So the new apiary is established with 5 over wintered colonies. One was queenless so I purchased 2 mated queens from BS bees in Cheltenham. One used here and another for a nuc at the main apiary.
I'd forgotten how much work goes into making new hive parts from scratch. While the WBC hives were already made (3 lifts no inners) in the past few weeks I've assembled 5 brood chambers, 50 deep frames (for spares/frame replacement/nucs) 15 WBC supers and frames with foundation (over 150 frames), 10 additional WBC lifts , and also re-foundationing 15 national supers that I had to cut out last season due to set OSR in them.
Phew.
So on to the bees....
I have to report I have not seen such strong colonies for many years as I have seen this spring. I fed copious amounts of Maisemore's ambrosia feed in the autumn for the first time as it was easier than making up all the necessary syrup, and treated with apiguard.
Yesterday (15/4) I split a massive triple brood that I had united in the autumn due to a drone layer, and made up a nuc from this and another strong colony.
All colonies have a super on them as OSR is flowering a mile away and plenty of yellow pollen is coming in.
Interestingly, some winter OSR is hardly out of the ground compared with other that is strongly flowering. Different drilling dates I imagine. I may take some colonies to the OSR thats behind the curve.
I must upload some photos to share on the blog !
I'd forgotten how much work goes into making new hive parts from scratch. While the WBC hives were already made (3 lifts no inners) in the past few weeks I've assembled 5 brood chambers, 50 deep frames (for spares/frame replacement/nucs) 15 WBC supers and frames with foundation (over 150 frames), 10 additional WBC lifts , and also re-foundationing 15 national supers that I had to cut out last season due to set OSR in them.
Phew.
So on to the bees....
I have to report I have not seen such strong colonies for many years as I have seen this spring. I fed copious amounts of Maisemore's ambrosia feed in the autumn for the first time as it was easier than making up all the necessary syrup, and treated with apiguard.
Yesterday (15/4) I split a massive triple brood that I had united in the autumn due to a drone layer, and made up a nuc from this and another strong colony.
All colonies have a super on them as OSR is flowering a mile away and plenty of yellow pollen is coming in.
Interestingly, some winter OSR is hardly out of the ground compared with other that is strongly flowering. Different drilling dates I imagine. I may take some colonies to the OSR thats behind the curve.
I must upload some photos to share on the blog !
