How to manage a Hive in a Oil Seed Rape Field

[Luka22]

Hi everybody,

We have moved a few Hives onto a Rapeseed Field last weekend. The Hives are all rather weak and the stores in the Brood Box low. We hope that the Bees will grow quicker on the field and hopefully we will also harvest some Honey. Last year we did not realise that we had Rape Seed in the Supers, but were lucky that we extracted in time before it set in the Super Frames. We left it in the Buckets and after 3 days it was rock hard. Now the Questions:

1. I suppose they will fill up the Brood Box and not just the Supers, but what will happen when the Rape Seed crystallizes in the Brood Box? We would normally only extract from the Super or should we extract from the Brood as well as long there is no Brood in the Frame?
   
   
2. The Hives got 1 maximum 2 Supers on. We were told that the Blossom will last for up to 4 weeks. So how do you manage this, if a Super is full, do you just add another Super and harvest all the Boxes at the end of the 4 weeks or do you leave them on even longer after the Blossom has gone so that they got time to reduce the water content or do you take off the Super as soon it is full or only take it off if Refractometer shows <18% Water (could be during the flow or after, I suppose) ?
   
   
3. If we add another Super and if the advice is to leave the full one on, should we just add the next Super on top or below the full one?

I would guess that Question 2 is most crucial for us, because we don't want to end up with crystallized Oil Seed Rape Honey in a Super and just don't know how that gets best organised. Hope somebody got some advice since this is our first year in a Rape Seed Field. Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[For want of a better word]

Eggs laid today will not be out foraging til Mayday............... a weak colony possibly would not have enough foragers to produce a good crop?

I have been moving my less strong colonies away from OSR, only allowing the strongest ( Italian) bee colonies anywhere near the stuff!
Checked one colony this AM to find brood frames full of pollen... but not a lot of nectar stored.... added qe + supers ... just in case.


Yeghes da


(Hope this is not too much of a Trollish reply)

 

[user 6228]

Hi everybody,

... only take it off if Refractometer shows <18% Water (could be during the flow or after, I suppose) ?
...

Elaine does the above, using the shake criteria as the field test.
in insulated boxes it can be very rapid to ripen and relatively slow to cap.

seen less than 16% water content and still not capped.

 

[dexter's shed]

mine are not near any rape, but I asked the same question at last months meeting and was told not to wait till capped, simply remove frames and do the shake test, if none comes out, extract it

 

[Cazza]

You really need strong colonies to take advantage of the OSR. There's not much point having weak colonies with supers on until they are ready for them.
How weak is weak?
if they do fill the supers then you need to take them off asap when the water content is low enough but before they set. This is usually before they are capped. Shake test is OK for this. Don't delay.
Cazza

 

[Luka22]

mine are not near any rape, but I asked the same question at last months meeting and was told not to wait till capped, simply remove frames and do the shake test, if none comes out, extract it

It would just interest me what experience others made with that. I have heard before that a super could be filled as quick as 1 a week, even if I won't expect this to happen, but how quick would it be ready normally? A week later after it was filled or quicker? And what shall we do with the next super? On top or below the full Super?

 

[oliver90owner]

Eggs laid today will not be out foraging til Mayday.......

Wrong end of the month!

The colony may well still be building up, rather than storing a good excess, during that time.

 

[Luka22]

I am fully aware that I won't have the same results with a weaker colony as I would have with a strong colony, but at the same time it should give the bees a boost since this will be a nice flow. Enough food right in front of their door, so why should I not use this opportunity?

But, I am also convinced that there will be some additional Honey at the end and that I see as a Bonus. Anyway, I would say Question 2 got kind of answered, 1 and 3 is still open. Maybe somebody got an answer for that without going back to the topic of a weak colony?

 

[Jeff Buzz]

I suppose they will fill up the Brood Box and not just the Supers, but what will happen when the Rape Seed crystallizes in the Brood Box? We would normally only extract from the Super or should we extract from the Brood as well as long there is no Brood in the Frame?

Why not its still honey? I have even taken just one side of honey off.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

If we add another Super and if the advice is to leave the full one on, should we just add the next Super on top or below the full one?

If you have enough bees, the weather is right and there is a full flow on it will not matter were you leave it they will fill it. but I would put the empty on top.

 

[For want of a better word]

I suppose they will fill up the Brood Box and not just the Supers, but what will happen when the Rape Seed crystallizes in the Brood Box? We would normally only extract from the Super or should we extract from the Brood as well as long there is no Brood in the Frame?

Why not its still honey? I have even taken just one side of honey off.

Some will squeeze every drop of honey from their bees it seems...
can not say that I, personally would want rape honey... tastes like Mazola!


Yeghes da

 

[Jeff Buzz]

I do it to give the bees room and stop it setting in the frames not that bothered about squeezing every drop of honey from my hives.

 

[Luka22]

...and stop it setting in the frames

that was exactly our fear and that is why we ask what others do... Thanks for all your advices.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Some will squeeze every drop of honey from their bees it seems...
can not say that I, personally would want rape honey... tastes like Mazola!


Yeghes da

I have regulars that turn down, running honey for OSR set honey every year, because they tell me it helps them with their hay fever, locally.

I also use it to draw out foundation in supers and brood boxes, you can never have too much drawn comb.

 

[Luka22]

I have regulars that turn down, running honey for OSR set honey every year, because they tell me it helps them with their hay fever, locally.

I also use it to draw out foundation in supers and brood boxes, you can never have too much drawn comb.

That is what I was advised too, if you need drawn comb, move them onto OSR, so that is what we have done. Most Frames are drawn, but mainly because they are not the strongest Hives, but anyway, it should give them a boost. Additionally, I do agree, some people really like OSR Honey, so I am pleased when I have got some jars for them.

 

[einsteinagogo]

That is what I was advised too, if you need drawn comb, move them onto OSR, so that is what we have done. Most Frames are drawn, but mainly because they are not the strongest Hives, but anyway, it should give them a boost. Additionally, I do agree, some people really like OSR Honey, so I am pleased when I have got some jars for them.

we alternate the super/brood box with drawn, foundation, drawn over the brood area, where the heat is!

 

[Stiffy]

Some of mine are on OSR and filling 2 supers a week at present. I remove and replace on each inspection as it will solidify if left to be capped fully.
I purposely put a weak hive on same site and they are growing pretty quickly now, just needed a boost of forage
S


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[thorn]

I am fully aware that I won't have the same results with a weaker colony as I would have with a strong colony, but at the same time it should give the bees a boost since this will be a nice flow. Enough food right in front of their door, so why should I not use this opportunity?

I'll be hiving up a couple of nucs this weekend, and had been planning to take them to a friend's place near to a field of OSR for this very reason, and not so much for the honey. Are those who say don't do this with a small colony simply advising that they won't bring in enough to make it worthwhile, or are there other reasons for not doing so?

 

[Ely]

Some will squeeze every drop of honey from their bees it seems...
can not say that I, personally would want rape honey... tastes like Mazola!


Yeghes da

While selling last seasons honey at the farmers market this year, it was surprising the amount of customers that asked 'It isn't OSR is it?'. Luckily mine is mixed blossom. Although last year, the spring honey was a large percentage of dandelion.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

We give people the option of tasting our honey at farmers markets and lots of folk love creamed honey and ask for it above others. Not my favorite but people have different tastes.