Inspecting at this time of year?

[plumberman]

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting some threads, but I get the impression that people are doing some sort of take crown board off and inspect frames type of inspection at the moment.

I live in relatively sunny surrey and there is no way I would do this until at least it is warm enough to feel comfortable in a T shirt. Even if you do find a problem, your options are very limited beyond feeding ( and hefting should tell you whether you need to be doing this).

I wonder just how many weeks you can potentially set back a colony by disturbance and loss of heat/damage to brood.

Just my 2p worth.

 

[Midland Beek]

Perhaps I'm misinterpreting some threads, but I get the impression that people are doing some sort of take crown board off and inspect frames type of inspection at the moment.

Spilling the guts of a colony in March isn't the best of ideas, but some sort of take the crownbrood off see if they are alive/starving/queenright thing is do-able.

I'm about to check on the welfare of a couple of nucs, but I am in no hurry to open up any of my stocks.

 

[kazmcc]

We opened up today. We are on brood and half. Our mentor took the middle frame from the super, had a quick look around the rest in situ, then we popped them back and advised us on when to feed next. It was 10 degrees though in Manchester at the time we went in.

 

[hedgerow pete]

did that my self today , just a quick look to check on a week colony, in and out faster than a frenchman in a brothel with no money

 

[victor meldrew]

Patience dear friends

John W.

 

[kazmcc]

Ideally it probably would have been better to wait, but we have to catch the guy when we can. We have a bit of an unusual set up, and he has to travel a long way to come and advise us on the simplest things. When it's down to me it'll be much simpler.

 

[Vergilius]

There is a difference between a full inspection and a quick-lift-off-crowboard-job...


Ben P

Oh dear, 500 posts, pray that none of my friends ever see this!!!

 

[tidymeup]

I would love to know how mine are doing but even though today has been warm I havn't looked.

I have hefted them, checked fondant and watched them at the enterance but that is as far as it goes. Not today but in general.

 

[richardbees]

Not much point in disturbing the brood at 10C ..... as there's not a lot to be done about any problems found at this time of year (apart from feeding)

...a bit like checking for frostbite when you're still trapped in the glacier!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can hardly wait to look in mine but wait I will.
Having survived the rigours of the winter I would want my colonies to survive beekeeper curiosity.

 

[grizzly]

Now i have the Polys i am using the clear plastic inner hive covers, very useful, can see whats going on with no need to disturb and no condensation.

 

[roymichaeldean]

Same story

Hi

I have the same as Grizzly but I am in no hurry to lift the top off...to take a look.........heat is heat..........and we've had frost the last 2 nights......although 10 degrees during the day.......impatience is a common quality.........wot's the rush Doc..???

roy

 

[hedgerow pete]

i did a quick peek yesterday as the one is running low. as ever theres another video for it

 

[For want of a better word]

Now i have the Polys i am using the clear plastic inner hive covers, very useful, can see whats going on with no need to disturb and no condensation.

Same take as on my Old & Trusty, double insulated and pretty WBCs with a glass crownboard... framed in applewood!

 

[rowbow]

Same take as on my Old & Trusty, double insulated and pretty WBCs with a glass crownboard... framed in applewood!

Sim-pulls

John

 

[RoofTops]

The amount of heat in a hive is quite impressive. I checked a couple of hives for life recently - lifting the lid and seeing what could be seen through the plastic sheet. For some reason I can't remember I lifted up the corner of the sheet on one and a significant blast of warm air came out. The outside air temp was low and there was no wind so on my bare hands the heat from the interior of the hive was very easy to detect. Needless to say I replaced the corner quickly and closed them up.

No doubt inside there were shouts along the lines of: "Shut that door!"

 

[bramblebee]

I checked in side a small hive today
I see losts of bees out side the hive yesterday, but did not think they were the bees from this hive
And as i thought the hive was dead
This was a weak hive before the winter a very late swarm
And my first winter so not checked the others but they look very much alive
So have got 9 out of 10 this far and not thinking of looking yet
Just keep an eye on fondant and the bees from out side
but the temps are slowly going up

 

[oliver90owner]

bramblebee,

I checked in side a small hive today

It might help other new beeks if you expand a bit.

Was it 'that' weak? How late?

What hive actual size (reduced space or whole box)?

Any insulation? OMF?

Amount of stores.

Your location.

I would say it sounds more like a nuc sized colony, in a full box, with no insulation, in the uplands of Scotland.

I think you are located in a much less harsh environment than that, but just guessing without looking back at you previous posts for clues.

You will now know that (whatever the actual facts were) weak colonies into winter are a high potential risk for winter loss, unless treated with special care, of which you are perhaps not yet experienced in?

All of mine are still going depite four being possibly a bit on the small side - and that has been without any intervention from me. I will be checking shortly to see if I need to unite any of them (the fewer, stronger colonies would be able build up that much more quickly) so they could be split later (to restore colony number) or achieve a good honey crop.

Very small colonies in the spring are slow to get going - just not enough nurse bees to service a decent amount of brood, while the older bees are naturally ageing and dying, so the colony 'dwindles'.

Regards, RAB

 

[hedgerow pete]

good points oliver 90oliver. i have hoped to have covered that with the voice over on the video but it was a little to low with the camer to get the best video shots tho

 

[plumberman]

The amount of heat in a hive is quite impressive. I checked a couple of hives for life recently - lifting the lid and seeing what could be seen through the plastic sheet. For some reason I can't remember I lifted up the corner of the sheet on one and a significant blast of warm air came out. The outside air temp was low and there was no wind so on my bare hands the heat from the interior of the hive was very easy to detect. Needless to say I replaced the corner quickly and closed them up.

No doubt inside there were shouts along the lines of: "Shut that door!"

Agreed- Lift up the 50mm celotex insulation on my crown boards and there is a considerable amount of warmth coming up from below. Does produce a bit of condensation, so every so often I turn over the celotex to reduce this.