Moving to National Double Deeps during OSR

[Beeline]

I would appreciate some advice here as first time I'm taking strong colonies to the OSR.

I currently have a few colonies that are brimming with bees and brood in single National Deeps. I was looking to give them another deep brood box this weekend however our local farmer has contacted me to say the rape is about to flower this weekend so time to load up and ship out.

Do I add a brood box under the existing and force her down as they accumulate stores above or, add above. If above they'll probably fill some of the deep frames with OSR. Is that not a problem so long as I give them more supers as they start to fill.

I know how easy it is to lose colonies to swarming on OSR.

 

[Arfermo]

Lucky you to have any OSR around you. I have none at all - all been ploughed in. Two years ago I had acres of it behind my house and got 263 lbs of honey from just two hives. Why move your bees to it though. They fly 3 miles or so!!!

 

[Beeline]

It's about 5 miles away.
I used the term 'local' rather loosely.

 

[oliver90owner]

Coming into bloom does not automatically mean nectar - think here temperatures.

Brimming with bees is not an indication of amount of brood in the brood box. Amount of brood and particularly brooding space is the far more important factor for a decision on this. Add a super at the OSR is likely a good move, but I can not tell from here.

Is that not a problem so long as I give them more supers as they start to fill.

A question or a typo?

I know how easy it is to lose colonies to swarming on OSR.

To be honest, you need to work hard to lose colonies, to swarming, on the OSR - until the flow ceases. You need to leave too little space for honey storage, or brooding.

Two years ago I had acres of it behind my house

Won't be any this year as it will be a three or four year crop rotation.

Why move your bees to it though. They fly 3 miles or so!!!

Several reasons. It might be more than three miles; It keeps the farmer happy, thinking of all the extra OSR crop; It prevents the farmer inviting other beekeepers instead; bee efficiency of nectar collection- bees are bound to be more productive if they do not have a six mile round trip for each few milligrams of honey. There are likely others.

(typing when you posted)

 

[Finman]

Last spring I had 13 hectares autumn rape and 3 hives on fields.
Temp were 15-18 and sunshine and moderate wind. Fields floomed 5 weeks and I got nothing. I had a hive on balance and the saldo after 5 weeks was 30 kg more weight. Propably half of it was pollen.

I saw that flowers had nectar droplets but bees were not able to stay in flowers even if they ried to harvest them. It was the same in earlier year.

It is good plant but it is better to put hives in wind protected place.


If I were you, I would not put "all eggs in same basket". It depends on weather. It seems that rape needs over 22C day temp that it starts to give yield.
If there are wind sheltered gardens or so, hive may get better yield from those.
good plant but it is better to put hives in wind protected place.

 

[Beeline]

"Is that not a problem so long as I give them more supers as they start to fill.

A question or a typo?"

Thanks RAB. I'm confident in my assessment of the brood and that it does require a second brood box. Question was: above or below.

The above was a question. Would adding a super, when required, alleviate the space issue for brood as both queen and workers scramble for space in the second (added) brood?

Thanks.

 

[Finman]

" Question was: above or below.

.

I looked forecast for Surrey and it promised quite good weather, 17-20C.

But it bis a big jump to give 100% more space to one box colony.
Put second box under the brood. They they have not diffivuylties to keep brood warm.
Bees colect pollen and nectar to lower box and when colony is strengter, it lift the honey leater to the super.
Inspect the hives after a week and think the next step when you see what has happened in lower box.

 

[Beeline]

Thanks Finman - will do as you recommend.

 

[DanBee]

My approach is different to Finman's: place the new box above, move 2-3 frames of open brood up, backfilling below with empty comb towards the edges of the lower brood nest. Add supers also because when it comes in, it comes in fast.

 

[Lincsbee]

the rape is just coming into flower here, it looks pretty useless, huge bare patches in the fields where the water lay and then froze. bad news for s.lincs.

mike

 

[TOBY-3652]

Out of the 5 fields within half of a mile of my bees 1 is in flower/ 2 are about a week away / and 2 are 2-3 weeks away from flowering/ and out of the 6 hives at home only 2 are built up enough the other 4 are going 2 probably build up on the rape.. Where my others are the rape is about 2 weeks before it starts to flower and these have got between 3 and 5 frames of capped brood.. So will hopefuly be ready 2 bring something in