IDIOTS' CORNER - Newbee, out and proud!

[always weeding]

I have asked a couple of questions on this forum and have got the answers that i have wanted.

I view the forum on a daily basis as a newcomer,the reason i joined the forum was to get help and advice from others.

It does suprise me though that some people think that some questions are "stupid" and the responses that they get are uncalled for.the whole idea of a forum is to discuss and get advice from more experienced members,after all the old hands are on here to discuss too are they not?

It is a shame that so many have posted on here to say that they have been belittled by others and i fear that this could lead to people not asking a question that they may need the answer to and also people leaving the forum.
I have been put off from asking certain questions due to some of the previous responses

 

[London-Scottish]

Hi all, all Comments/ advice warmly welcomed:

So I had acquired a Nuc, good five fame brood/ food mix. Now at 7 frame of brood 1frame store 2 undrawn... So I had read 7 frame min for placing super... So this I did. Now, my reasons for placing super on whilst brood not quite developed was that I believed they would take some time to draw out frames and whilst this was going on the brood would fill to capacity. No!. What has actually happened is that the supers are being drawn out beautifully now 5.5 frames with honey, not capped of course... But all within a week.

So really surprised and pleased there, question I have is they seem to have given up on wanting to drawing out the remaining 2 brood frames??

My thinking is that if they carry on as they have, I will let them fill the super, then hopefully they may head back down and tidy up the unfinished brood frames?

Housekeeping dilemma.... Advice warmly welcome.

 

[oliver90owner]

It is warmer above the brood nest.

Too soon, really, to add a super, but done.

Move the foundation closer to the brood nest, or next to the entrance, if warm way.

They may need brooding space, so those frames need to be drawn if that is the case.

I only count ten frames in your brood, or is the other(s) drawn and empty??

 

[aberreef]

Put the undrawn frame between the outer brood frame and the store frame.

I have read on here about putting an undrawn frame in the middle of the brood area but this can cause problems of its own so i wouldn't advise it

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Is it getting to be too late to start a new colony from a nucleus?

Or, better, what criteria need to be considered in starting a colony in late summer?

Dusty

 

[oliver90owner]

As the other posts recently.

Never too late to start; problem is whether you have time to finish!!

Bought-in queens will easily yield an overwintering colony.

One and two hive owners may find it more difficult than those with rather more, as time progresses towards the season end.

 

[drstitson]

"I have read on here about putting an undrawn frame in the middle of the brood area but this can cause problems of its own so i wouldn't advise it"

only likely to cause problems with weak colonies or too early in season. otherwise no probs.

OP - where are your undrawn frames? outer ones??

have you been adding 1-2 frames sequentially to the transferred nuc (using dummy board as necessary) or did you just dump the nuc frames in the box along with 6 undrawn???

as rab says - warmer above the nest.

 

[garlicpickle]

Newb question here - approximately how many frames of stores does a colony need to see it through the winter.

My 6 frame nuc had increased enough for me to put a super of foundation on last week. I haven't looked yet to see if they have drawn it and started to fill it but for the last week there are what (to my untrained eye) looks like many thousands of bees coming and going bringing in nectar so there must be a flow on somewhere round here and I wanted to give them somewhere to put it so the Q didn't run out of space to lay in the BB.

I was not envisioning being able to take any honey off this year because I didn't get the nuc until the beginning of july. I am happy to leave them as much as they need (all of it if necessary).

So IF they fill up that super, can I just leave it on for them? Will they be able to get upto it to access their stores when they cluster for winter - there's no QE in place. Or is a whole super more than they need, assuming they manage to fill most of it up?

Hope this doesn't sound heretical but my main reason for getting bees was for the interest of watching them and doing a little bit to help the environment. I don't like honey myself and I'm diabetic anyway so I can't eat it. Any surplus will be given to friends and family.

 

[oliver90owner]

So IF they fill up that super, can I just leave it on for them?

Some, probably most, overwinter on a single deep brood. I used to prefer a brood and a super. I now overwinter on less than a 14 x 12 (for seveal years up until this last winter!)

Bees don't usually run out of stores during the winter if well provisioned in the autumn - it is when they start brooding that they need a lot available.

It is always best to get the whole box filled before winter - less 'vain space' to heat and capped honey does not ferment. The box is put under the brood by some, but I always left it in the 'natural' place for stores wrt the brood nest.

