Just a thought...................

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just seeing the perrennial panic starting - queen cells, queen slow laying, little brood etc.etc.
Just a thought really - why are people still doing regular inspections? I've only done a handful of inspections since early August - and that was for good reason (have one out of nineteen to check today and that's it!)
If people didn't inspect and then panic what would be the odds of the bees sorting themselves out and all would be hunky dory in the spring (maybe the odd 'unmarked' queen and that's it)
There comes a time when the beekeeper must stop fiddling and let the bees get on with it.

 

[BrianO]

Yes, interesting, of my four hives have one I have not examined, in an invasive way IE: going through brood frames, in 4 weeks , they are going a bomb in their first year and is my strongest colony.

I had been thinking about that topic recently in light of same, of course checking for spring swarming signs , and now to get ready to check and treat soon, but otherwise is ( and I ask..... and do not put myself up to be an expert, as in first year !! ) a "hands off" approach for certain times of the summer calendar a better way to manage hives ??

I remember someone making a very interesting point I thought that it takes the bees 1 day to rebuild/recover from a full inspection, so that is a production day lost .

As in rebuilding damaged cells, cleaning up the small amount of spilt stores as a result of tearing the small portions of brace comb at the top of frames/ under the QE a, not to mention the small number of casualties perhaps crushed in manipulations. Also the stress of a weekly inspection, perhaps damaging bee health.


Is it a case of overbearing interference at times I wonder ??

 

[protheroe]

i have only checked requeened hives,left the rest to get on with it for the last couple of weeks.i will do one more inspection after treatments finished to make sure they are all queen right

 

[TOBY-3652]

checked mine this week just split middle of brood to see if queen right. couple of mins and that's it 4 winter

 

[Amari]

j
There comes a time when the beekeeper must stop fiddling and let the bees get on with it.

True, O Sage.

 

[Chris Luck]

I stopped fiddling with them many, many years ago, never do inspections, never use any treatments and guess what?

Yup, never have any problems and always have too many colonies despite getting rid of quite a number very year.

Chris

 

[Erichalfbee]

I agree JBM.
I've looked in only two colonies for the last three or four weeks.

I took a super off my angry hive. I killed the queen and let them re-queen themselves, new queen emerging 4th August. Thought I'd check for brood.....they are so horrible I frankly don't care what happens to them even though they are good honey producers and will be uniting them with another colony next spring. A frame of eggs!! Oh well, at least there will be bees to unite.

 

[Cazza]

just seeing the perrennial panic starting - queen cells, queen slow laying, little brood etc.etc.
If people didn't inspect and then panic what would be the odds of the bees sorting themselves out and all would be hunky dory in the spring (maybe the odd 'unmarked' queen and that's it)
.

I think this comes with experience. You learn to leave your bees to be.
Cazza

 

[Swarm]

Haven't lifted a brood frame since July, apart from hiving up a nuc but that doesn't count.

 

[REDWOOD]

+1 no full inspections just supers for the last 4 weeks except for one nuc that was struggling

 

[madasafish]

I find inspections are such a pia I do as few as possible and none since July..

Better to sit and watch them than fiddle I find...

 

[Erichalfbee]

I feel exactly the same......I can't understand folk who have to fiddle about inside all the time.

 

[Hivemaker.]

......I can't understand folk who have to fiddle about inside all the time.

I can understand it, with new enthusiastic beekeepers.

 

[beeno]

Hi guys,
Anyone think they are on a natural beekeeping forum? Some people are doing the check list for going into winter which as we all know by now is weather not calendar dependant.
If I may quote Clive de Bruyn: "If you take care to allow only strong, disease-free colonies with young tested queens from a reliable source to go into winter, it will do much to ensure that your beekeeping in the next season will get off to a good start." Bearing this in mind, I think people should be commended for finding out that their colonies are making QCs, so that they can requeen if it does not work out. At this moment in time I am going into winter with three spare queens.
Clive's checklist for going into winter:
Young queen
Plenty of young bees
Restricted entrance, mouse-guard
Feeding finished by end of September
Hive sound, roofs waterproof, secure
Health check carried out (my addition treatment carried out if needed)
I would also add hive configuration for winter as this seems to cause problems from time to time.
Some humans may be ready for beekeeping winter hibernation by now, but the bees clearly are still very active.

 

[REDWOOD]

I can understand it, with new enthusiastic beekeepers.

I refuse to comment why people fiddle about inside all the time !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi guys,
Anyone think they are on a natural beekeeping forum? Some people are doing the check list for going into winter which as we all know by now is weather not calendar dependant.
If I may quote Clive de Bruyn: "If you take care to allow only strong, disease-free colonies with young tested queens from a reliable source to go into winter, it will do much to ensure that your beekeeping in the next season will get off to a good start." Bearing this in mind, I think people should be commended for finding out that their colonies are making QCs, so that they can requeen if it does not work out. At this moment in time I am going into winter with three spare queens.
Clive's checklist for going into winter:
Young queen
Plenty of young bees
Restricted entrance, mouse-guard
Feeding finished by end of September
Hive sound, roofs waterproof, secure
Health check carried out (my addition treatment carried out if needed)
I would also add hive configuration for winter as this seems to cause problems from time to time.
Some humans may be ready for beekeeping winter hibernation by now, but the bees clearly are still very active.

As usual you've totally missed the point and haven't a clue of regional differences (nor much about proper beekeeping IMHO). Won't be starting to feed until end of this month. All the rest is just claptrap. after the highest risk of swarming is over beekeepers should lay off weekly inspections and read the bees not poke around inside. If you are obsessed with young queens this should have been sorted before now especially as in your own words there are few new queens around now.

 

[kazmcc]

But if you are taking supers off, how are you supposed to know they have enough stores?

 

[Chris Luck]

Hefting works for me.

Chris

 

[kazmcc]

Hefting works for me.

Chris

Ah, I don't have much experience yet, not enough to trust anyway.

 

[pargyle]

I put my nuc into a full hive a couple of weeks ago and I'm keeping an eye on them as they don't seem to be filling it out much .. My long hive only gets a very quick look - I don't pull the frames out - just slide them along and look down on them. It's so stuffed with bees and honey at present I'll be leaving them well alone now.

I find clear crown boards and a good torch with half an hour watching the landing boards is as much as I need most of the time. I'm not big on inspecting unless there's something I feel makes it necessary ...