loosing OSR crop due AS

[sahtlinurk]

what is the opinion, will AS now actually means not much to hope from OSR honey wise?
Just had to AS two of my biggest colonies.

Lauri

 

[sandysman]

Same problem

I have just had the same problem.

 

[Finman]

.
- Biggest colonies swarm first.
- It is good that bees are in safe and not at the top of tree
- important that the queen continues laying to make foraes for main yield
- hive is ready to forage when you join the hive parts again

such is beekeeping. Well done however.

 

[oliver90owner]

will AS now actually means not much to hope from OSR honey wise?

Not so bad as swarming - where you lose as many as half your bees and some stores which they take with them, followed by a long break in laying.

Both will start to store more when there is no open brood to feed and the A/S'd half will soak up a few kg of crop with comb building. But you will end up with that asset for future use.

There is also a window to treat for varroa should you need to.

Weather seems to have knocked on the head any chance of an OSR crop here, anyway.

 

[Finman]

.
If colonies are strong and weathers are like you have, it is very difficult to avoid swarming fever.

 

[MuswellMetro]

will AS now actually means not much to hope from OSR honey wise?

But you will end up with that asset for future use.

WELL, i doubt i will, first Capped~QCells April 2nd, and on hives i knocked back and allowed them to remake I then had fully charged~QCells 8th April.....

......no mating window so far, except a few suicide mating flights from the April 2nd capped cells in Hail and Temperature of 10C

With the current Weather and some of the long range forecasts for May, all i will have are Stale unmated drone laying Virgin Queen and forage bees

 

[Snail368]

I like Finman's description of where we are now as 'Swarming Fever'. As a newbie, I was wondering if this spring was normal!

BTW, I did an AS last week, and today the nucleus had a lot of bee activity at the entrance for a few minutes, quite a few drones were there. Was this the end of the new Queen's first mating flight? It was a mild day here, no rain (for a change), time would have been around 5.30pm.

 

[Arfermo]

Those who do AS should also treat with oxalic at same time, whatever you think might be the extent of the infestation. Safety first measure and the best opportunity to treat for varroa before summer buildup and next autumn.

 

[Jeff Buzz]

To treat for Varroa after an AS do you just trickle them the same as in winter

Those who do AS should also treat with oxalic at same time, whatever you think might be the extent of the infestation. Safety first measure and the best opportunity to treat for varroa before summer buildup and next autumn.

 

[oliver90owner]

Those who do AS should also treat with oxalic at same time, whatever you think might be the extent of the infestation.

I would much more likely avoid the oxalic as per usual. Thymol (if the temps are adequate) or roll the lot (apart from the queen) in icing sugar before running them back into the hive. Either of those two treatments, followed by culling the first small patch of capped brood, will suffice without subjecting the queens to another round of oxalic acid.

They are my usual alternatives but there is also formic acid treatment as another alternative.

Just don't be tied down with this 'must do' oxalic acid treatment. Think of all the perfectly satisfactory alternatives as well.

 

[Finman]

[
I would much more likely avoid the oxalic as per usual.

Thymol (if the temps are adequate) or roll the lot (apart from the queen) in icing sugar before running them back into the hive. Either of those two treatments, followed by culling the first small

avoid why?

oxalic acid is the best of all

You cannot use thymol during yield season.

Sugar dusting has miserable efficacy.


Spraying with 1% oxalic acid water solution is too possible but trickling is better way to do.

.