Manleys and young queen's for Heather.

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I did this last year and worked v well. Best heather crop. I don’t take my bees at home to the heather they fly there, as just a field away.

Think the logic is the conditions on the moor can be harsh, so you need a young queen to help prepare the colony for the following season and to overwinter well.

As a result of my good crop last year I left a super of heather on each of my 2 colonies at home. I left one on double brood (nadired the super and took it away after the stores were moved up).

Boy have they come out of winter strong. Now on 15 frames of brood, never had a colony on more than 8 frames at home before. I’m just hoping I can keep them together to capitalise on a spring crop from the trees, when the weather eventually warms up!
 
I believe the thinking was young queens continue laying later also forcing stores up in your supers. When I started I was told bees don’t winter well on heather, over the years have found it to be the exact opposite. Bees really benefit from the late sources of pollen and those with ivy and heather sources are streets ahead. Ian
 
When I started I was told bees don’t winter well on heather, over the years have found it to be the exact opposite.
That was the only winter feed my grandfather gave to the bees - heather extraction was too much of a faff (and was never popular around here) so he would just take off the summer floral honey then leave the bees the heather - it also meant that the bees' "ration sugar" could be used to bottle a boxful of pears that he used to get sent down from Hereford on the train 😁
 
I believe the thinking was young queens continue laying later also forcing stores up in your supers. When I started I was told bees don’t winter well on heather, over the years have found it to be the exact opposite. Bees really benefit from the late sources of pollen and those with ivy and heather sources are streets ahead. Ian
Thanks Ian. Yes I fretted about leaving them on heather, there’s so much mis-information and teaching about how over wintering on heather is bad for the bees re dysentery. Probably from people who have never done it and just lift it out of books. Not found it to be the case, quite the reverse.
 
Thanks Ian. Yes I fretted about leaving them on heather, there’s so much mis-information and teaching about how over wintering on heather is bad for the bees re dysentery. Probably from people who have never done it and just lift it out of books. Not found it to be the case, quite the reverse.
That's what makes this forum so great. Advice comes from experience not somebody else's notes
 
That was the only winter feed my grandfather gave to the bees - heather extraction was too much of a faff (and was never popular around here) so he would just take off the summer floral honey then leave the bees the heather - it also meant that the bees' "ration sugar" could be used to bottle a boxful of pears that he used to get sent down from Hereford on the train 😁
Nice story. My grandad in Lincolnshire used to help his mate take bees to the heather to the North York moors, my mum recently told me. He had a huge pear tree in his garden. Got lots of nice memories of him storing all his pears in wooden crates in his out building and all people in our village coming to buy them. That pear tree used to pay his rates every year.
Unfortunately the person that bought his house after he died had it chopped down 🥲
 
Hi, Manley preferred using that years queen's for the Heather I know a few others that do this what are your thoughts.
I'm considering taking up lots of this year's nucs with a second brood box of drawn comb to fill up with lovely heather honey, see how it goes.
Anybody selling a good loosener?
 
I'm considering taking up lots of this year's nucs with a second brood box of drawn comb to fill up with lovely heather honey, see how it goes.
Anybody selling a good loosener?
If your taking up the Nucs to build up fine if your going for a crop then take the strongest you’ve got
 
They need to be set for the heather mid July around here I think. I may take a couple on Rhossili Downs to see what it's all about but if I was hoping for a crop that would be to the detriment of a summer floral crop which doesn't seem worth the effort with all the faff of the extraction. Maybe a few nucs to prep them for the winter?
 
I'm considering taking up lots of this year's nucs with a second brood box of drawn comb to fill up with lovely heather honey, see how it goes.
Anybody selling a good loosener?
I'm considering taking up lots of this year's nucs with a second brood box of drawn comb to fill up with lovely heather honey, see how it goes.
Anybody selling a good loosener?
Yeah they can cost a bit but on a big scale worth saving the comb.
Scraping and pressing would you still need the loosener. ( on a smaller scale)
 
They need to be set for the heather mid July around here I think. I may take a couple on Rhossili Downs to see what it's all about but if I was hoping for a crop that would be to the detriment of a summer floral crop which doesn't seem worth the effort with all the faff of the extraction. Maybe a few nucs to prep them for the winter?
I think the Heather is worth the hastle if it pays of, as with moving bees to any crop like the osr so far this year in Shropshire it's dia.
 
Morning I have 10 young colonys with this year's queen's which will be in single brood ready to take to Heather I'm trying to follow Manleys way of taking young colonys.
My question? will young strong colonys draw comb on heather I have some drawn super comb which I could checker with foundation for there first super.
My plan is to make sure they have ample stores in the brood when they are taken around the 20th of July, any thoughts about more nest preparations or advice?
I wanted to add these colonys will have supers on already by the 20th as I will super them the same time I hive up.
Thanks mark.
Pray for some good weather?
 

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