Inspecting Hives

[GJUK]

Hi all,

I'm quite new to bee keeping still, doing a 7 day inspection on both of my hives.

As the number of bees are increasing, I'm finding it harder to actually see the frames, to spit the queens cups to get rid of them...

Any tips please, yesterday they seemed quite annoyed at me trying to move them around/blow on them so I could just about make out the frame....

When do you stop looking for queen cells for swarming?

Cheers,

Jon

 

[For want of a better word]

To get the bees off the frames just give a quick downward jolt... surely you had this demonstrated to you when you did your beekeeping course ( although so called beekeeping courses seem never to have any practical element to them!)

I thought 9 day inspections were the norm from the " according to Hooper"

I inspect my bees at least twice a year if they need it or not!

Depends on sub species and weather conditions.. I have found swarm cells at the beginning of August in past years!

Yeghes da

 

[Cussword]

Hi all,

I'm quite new to bee keeping still, doing a 7 day inspection on both of my hives.

As the number of bees are increasing, I'm finding it harder to actually see the frames, to spit the queens cups to get rid of them...

Any tips please, yesterday they seemed quite annoyed at me trying to move them around/blow on them so I could just about make out the frame....

When do you stop looking for queen cells for swarming?

Cheers,

Jon

Hi Jon, first of all do you have a mentor? He could show you how to shake bees off the frames so you can see better. I've heard they don't like it when you blow on them.
Normally the swarm season should be over by the end of June ( normally, according to the books) . But people on this forum are still being called out to swarms, so I would say you should still be checking.
I would also recommend that you joined your local Association, they will be helpful.


.

 

[Millet]

Hi Jon, first of all do you have a mentor? He could show you how to shake bees off the frames so you can see better. I've heard they don't like it when you blow on them.
Normally the swarm season should be over by the end of June ( normally, according to the books) . But people on this forum are still being called out to swarms, so I would say you should still be checking.
I would also recommend that you joined your local Association, they will be helpful.


.

You are not wrong there, and mine where even worse when they where Queenless, i must have taken around 20+ hits to my gloves and sleeves one day from blowing on the bees around a empty Queen cell, i had to get my full body smoked to stop them from following me after that and wait for 5 minutes before i could take my bee suit off.

 

[Vortex]

Hi all,

I'm quite new to bee keeping still, doing a 7 day inspection on both of my hives.

As the number of bees are increasing, I'm finding it harder to actually see the frames, to spit the queens cups to get rid of them...

Any tips please, yesterday they seemed quite annoyed at me trying to move them around/blow on them so I could just about make out the frame....

When do you stop looking for queen cells for swarming?

Cheers,

Jon

7 Days is quite common, although it can be between 6 and 8 and I shall carry on checking mine at this interval till the end of the month, although now I'm mostly checking for frames being drawn, room to store, virgins coming into lay, and for those that are still lagging or have had CBPV, buildup.

In regards to QCups .. if the bottom is turned in just leave them alone, it annoys the bees less.

As to swarming .. I've didn't have any calls last week, but I had one call last weekend (02/07) to 2 prime swarms, and one of my hives that hadn't tried to swarm had QCells in it.

As to blowing on the bees, I've never had any issues, and use this method to move them out of a section of a frame if I really need to. Most of the time I don't. Even on the busiest frame see eggs/larva is not difficult - unless I've forgotten my glasses. I only ever shake bees off a frame if I want to move the frame to another hive and don't want the bees on it (there is one more reason but that's more of an advanced topic).

Basically doing the least that you need to do is the best way to keeping your bees happy.

 

[Motobiman]

May I just say IMLE, 'blowing' on them makes them pretty cross, a very gently exhale is all that is needed to make them move, I find.

 

[madasafish]

I gently exhale # on bees to move them on the frames. They don't much mind: just move along slowly. I do not and will not tolerate nasty bees so maybe you need to consider requeening - although 20 stings is nothing.. compared to some I have seen..

# they don't like secondhand gin...

 

[REDWOOD]

Try adding a super or two to alleviate the density of bees. If the queen is running out of space then add another BB. The gentlest of bees can get a bit cocky when the colony expands to its max.
seven day inspections is the norm, swarms on the eighth, kicking yourself on the ninth.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

And ripping down queen cells without any other kind of preventative measures is not going to stop them swarming

Sent from my SM-A310F using Tapatalk

 

[Swarm]

Try adding a super or two to alleviate the density of bees. If the queen is running out of space then add another BB. The gentlest of bees can get a bit cocky when the colony expands to its max.
seven day inspections is the norm, swarms on the eighth, kicking yourself on the ninth.

 

[Millet]

I gently exhale # on bees to move them on the frames. They don't much mind: just move along slowly. I do not and will not tolerate nasty bees so maybe you need to consider requeening - although 20 stings is nothing.. compared to some I have seen..

# they don't like secondhand gin...

 

[GJUK]

Hi guys.

To cover your points, I was told to inspect them every ~7 days.
I have been on a three day training program with a 1 day practical, I've been shown how to shake bees from a frame, it just seems a little 'harsh' to do it over the brood box for each frame.

I have two people I can speak with about bees that I have met, but wanted to get more of a general answer to the question, hence using the forum.

They are not running out of space in the brood box, neither of the two hives I have.

Also, these were both new groups of bees this year, in late March, so I would assume splitting them at this point in time would be not a good idea; what other preventive measures do you suggest?

I've also joined my local bee keeping group.

Thanks,

 

[Swarm]

You don't lift the frame clear of the box and a not so violent shake will dislodge any fliers. It's not necessary to shake every bee off but you do need a good look at the comb and the sneaky places they hide a queen cell.

 

[taurus]

As a newbie in a similar position, a very full double brood who have showed no sign of swarming but the density of bees was making inspections a bit daunting - my mentor taught me how to make up a nuc taking 5 frames out of the original colony. The main effect wax to reduce the colony down a bit and I found them much easier to handle.

Plus it gave me a nuc to learn how they raise a new queen and develop. So maybe a split might be worth considering?