I have a new laying queen yay!!!

[8ace]

Further to my last post I had a look in the parent hive .....brood eggs and sealed brood starting third frame in from front of entrance. So she's been laying for over a week at least. Presuming she starts at centre of hive she's been laying for a while longer even? Frame was pretty much full of mainly sealed worker and open larve so I was happy and felt no need to disturb them any more at this stage. There is a super above(brood and half) did not check this.....would I be able to pinch a few frames of honey from this if there is no brood? Would be nice to have a little honey this year I could feed them later on towards end of season if needed?

Mother nature has worked her thing

 

[snelgrove]

You can take a couple of frames from the half box if you need honey but make sure the colony has plenty of stores otherwise feed a gallon of thick syrup.

 

[8ace]

You can take a couple of frames from the half box if you need honey but make sure the colony has plenty of stores otherwise feed a gallon of thick syrup.

I was thinking more toward the end august checking stores taking a bit if they have a fair amount then feeding their winter stores feed or whatever time that should be done?

 

[snelgrove]

personally I believe that what's in there brood area is there's but with brood and a half you do get quite a bit of honey in the half box, no harm taking a couple of combs extracting and putting them back as long you ain't leaving them short. feeding is best done second week of September, thick syrup in a rapid feeder such as miller or Ashford.

 

[8ace]

personally I believe that what's in there brood area is there's but with brood and a half you do get quite a bit of honey in the half box, no harm taking a couple of combs extracting and putting them back as long you ain't leaving them short. feeding is best done second week of September, thick syrup in a rapid feeder such as miller or Ashford.

I have a thornes rapid feeder works great too used it with the swarmed hive. September it is then. I'll do it all in one go then, is that the time to use apiguard just after that? Do I need to put anything in the feed? Remember reading something about tymol?

 

[Jeff M]

New to beekeeping this year, but some practice's just seem plain crazy to me. Take away honey that will be best for them through the winter and feed them syrup that can't be as beneficial as honey!

 

[snelgrove]

New to beekeeping this year, but some practice's just seem plain crazy to me. Take away honey that will be best for them through the winter and feed them syrup that can't be as beneficial as honey!

not necessarily, some honey is prone to granulation such as ivy , rape, even heather honey, granulated stores throughout the winter is detrimental and a quantity of syrup is good through the confined winter months.

 

[8ace]

not necessarily, some honey is prone to granulation such as ivy , rape, even heather honey, granulated stores throughout the winter is detrimental and a quantity of syrup is good through the confined winter months.

I read somewhere that it's easier for them to digest overwinter than some honey too. Makes it easier for them to go to the toilet or something... Less likely to block them up?

 

[Jeff M]

I guess its amazing that wild colonies survive then.

 

[mbc]

I guess its amazing that wild colonies survive then.

Proportionally far fewer than managed colonies