Keeping the bees home while the cats away!

Nordicul · Mar 31, 2019

Hi All,

I’m a novice and hope I have just got my first two hives through the winter.

However just as they’re getting going I have to take off in a fortnights time, leaving them for 18 days!
I know, not the time to go but SWMBO made the arrangements.

So, both National hives have marked and clipped Qs from 2018. They are both small colonies, first inspection a couple of days ago, they each have between 3 and 4 frames of Bias each. Rest mainly stores. I’ve bruised stores outside the brood nests.

My hope is to try to delay any swarm preparations by putting a single super on each before I leave, at the moment weather cold and there is no real flow on, mainly pollen.

Problem though Is I have no drawn super comb only foundation. However I do have a few drawn brood frames. I was thinking I could cut these up fix them into super frames to act as starters in the middle of the foundation.....do you think that might help them go up?

Couple more questions, should I leave the QE off, and should I leave them with any syrup?

Should I be doing anything else with the B.B. eg giving them foundation in it?

I will obviously check them the day or day before I leave.

Appreciate any thoughts or tips you have to keep them home.

Tia

jenkinsbrynmair · Apr 1, 2019

Nordicul said:
I do have a few drawn brood frames. I was thinking I could cut these up fix them into super frames to act as starters in the middle of the foundation.....do you think that might help them go up?

Don't waste your time and your comb - they'll go up when they want to go up, not before, regardless of what you give them to go on

Nordicul said:
Couple more questions, should I leave the QE off, and should I leave them with any syrup?

No to both

Nordicul said:
Should I be doing anything else with the B.B. eg giving them foundation in it?

No, regardless of what some (who probably also opened up in that couple of mundanely usual sunny days in February) will say, it's still only April, a cold period imminent, and unless you are surrounded with OSR, you have now given them plenty of space.
I'm off to Tanzania for two weeks this afternoon, I haven't even opened most of my hives yet - inspected none.
Enjoy your holiday, and deal with whatever transipres when you come back.

enrico · Apr 1, 2019

There is little you can do this time of the year. Whatever you try and do the weather will try and do the opposite so as JBM says, leave them alone and see what they are like when you return.
If you are seriously concerned about room then the ONLY thing I MIGHT consider is to put a super under the brood box with no queen excluder. They will use it if they need to while you are away without losing heat I to an empty box.
E

madasafish · Apr 1, 2019

My hive notes over 5 years say if I put a super on top in first week in April, I invariably remove it due to cold weather within 10 days...

Underneath.. I still have all hives undersupered.

birdsandbees · Apr 1, 2019

I've almost given up on weather forecasts, it's generally easier to look out of the window, especially with the media trying to make a dramatic story out of anything.

It was supposed to be 9 degrees here today and cloudy, its about 15 and sunny!

I just looked up the weather for April and this is what I got.

the Met Office said the weather will be “mixed with areas of rain and showers affecting the UK, most prevalent in the east and northeast but possible anywhere.

“Temperatures are likely to start off close to normal, although eastern coasts will be colder at times with an easterly wind.”

But fear not, the cold won’t last for too long: toward the end of the month it’ll warm up again.

The Met Office said: “As is typical for spring, there is a lot of uncertainty in the forecast as we go further through April. However, the weather is most likely to stay fairly settled. Some wetter interludes are still possible from time to time, these perhaps mainly affecting the south and southwest.

“Temperatures are likely to be above the average for the time of year, becoming rather warm towards the end of April.”

Murox · Apr 1, 2019

birdsandbees said:
I've almost given up on weather forecasts, it's generally easier to look out of the window, especially with the media trying to make a dramatic story out of anything.

“Temperatures are likely to be above the average for the time of year, becoming rather warm towards the end of April.”[/B]

There is a local saying ....if you don't like the weather, just wait 10 minutes...... living as I do in the wet windy west overlooking the Atlantic that tends to be true and reliable as we can sit and watch the weather fronts roll in most of the time.