hive not inspected for 2years. what to expect?

[psafloyd]

Thanks for your legal concerns but if you dont read my statements then just dont answer.

The guy is dead and his wife gives it to me.... Are you legally satisfied now and ready to answer questions concerning the bees? after all i thought its a beekeeping forum not a legal advisory here

Don't be such a smartarse. These people are trying to avoid you getting into trouble with the owner, landowner, the authorities or fellow beekeepers in the area.

Anyway, I wouldn't want to take it apart in this weather. I'd wait until warmer and if you think they might be light of stores, put some fondant on. There is a sticky with very good and easy recipes on the forum.

Then I'd have a box ready to transfer them if necessary or you could put a new brood with foundation above in spring and let them move up.

 

[priono]

worst and best new hive designs?

oops. shud have been a new thread

 

[user 6228]

You have fed them the best you can, now fill the feeder/feed eke with some insulating material and then secure till spring. if left for 2 years, another 2 months is nothing. This was a good summer for bees
Dont disturb them until you have a good warm day that you can take your time sorting them out. And Good luck to you and your New to you bees

 

[yeogi75]

check out youtube
gardenchickens4u
this was a hive left for 5 years, wow would not like to attempt that again, everything caked up, but it had most of the frames removed and then left,
we ended up removing all frames and fitting them into frames with wire and a lot of stings good luck

 

[thurrock bees]

''Best keep them fed and wait till the spring arrives.''

I agree with CB, leave alone until spring, I would not bother with OX treatment and if you worried about varroa then dust with icing sugar in the spring.
As to replacing the queen.. wait and see if the late beekeeper is well experienced they most likely be good bees/queen and could becoming breeding stock?!

TB

 

[REDWOOD]

I thought about giving them fondant instead 1:1 but the hive is just a BS brood box with crownboard and eke in which a round liquid feeder is placed over the CB hole. if i would give them fondant i would need to remove the crownboard and place the fondant on the bars. that is what i tried to avoid as it was rather cold and rainy already when i took of the roof to refill the feeder.

I thought if they did it last winter they will do it this year too and the 1:1 mix would perhaps help them. why is 1:1 so bad? cos too much moisture to evaporate which chills the bees or because freezing or both?

2:1 syrup is what we feed in the autumn as bees have less water to evaporate so they can store it for the winter months, fondant has about the same water content as honey and bees can consume straight away with a little dilution hence emergency feed, 1:1 feed can be consumed straight away but usually fed in the spring which stimulates bees and if fed too early can have a disasters affect . you done the right thing feeding if they didn't need it they wouldn't have taken it. Fondant can be given by filling a disposable takeaway food container and inverting it over the feed hole in the crown board. Dont bother opening the hive and going through it as this can kill your bees but you could do a varroa count just in case they do need treating, having varroa is not going to kill your bees but a high number will

 

[richardbees]

Prioni, haven't read all the posts but suggest you take the round feeder off and put a 1kg block of fondant over the feed hole.

I'm in Balham and will be pleased to visit if you're anywhere close.....if so, please PM

richard

 

[domino]

When you do open them I do hope you take some pictures I'd be interested to see what a hive looks like after being left alone for two years.

 

[priono]

Hi richard. i am in islington. yes come over and do some fondant and have a selfmade pint together

 

[MuswellMetro]

I'll catch the 43 from Muswel Hill and join you haha ,

if you ask super markets niclely they will give you broken bags of Sugar they cannot sell as unfit for consumption due to hygiene regsc,

nowt wrong in feeding damp sugar to the bees instead of Fondant , its worth a quick talk to the super market manager (especiallly if you are in Bees Suit, always works, plight of bees etc)

 

[MuswellMetro]

I'll catch the 43 from Muswel Hill and join you haha ,

if you ask super markets niclely they will give you broken bags of Sugar they cannot sell due unfit for consumption due to hygiene regsc,

nowt wrong in feeding damp bag sugar to the bees instead of Fondant , its worth a quick talk to the super market manager (especiallly if you are in Bees Suit, always works, plight of bees etc)

 

[priono]

muswell hill is even closer. i am in tufnell park but currently in sweden

 

[richardbees]

prioni, glad you've found some local expert advice if you need it

rich

 

[priono]

prioni, glad you've found some local expert advice if you need it

rich

you are both and all who want to are welcome to try my homwbrew cos i am thinkingof setting up a micro brewery and need some guinea pigs...

 

[Russel]

Another thing to keep an eye out for is wax moth.
Our association has recently been given two hives by a member that lives and works near London and occasionally checking his bees in s Wales.
1 top bar bursting with bees and stores moved to an isolation apiaryto over winter and SBI check in spring.
1 National , 2 BB's, dead and robbed out. Not sure when last properly inspected but caked up with wax moth cocoons and some live ones but surprisingly little damage to any of the wax. However frames, wax etc destroyed and hive scorched but may end up on the fire too.