Hello from Somerset

[Hiveminder]

Hello everyone. Very new to all this. Acquired my first colony just over a couple of weeks ago, just in time to close it down for winter Looking forward to next year...

 

[theeggman]

from a fellow Westcountry beek.

Enjoy your bees and the forum.

Tim.

 

[MuswellMetro]

from a fellow Westcountry beek.

Enjoy your bees and the forum.

Tim.

welcome to the forum

hope you enjoy it as much as I do, and dont forget just ask any question on bees, thats why the forum was set up, even if you think the question is a stupid one ,it will not be because others will be thinking the same

 

[Luminos]

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Hi Hiveminder!


Welcome!


You'll have all winter to read up how to do it well

and to browse the Forum to learn how to do it better/worse/differently.

Dusty

 

[pargyle]

Welcome .. you'll find this place an absolute mine of information and a hive of activity ..enjoy !

 

[itma]

Hello everyone. Very new to all this. Acquired my first colony just over a couple of weeks ago, just in time to close it down for winter Looking forward to next year...

???


Even in the frozen wastes of Somerset, its a bit early to be closing up.
Have you got enough weight of stores in there?


/ Its a pet peeve of mine that beginners are instructed to ignore their bees through the winter. Actually one CAN do better than that. Especially with a see-through coverboard. And insulation. Oh, and then there's varroa treatment - which one have you used?
Then there's mouseguarding, and woodpecker-proofing ... plenty still to be doing.

 

[Hiveminder]

Thanks for all the welcome messages! Good points, itma. I'm not shutting up shop quite yet, though I'm using Apiguard for Varroa.

BTW If anyone wants a laugh at my expense, I'm blogging about my beekeeping experiences here.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Had a look at your blog.
Are those five frames of bees in a full box?
Are the adjacent frames drawn or foundation?
It appears that those empty frames are far too much a space for your small colony to heat.
I would leave just one empty frame each side and dummy down the box with some decent insulation...eg EPS... not forgetting to put 50mm of the same over the crown board.
Oh..........and welcome

 

[REDWOOD]

???


Even in the frozen wastes of Somerset, its a bit early to be closing up.
Have you got enough weight of stores in there?


/ Its a pet peeve of mine that beginners are instructed to ignore their bees through the winter. Actually one CAN do better than that. Especially with a see-through coverboard. And insulation. Oh, and then there's varroa treatment - which one have you used?
Then there's mouseguarding, and woodpecker-proofing ... plenty still to be doing.

Bless you think of everyone

 

[Hiveminder]

Had a look at your blog.
Are those five frames of bees in a full box?
Are the adjacent frames drawn or foundation?
It appears that those empty frames are far too much a space for your small colony to heat.
I would leave just one empty frame each side and dummy down the box with some decent insulation...eg EPS... not forgetting to put 50mm of the same over the crown board.
Oh..........and welcome

Interesting point, ericA. Basically, my hive is exactly as it was when I picked it up from the chap who supplied my nuc. This was just over two weeks ago - somewhat later than planned because of the problems with the first queen. So maybe the colony isn't as big as it should be at this point.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just trying to be helpful.
If there is brood on just two or three frames I might even put them into a poly nuc box for the winter.

 

[gardening-girl]

Hi another new beek in Somerset.
Where abouts are you? I`m in Ilminster.

 

[Edward.21]

hello from yet another sunny somerseter!!

 

[keir01]

what is EPS. you say to use this as insulation, thanks

 

[itma]

what is EPS. you say to use this as insulation, thanks

Actually, you'd be better using building insulation board (brand names include Celotex, Kingspan, Recticel, Xtratherm ...) which is generally a polyurethane foam with aluminium foil skin, rather than Expanded PolyStyrene (the stuff used for hives is way better than the stuff used for packaging).
Wickes sell small (1200x450) sheets of 50mm thick Celotex for about £6.
However, any insulation is generally better than none. A bin bag full of Polystyrene chippings will do a lot of good. Its just that you could do even better!


/// and keir01 !

 

[keir01]

Many thanks for the info and the welcome much appreciated