A Q/E might be good at the present time if there is enough laying space in the brood (colonies will normally have passed the peak laying point for any 'normal' year) so that another super can be added if required and you can remove at least one capped super if required. I have no idea how this year is going to progress as it has so far been like no other in living memory.

didn't run out of space to lay in the BB.

You could remove capped stores from the brood box and use the frame(s) later. You could bruise the stores to encourage the bees to move it up to the super. There are other options, perhaps not so appropriate for a new beek with just the one colony.

There are lots of options and experienced beeks use any that are appropriate, to get to the desired end point (a thriving colony in the spring is the target).

I doubt there will be a large crop from a July nuc, but one can never tell. Drawn frames are always a useful item and if filled with honey (as opposed to sugar syrup) you are on a winner.

RAB

 

[garlicpickle]

Thanks RAB. I did put a QX on initially but when I checked there were about 20 bees in the super and no attempt had been made to draw comb. I realise this mean they didn't want the space just then, but last week was very hot and all of a sudden there was a population explosion of new foragers. So I took the QX off to encourage the house bees to at least draw some comb up there even if they don't fill it, in readiness for next year. I realise the Q might have gone up and started laying due to lack of a QX, but seeing as it's only a national hive with one BB I don't mind them having a brood and a half there if they feel they need the extra space. Any additional supers would have a QX in place and I will get them back down to a single BB at the end of the season.

I will check the stores in the BB later in the week and if it seems like a lot I could bruise some of the outer combs of stores to encourage them to move it up assuming they have drawn comb up there and started to fill it.

I made a newbie blunder when I first hived the nuc by giving them 5 empty frames of foundation instead of dummying some off but they seem to have coped with it. Last time I looked only the 2 outer frames were still undrawn and that was before the warm spell we just had.

They are being moved to an out apiary at the weekend as there are so many more flying bees than initially. I don't want future problems with the neighbours.

 

[garlicpickle]

I also have a question about ivy honey. There's quite a lot of mature ivy round here growing up old oak trees.
Does this need to be removed immediately in the same way as OSR honey?

 

[scuttlefish]

I also have a question about ivy honey. There's quite a lot of mature ivy round here growing up old oak trees.
Does this need to be removed immediately in the same way as OSR honey?

No, ivy honey is quite late in the season so they'll probably only be bringing it in after you've removed the supers - it's part of their own stores then so I wouldn't take it.

 

[garlicpickle]

ok thanks Adam, a member of the local association said it crystallises quickly and can set too hard in the comb for them to be able to use it.

 

[scuttlefish]

ok thanks Adam, a member of the local association said it crystallises quickly and can set too hard in the comb for them to be able to use it.

It's entirely possible, although in my own (limited, three-year) experience, my hives have brought in a lot of ivy honey for winter stores and had no problem using it.

 

[garlicpickle]

It's entirely possible, although in my own (limited, three-year) experience, my hives have brought in a lot of ivy honey for winter stores and had no problem using it.

Good to hear, I'll try to stop panicking about it haha

 

[Robbie & Jans Bees]

Don't panick GP just remember enjoy your bees and I love the grumpy's on this site we all like to be daft at times good luck with your beekeeping Mr Happy???????????????

 

[Erichalfbee]

I also have a question about ivy honey. There's quite a lot of mature ivy round here growing up old oak trees.
Does this need to be removed immediately in the same way as OSR honey?

Last year it was warm past Christmas and my colonies must have had much ivy honey (masses of ivy around here in Cumbria). There wasn't much left in the spring and the bees were thriving.

 

[Cazza]

ok thanks Adam, a member of the local association said it crystallises quickly and can set too hard in the comb for them to be able to use it.

Personally I think that's an old wives tale. yes it crystallises and sets hard but they can use it. I generally depend on the bees collecting ivy to get them through the Winter and artificially feed as little as possible. The most I have ever fed is 20lbs and that would be rare. Bees wouldn't collect something they can't use.
Cazza

 

[itma]

Personally I think that's an old wives tale. yes it crystallises and sets hard but they can use it. I generally depend on the bees collecting ivy to get them through the Winter ... Bees wouldn't collect something they can't use.

The bees are quite happy with it, and are very active in collecting it. I would have said that they collected it enthusiastically, but someone would have said that bees don't do enthusiasm!

I heard recently about a club apiary where they were said to put on specific supers for the ivy, and then discard the contents to prevent the bees having it!

 

[Poly Hive]

There is aye one to prove the rule.

PH