In The North East Who Still Has Supers On

[Millet]

Here it has become a tad chilly during the nights..(Northumberland) ..but day time the bees are still working but nowhere near the numbers i have seen in equally warm weather in previous month's..

 

[thorn]

Are all your supers capped?

 

[XYZ]

Hi Steve,

I've got one on but the bees really quickly filled half of it then slowed down the last couple weeks.
Weather has been poor. Looks to continue.

 

[maz0]

Local association told me they don't take supers off until September....on here I'm seeing all this talk of winter feeding already, slightly confused as to what on earth to do now

 

[Poly Hive]

maz)? You are where you are and I am where I am. You are North of me. Over some 20 years I had regular discussions with a BF who was north and west of me and we pretty much had very different weather. So IGNORE what the southerners are saying, and look to the Scots on here or even better look at the Scottish Beekeepers Association

My supers are on and as willow herb and HB are still potential producers for another three weeks or so they stay on.

PH

 

[maz0]

maz)? You are where you are and I am where I am. You are North of me. Over some 20 years I had regular discussions with a BF who was north and west of me and we pretty much had very different weather. So IGNORE what the southerners are saying, and look to the Scots on here or even better look at the Scottish Beekeepersgroup on Face book. Or another good one is Scottish Beginners and Improvers group.

My supers are on and as willow herb and HB are still potential producers for another three weeks or so they stay on.

PH

Good point, I will check out these groups, thanks for the advice!

 

[Repwoc]

Local association told me they don't take supers off until September....on here I'm seeing all this talk of winter feeding already, slightly confused as to what on earth to do now

Ideally, you need to fit your varroa treatment between removing the honey supers and starting the winter feed. For thymol based treatments, that means treating while the ambient temperature still hits 18 C + and before the winter bees are raised, so should be completed by mid-septemberish.

Since thymol-based treatments take ~ 4 weeks I will be removing honey supers this w/end and starting my varroa treatment, followed by feeding thymolysed syrup when it's done.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Local association told me they don't take supers off until September....on here I'm seeing all this talk of winter feeding already, slightly confused as to what on earth to do now

It seems to be that in the balmier South beekeepers have convinced themselves that winter sets in around the glorious twelfth - instead of looking out of the window to check the weather they look in a book of beekeeping by numbers and feel that if they don't get their thymol treatments on by the time the first grouse arrives in London restaurants, and put their feeders on then all is doomed
I won't have finished taking supers off until well into September and that's not even taking into account the heather.

 

[Walrus]

It depends on your area (forage & local conditions) as has been said, but also its a personal choice. You can take them whenever you want; it’s your life and your hobby/job.

In my case I normally take supers off in August and treat for mites then. They are on balsam now & there is no heather near my bees. I want to treat for mites by the end of August so that the winter bees are healthy with low mite count. I don’t use MAQS so I need supers off before treating. Then they get oxalic vape in Nov/Dec when nearly broodless.


I’m in the middle of the UK where we rarely see anything but grey skies, sadly, but at least the winters are mild. My bees have a mix of balsam & ivy for winter stores plus syrup if needed. Mostly it’s my Nucs that need syrup.

 

[Erichalfbee]

supers off this weekend
There’s Balsam here and the bees are on it but seldom bring much in from it.
Neighbour and association apiary nearby are treating theirs now so it’s all fitted in this year.
Everybody will get a little thymolised invert and I’ll take it from there

 

[Millet]

supers off this weekend
There’s Balsam here and the bees are on it but seldom bring much in from it.
Neighbour and association apiary nearby are treating theirs now so it’s all fitted in this year.
Everybody will get a little thymolised invert and I’ll take it from there

Same here but i may have to do it in two weekends instead of one.. i have nineteen to get through..not sure if all of them will be capped or full but if they are i will not have enough honey buckets and the 4 x boxes of jars i ordered are still in the back of a parcel van somewhere in the country..i need the jars ASAP to free the buckets i already have full which will save me buying more.

 

[Beefriendly]

Just been adding clearer boards and fresh supers to most of mine in the lowlands. Balsam and Fireweed still out.
Heather sites, moors are a patchwork of pink, mainly due to heather beetle. Currently looking at the lowest yields ever due, me thinks, mainly to the inclement august weather rather than the beetle.
Still there is a week or two to go on the moors...we shall see.

 

[SWEET]

Warwickshire; removed a few days ago, leaving the rape-oil frames (ones missed in spring) as feed and sticking the supers back on this eve, gives them a chance to fill before feeding end of month and also clean the boxes I'll store.

 

[Poly Hive]

Fireweed? Have we relocated to Vancouver island?

Willow herb is a lovely name for it.

PH

 

[Swarm]

I have eight supers left to bring in but can't do it this weekend as my back has gone. I don't want to leave it much later as I want to start treatment.

 

[Beefriendly]

Fireweed? Have we relocated to Vancouver island?

Willow herb is a lovely name for it.

PH

To be honest I prefer its full name of Rosebay willowherb but fireweed is far quicker to write and is simply an alternative name used both in the UK and elsewhere. Why did you think it was specific to Vancouver Island?
Our roadside verges are full of it at the moment alongside fox and cubs and some white stuff that I can't remember the name of..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Our Rosebay is full of these

 

[Millet]

Our Rosebay is full of these

Cracking shot..

 

[Bear]

Local association told me they don't take supers off until September....on here I'm seeing all this talk of winter feeding already, slightly confused as to what on earth to do now

September maybe October before I take my supers. All weather dependant and how much honey left in the supers. Leave them on too long and as long as there is honey in them, all will happen is they will take the honey down into the brood. If it’s wet or cold the supers will come off sooner. Heater will last to the end of this month so anydody getting a crop on the heather will still be their with supers on.

 

[maz0]

September maybe October before I take my supers. All weather dependant and how much honey left in the supers. Leave them on too long and as long as there is honey in them, all will happen is they will take the honey down into the brood. If it’s wet or cold the supers will come off sooner. Heater will last to the end of this month so anydody getting a crop on the heather will still be their with supers on.

Interesting thanks, good to hear from you above me and Poly Hive below me!