Inspecting quietly?

[TylBee]

Hi,
The weather here in the south looks warm (20º) today so I thought I'd have a quick cursory first check to see if all is ok in my two hives.
Does anyone have any tips as to how can I get the crown board to lift without it making a terrible cracking sound as a winter's worth of propolis gives way to some gentle hive tool pressure?
Also, in one hive, I found they're building brace comb up through the hole in the crown board where I've been feeding them fondant - what are they telling me? Short of space?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[Murox]

If you are lucky your winters worth of propolis might be soft and gooey in the balmy south, but it will probably "crackle".
"Brace comb" through the hole in crown board - might be a space thing, but a little more information would be helpful.
For the future - "winter" fondant needs to be directly on top of the frames, not above the crown board.

 

[Arfermo]

Hi,
The weather here in the south looks warm (20º) today so I thought I'd have a quick cursory first check to see if all is ok in my two hives.
Does anyone have any tips as to how can I get the crown board to lift without it making a terrible cracking sound as a winter's worth of propolis gives way to some gentle hive tool pressure?
Also, in one hive, I found they're building brace comb up through the hole in the crown board where I've been feeding them fondant - what are they telling me? Short of space?
Thanks for any advice.

I use a wallpaper scraper most of the time when I have a look in a hive. Saves damaging the edges of the boxes because it is quite thin and bees don't get a fright either. Give 'em smoke and they will not pay much attention to you anyway. My first look-in to my hives was last Thursday, moved some of the frames around to get them working more on producing more brood and they are really buzzing in gratitude.

 

[TylBee]

If you are lucky your winters worth of propolis might be soft and gooey in the balmy south, but it will probably "crackle".
"Brace comb" through the hole in crown board - might be a space thing, but a little more information would be helpful.
For the future - "winter" fondant needs to be directly on top of the frames, not above the crown board.

Thanks Murox, and you were right, the propolis had softened so removing the crown board didn't sound like a starting gun going off! And they were all very calm, maybe helped by using inspection cloths? Once I'd had a good look at the bigger picture, on went the cloths and we proceeded from there without a hitch. Thanks again for your advice.

 

[TylBee]

I use a wallpaper scraper most of the time when I have a look in a hive. Saves damaging the edges of the boxes because it is quite thin and bees don't get a fright either. Give 'em smoke and they will not pay much attention to you anyway. My first look-in to my hives was last Thursday, moved some of the frames around to get them working more on producing more brood and they are really buzzing in gratitude.

Thanks Arfermo - propolis was soft due to the heat but I took your advice and used a wallpaper scraper and it did the trick very nicely. I only have two hives and I found one looking a bit weak (found 3 bees with DWV so it might be a varroa issue?) and the other hive nice and strong but with more than one egg in some cells, so I'll have to sort that out! Thanks again.

 

[TylBee]

Thanks Murox, and you were right, the propolis had softened so removing the crown board didn't sound like a starting gun going off! And they were all very calm, maybe helped by using inspection cloths? Once I'd had a good look at the bigger picture, on went the cloths and we proceeded from there without a hitch. Thanks again for your advice.

Murox, I have a quick question regarding putting the fondant directly on the frames. When you open up the hive to check how much is left and it's a cold day, how do they bees react? I'm rather new to all this and I thought I should leave them undisturbed throughout - hence the tubs of fondant on top of the crown board. many thanks for your advice.

 

[Murox]

Make up an eke with polycarbonate and you can see how fondant there is BUT you should really set your bees up for the winter in the autumn before so little/no need to open up.

 

[Boston Bees]

Murox, I have a quick question regarding putting the fondant directly on the frames. When you open up the hive to check how much is left and it's a cold day, how do they bees react? I'm rather new to all this and I thought I should leave them undisturbed throughout - hence the tubs of fondant on top of the crown board. many thanks for your advice.

This eke

NATIONAL APIGUARD EKE - Paynes Bee Farm - Beekeeping Equipment

with this polycarbonate crownboard on top of it

NATIONAL POLYCARBONATE QUILT - Paynes Bee Farm - Beekeeping Equipment

will allow you to keep fondant on over winter if you want to, and monitor it without disturbing the bees at all.

(you can then ditch your existing crownboard)

You can make your own version if you are good at DIY of course.

In the summer, remove the eke and the poly quilt allows you to see what the bees are up to all year.

These bags fit nicely in the eke

APIFONDA (2.5KG) - Paynes Bee Farm - Beekeeping Equipment

Or you can save money by buying fondant in blocks and bagging it up yourself.

