Message from National Bee Inspector

[Hivemaker.]

I understand plenty of people use Petroleum Jelly / Vaseline

If they can afford it,the poor one's use lard.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

If they can afford it,the poor one's use lard.

Doesn't someone use axle grease

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That'll be Dinah - but let's not go there shall we?

 

[Chris Luck]

Why are bees starving at this time of year?

Chris

 

[Swarm]

Why are bees starving at this time of year?

Chris

 

[drstitson]

since many people are seeing previously full supers emptied by bees due to weather/lack of forage anyone who has removed supers prior to the dearth period will likely have bees short on stores.

 

[dclewis]

Where I am in France if you don't feed after the summer crop is taken off in mid July (and for me there was none of that either, the lime and the sweet chestnut were too early and it had been too dry) there's a good chance of starvation as there's just nothing coming in quantity in the area that'd provide enough to keep them going. There's no HB here for instance. The brambles help but once they have finished there's nothing to speak of till the ivy starts.

 

[Swarm]

Shouldn't the beekeeper be checking the BB for adequate stores before removing the supers?

 

[Chris Luck]

Now how did / do they manage without us?

I'm sorry folks, this can't be right even in a bad year, there should be no requirement to feed bees at this time of year unless you are robbing them blind, even less reason in mid July - even in Normandy. Perhaps more bee keepers should look at reading their locality and what's in it a bit better, oh, and when and how much honey to remove - if at all sometimes.

Feeding a late swarm or small Nuc I can understand.

Chris

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Why are bees starving at this time of year?

Chris

Very little forage around our way at present Chris, the dry summer appears to have put paid to most - bearing in mind we are also in mono-culture land.

 

[Beezy]

Now how did / do they manage without us?

I'm sorry folks, this can't be right even in a bad year, there should be no requirement to feed bees at this time of year unless you are robbing them blind, even less reason in mid July - even in Normandy. Perhaps more bee keepers should look at reading their locality and what's in it a bit better, oh, and when and how much honey to remove - if at all sometimes.

Feeding a late swarm or small Nuc I can understand.

Chris

I think a lot of beekeepers (me included) are treating for varroa at the moment, so the supers are all off. I checked my bees a few days ago and they had eaten a lot of what was in the bb so I had to feed them syrup to top them up.

 

[Chris Luck]

What does that tell you Beezy?

Chris

 

[Cazza]

Now how did / do they manage without us?

I'm sorry folks, this can't be right even in a bad year, there should be no requirement to feed bees at this time of year unless you are robbing them blind, even less reason in mid July - even in Normandy. Perhaps more bee keepers should look at reading their locality and what's in it a bit better, oh, and when and how much honey to remove - if at all sometimes.

Feeding a late swarm or small Nuc I can understand.
Chris

If you live in OSR land, you have to take it off otherwise it sets solid. This then leaves no stores. Normally these will build up May onwards BUT NOT THIS YEAR.
Sorry Chris but I find your post insulting. My bees have very little stores.I am having to heft and feed as needed.

Cazza

 

[MuswellMetro]

Our association, together with all the Lincs ones and probably others - has received this message from the National Bee Inspector Andy Wattam

well in other threads by me in july were i suggested summer had ended early this year and that i was doing an early varroa treatment , it was mainly post from Lincolnshire beekeepers who pooh poohed my suggestion, all was well they said, it was gushing in, So why does Andy disagree with them

i left the one capped super on to help them until i did my varroa treatment and it almost lost half its weight and I am now feeding syrup while treating for varroa when normally i only feed syrup when the ivy comes in to stop it setting in the comb

 

[Chris Luck]

I do live in OSR land Cazza and I find it slightly amusing that I'm frequently taken to task either directly or indirectly for what I like to call my bee management but others on here, probably the majority, call bad practice, but then they would, wouldn't they?

Bees will take OSR down if they need it and use it therefore it isn't very complicated to leave them a quota. If that quota isn't required it can be taken later, crushed, mixed and fed back to them.

To put matters in context, this has been a dire year here as well, the worst I've known BUT I haven't taken any summer supers of yet, I'm holding back and when I do remove them in the next couple of weeks I will be thinking about the bees - not my wallet. At least 15 of my colonies will be left completely intact with no honey removed what ever the situation.

Of course I can do this because I don't treat.

Chris

 

[TOBY-3652]

Im feeding and treating for the dreaded mite.. A question for mm are you feeding thick syrup or thin

 

[oliver90owner]

it was mainly post from Lincolnshire beekeepers who pooh poohed my suggestion,

Well, here in Lincolnshire (just) they are going along steadily. Still collecting honey in most cases, so enough nectar for subsistence and a little surplus. Not huge gains recently, but slow and steady progress.

I've removed some honey from some colonies (to drag them back to base), but not extracted anything as yet. I am anticipating putting clearer boards on this next week and see what I have, as most will be OK on just a brood box, I think.

Nothing special in the way of crop, but little to worry over at the present time. I have nearly all my extra dummy frames ready to reduce them to nine, ten or eleven frames and am going to do that now (before thymol treatment).

Once the crop is off, I will be watching the forage situation more closely - as Andy said, the ivy will be along shortly, but possibly a gap before it is abundant.

I have the best part of a 14 x 12 box of honey on one colony, so whatever I find, I should be able to retain enough 14 x 12 frames to top up any light colonies later, if needed.

I will have enough honey for all my needs and a surplus, so I am not overly concerned with removing the absolute last dregs of honey from them. I think the crop will cover expenditure, but I do have some extra costs this year. Also fuel costs for going round them is another hefty expense (just need a lot more hives in any one location to be anywhere near efficient - ones and twos at different locations is the usual).

RAB

 

[Skyhook]

I do live in OSR land Cazza and I find it slightly amusing that I'm frequently taken to task either directly or indirectly for what I like to call my bee management but others on here, probably the majority, call bad practice, but then they would, wouldn't they?

Bees will take OSR down if they need it and use it therefore it isn't very complicated to leave them a quota. If that quota isn't required it can be taken later, crushed, mixed and fed back to them.

To put matters in context, this has been a dire year here as well, the worst I've known BUT I haven't taken any summer supers of yet, I'm holding back and when I do remove them in the next couple of weeks I will be thinking about the bees - not my wallet. At least 15 of my colonies will be left completely intact with no honey removed what ever the situation.

Of course I can do this because I don't treat.

Chris

It must be wonderful to be so certain that you're right and everyone else is in the wrong.

 

[Chris Luck]

Not at all Skyhook, I'm sure there are plenty of people that aren't in this ridiculous situation in August with bees either starving, on the verge of starving or requiring artificial feeding. Try discussing the subject instead trying to make snide comments.

I have been out inspecting quite a bit recently and almost exclusively
Have come across bees which are starving, some to the point where their
Demise was only hours away - I have even taken to carrying syrup in the
Car with me, as, in general terms beekeepers have nothing in stock for
contingency feeding. In some cases I have had to pour syrup into empty
Comb and onto the top-bars for the bees to feed to get them going again
As they were at that 'creeping' point which signs almost imminent demise
Of the stock

A very sad state of affairs I am sure you would agree? – These are not
Isolated incidents, but on some days are reflected in every site we visit.

Chris

 

[Winker]

I think the crop will cover expenditure, but I do have some extra costs this year.

RAB

A new car?