger colony was reducing egg laying and starting to backfill the brood super with stores, which they have gathered huge amounts of.
I'm also waiting for them to cap their honey super. If I play my cards right, they may convert their brood super into a honey super, which would be a great result for my first season.
I guess if I don't extract more brood from this colony, there's a chance they could draw out a 2nd brood box if I also feed them syrup. But first, I'll need to wait until they are done with the 2 supers.

I may end up adding a 2nd brood box to the smaller colony first. They can have access to syrup now, as they don't have supers.

The Addlestone flow
The flow has been on and off around here for the past week. Seems to be back on again for the moment.

6 month training course
50% practical at a training apiary. Dealt with everything from queen marking, requeening, to bee paralysis and splitting. I've also participated in a nosema clinic and a shook swarm. Run by Weybridge BKA.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Smaller swarm is on a single brood box, and has drawn 9 of the 12 brood box frames

Put one foundation frame into the middle of the nest. Check after a week and repeat until all are drawn.

recommended brood and a half by an old beekeeper

Familiar story of timid beekeeping. Flexible response to spring expansion may mean 3 BBs, let alone two, so that half is of no use, esp. if you wish to produce nucs.

a chance they could draw out a 2nd brood box

2nd brood box to the smaller colony

As you've seen, colonies are contracting, and will over-winter far better on one packed BB than two filled so-so. Save the second BB for spring.

Run by Weybridge BKA.

Sounds very good.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Was recommended brood and a half by an old beekeeper

Dinosaurs usually are old.
Brood and a half is neither fish nor foul either go for DB or learn to manage a single, the excuse of 'my bees aren't prolific enough for a double but they need the half' is just a feeble excuse for either poor bees or poor beekeeping.

 

[Zaak OConan]

Don't spend money until you have had two years experience with full sized hives and how much effort goes into controlling swarming.

The amount of protein in the hive has a direct effect on that.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The amount of protein in the hive has a direct effect on that.

How?

 

[enrico]

How?

I didn't like to ask

 

[Sutty]

The amount of protein in the hive has a direct effect on that.

We'd love more details.
The previous replies show curiosity & possibly scepticism, but I for one would like to hear more.
It's not impossible that pollen stores are an influence as they will help the mother colony expand rapidly once the new queen starts laying

 

[Erichalfbee]

possibly scepticism,

Not from me. I’m curious. Zaak has said he has studied bees for many years so he must have some useful info.