12.5kg Soft White Bakers Fondant [S.FONSW12.5] - £10.20 : Chocolate Falls

Just one way of doing it, but it works for me.

 

[Arfermo]

Murox, I have a quick question regarding putting the fondant directly on the frames. When you open up the hive to check how much is left and it's a cold day, how do they bees react? I'm rather new to all this and I thought I should leave them undisturbed throughout - hence the tubs of fondant on top of the crown board. many thanks for your advice.

You don't need to waste money buying fancy polycarbonate CBs. I made some 1" deep shallow ekes out of old 2x1" battens that was part of an old fence until I had a better fence built. Local timber or building merchants have loads of scrap rtimber they would like to get rid of and that is where I get timber for hive stands for instance. My ekes provide quite enough space to squash down polythene bags or half bags of fondant, stick the CBs and roofs back on and the bees then just do their thing. Remove empty polythene at an appropriate time and dispose in Non-recyclable waste as usual. Problem?

Murox, I have a quick question regarding putting the fondant directly on the frames. When you open up the hive to check how much is left and it's a cold day, how do they bees react? I'm rather new to all this and I thought I should leave them undisturbed throughout - hence the tubs of fondant on top of the crown board. many thanks for your advice.

Try it and you will find out. It is the way to learn what to do or not as appropriate because bees haven't written a book - yet!! Just have a smoker handy is the best answer.

 

[TylBee]

Thank you for all your advice Arfermo, Murox & Boston Bees. I'll have it all sorted out by next Autumn. I didn't know that PC Crown boards even existed! As regards laying the fondant on top of the frames - I use Apifonda, so would I just crate a hole in the bottom of the bag and lay that on the frames above the nest, or remove the fondant and lay that on so they can get to it from all angles? Or maybe they both work well? Thanks.

 

[madasafish]

Thank you for all your advice Arfermo, Murox & Boston Bees. I'll have it all sorted out by next Autumn. I didn't know that PC Crown boards even existed! As regards laying the fondant on top of the frames - I use Apifonda, so would I just crate a hole in the bottom of the bag and lay that on the frames above the nest, or remove the fondant and lay that on so they can get to it from all angles? Or maybe they both work well? Thanks.

Holes in bags work fine. They will chew a big circle in the fondant and empty the bag- you can watch progress without moving it.

 

[Ian123]

People like to complicate things, just put your hand on the crown board with a little pressure to stop the ping/crack and lever off as normal. It’s really not an issue.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Why worry about the noise? ae the hives in a dedicated 'quiet zone' or something?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

If you are lucky your winters worth of propolis might be soft and gooey in the balmy south, but it will probably "crackle".
"Brace comb" through the hole in crown board - might be a space thing, but a little more information would be helpful.
For the future - "winter" fondant needs to be directly on top of the frames, not above the crown board.

I only ever put fondant on using an inverted sandwich box above a hole in the crown board and then only if the hive is getting light. Works just fine for me.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I only ever put fondant on using an inverted sandwich box above a hole in the crown board and then only if the hive is getting light. Works just fine for me.

 

[Courty]

I don’t think I have ever experienced no brace comb between the top of the frames and the gap to the above crown board feeder. They just do it, I don’t think it shows lack of space, more a sensible use of a space with food source close by.

 

[Worldsend]

Can't be quiet when checking your bees -dont you talk to them?

 

[E&MBees]

Can't be quiet when checking your bees -dont you talk to them?

I do! Especially when my smoker has gone out!!

 

[madasafish]

I only ever put fondant on using an inverted sandwich box above a hole in the crown board and then only if the hive is getting light. Works just fine for me.

Had couple of hives starve when fed above crown board in winter. Two cold and windy weeks -5C overnight. Bees refused to go up to collect fondant . I now use an eke, fondant in poly bag on top of frames, clear plastic sheet to reduce volume, then crown board..

But I did lose a mini nuc where fondant on top of frames but bees were in lower box of a double box (Kieler) and refused to move up to eat fondant. (Insulated cover on top of setup.) But mini nucs in winter here are very vulnerable.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I put fondant above the crownboard (if it's needed) encased in a slab of 50mm celotex. I had one colony up at the top apiary this year that needed fondant early on, when I looked in hristmas time they were getting low but the box was full of bees, I knoew we were in for a week of sub zero weather and I had other reasons to be passing near them that week, an ideal time to do a quick switch I thought, with all the bees being tightly clustered,so up I popped, the whole area was a carpet of frost, everything frozen solid (including me) lifted the lid.....carton still full of bees enjoying the last chunk of fondant.