Inspect? v low temperatures and swarming dilemma.

[Tomo]

Hi. this is my third year keeping bees. According to my records and memory my bees usually start swarm preparations about the last week of April (ish). I know things move about according to the weather, however, armed with this information and temperatures of 6-8 degrees celcius at the moment, what would you do, inspect or risk the chance of chilled brood or a lost swarm? Incidentally, I managed to inspect 5 days ago when the temp was close to 14 c. No signs of QC's, all was well. This is a general question about how you approach this dilemma.Thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you answered your own question - weather is different this year compared to the last few years - last inspection showed no swarm preparations, it's gone cold again and if it lasts the bees will slow down.
Fortunately for you the bees don't have a diary so they won't remember when they swarmed the previous years

 

[Bee Bumble]

Most of mine are bursting with bees, so the first hot day after this cold spell they will all swarm and Sod's Law says I will be at work.
I have put a super on some with paper between the boxes in the hope of reducing the risk. To some others I have given another box under the brood to give them more space they do not have to heat. The strongest all have a super on without the newspaper. I will see which works best soon enough.

 

[Michael Palmer]

You just checked 5 days ago? Why again? If you really have to, it takes only tipping up the top box and checking for cups with eggs or jelly. Quick and simple.

 

[beeno]

Hi Tomo, In answer to your hypothetical question, I would say that it is important to inspect when opportunities are most favourable, so that one does not have this dilemma! If beeks have not inspected so far this year, it may well be that some hives are ready to go at the earliest opportunity when the weather improves. I personally would not rip a hive apart under present weather conditions. Why not put your ear to the hive, suited up, and you will hear if you have a gaggle of virgins tooting in the queen cells.

 

[BeeJayBee]

You just checked 5 days ago? Why again? If you really have to, it takes only tipping up the top box and checking for cups with eggs or jelly. Quick and simple.

It is quick and simple if using brood and a half or double brood, very quick and very simple.

Trouble is that Tomo is using commercials so probably has only the one brood box and the only way to find out what's happening is to remove the frames or tip that box up and hope the bees will only have built queen cells at the bottom of the frames.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Oh yeah, I forgot that many of you use single brood box hives. Good reason not to, eh?

 

[Finman]

Hi. this is my third year keeping bees. According to my records and memory my bees usually start swarm preparations about the last week of April (ish). I know things move about according to the weather, however, armed with this information and temperatures of 6-8 degrees celcius at the moment, what would you do, inspect or risk the chance of chilled brood or a lost swarm? Incidentally, I managed to inspect 5 days ago when the temp was close to 14 c. No signs of QC's, all was well. This is a general question about how you approach this dilemma.Thanks.

Dilemma.... Chilled brood or swarming. They are not altenatives.

But it is sure, that hives continue their swarming preparations, even if it rains every day. Sometimes I have waited better weathers, but then swarm is allready gone. Swarms may leave between rain showers at the temp of 10C.

Clipping the queen's wing gives more time that swarm does not escape.

First swarm departure usually when first queen cells are capped. Checking time is 7-10 days. Keep 7 days because you have 2 days more, if it is heavy rains.

In wing clipping it takes 12-14 days, that the swarm can departure with new queen, but then you have already lost the laying queen.

But really, swarms leave in cold and raint days. They may wait couple of days but then they go.

What is the rescue in this situation...to use brains... Or golf umbrella.. Or what ever rain tent...heat blowers...

.

 

[misterbee82]

If you saw no queen cells 5 days ago, I wouldn't expose them to the cold weather and run the chance of chilling them.

 

[REDWOOD]

Your bees your choice, risk loosing half your bees or a bit of brood, also depends how quick you can do an inspection

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Oh yeah, I forgot that many of you use single brood box hives. Good reason not to, eh?

Drifting, because the OP is answered. I agree, and am currently on Nationals, usually double brood, which is great for this purpose and I plan to economise on a lot of time this way this summer. BUT at the end of winter the bottom BB (even poly) is a total loss of mouldy comb. Do your massive clusters avoid this or is it a problem you have? Others?

 

[beeno]

Drifting, because the OP is answered. I agree, and am currently on Nationals, usually double brood, which is great for this purpose and I plan to economise on a lot of time this way this summer. BUT at the end of winter the bottom BB (even poly) is a total loss of mouldy comb. Do your massive clusters avoid this or is it a problem you have? Others?

Hi TTLTB, I nadired one brood box with stores and no brood for the first time this year. Had enough comb to look after myself. Much to my surprise they looked after the comb beautifully, but it was 'newish' comb so I don't know if that made any difference. I have swopped the boxes and they moved up straight away, but it was their own comb. My other colony now on the same configuration not as keen to move up, but not all their own comb?

 

[madasafish]

Mould is a sign of condensation or damp.

Did you have inspection board in or out?

 

[Michael Palmer]

Do your massive clusters avoid this or is it a problem you have? Others?

I've never seen it. I do have a wide open bottom entrance (with 1/2" hardware cloth mouse guard) and a small upper entrance. Good ventilation.

 

[Finman]

double brood, ...... BUT at the end of winter the bottom BB (even poly) is a total loss of mouldy comb. Do your massive clusters avoid ....?

You have left too much room to the wintering hive. Respiration moisture condensates onto cold combs and they get mold.

When you next autumn reduce the hive, try first, do they go inside one box. If they go, the room is proper.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Thank you both. ANYTHING but National brood-and-a-half...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Finman]

Thank you both. ANYTHING but National brood-and-a-half...

Brood and half is almost same volume as douple brood.

Sent by Microsoft Lumia, no napatalk.

 

[Poly Hive]

The critical piece of information is how many frames of bees. Phrases like bursting at the seams are a bit light on info as to a relative newbie a medium colony can look pretty impressive.

Relying on seeing cells and or cups by tipping back the top brood box is not at all a reliable method. I have run doubles for years now and it is FAR from unusual to NOT see cells by tipping but my word there were more than a few on the combs.

Look properly or lose your swarm. Your choice.

In the current cold snap, 5C here at 12am, it is very unlikely swarm cells are being built. Far more likely there is a brood stop and drone larvae getting thrown out.

PH

 

[Tomo]

Thanks for your replies. I have inspected twice so far, my hives are in a nice sheltered spot so it was warm enough for a t-shirt when I had them open. Different story now! Given the choice I would rather risk a few chilled brood than lose half the bees. No brainer! The bees would sort it out. I lost 2 swarms last year and the year before due to complacency and poor weather stopping me inspect. I hope to learn from my mistakes this year. Now I have said that you know what will happen.........

 

[Finman]

.
You do not need to chill brood. Odd goal, really.


Lift away the sidemost frame. Then lift a brood frame up 2 seconds one by one.

You surely see, if they have queen cells. Do not look frames minutes like they do in youtube.

One way is to lift upright the brood box and look the bottoms of frames what you see. But it colony is small, it does not make cells onto the bottm bars like they do in summer.