Newbie - havent looked in on them in 2weeks

[Pete D]

Back again, the shares forum isnt having a good day......... the pattern is similar, markets down and aggro or weather / honey/ bees down and aggro.

The problem with the written word is it is poor by itself in communicating.
As a percentage the 3 key elements of communication are
The words (conscious element) 7%
The tonality (unconscious element) 38%
The body language (unconscious element) 55%.

You can see that taking away the bottom 2 that the words of communication mean little without the other 2. We therefore pick up more on the tonality of the words (written) and our perception of that can be greatly skewed.
We dont see any of the body language so half the intended message is lost before we start.
Think about it, how many of us have said or written something that we would not dream of saying to someones face. A unknown faceless person on the phone or opening your stern letter who gets both barrels whilst you are sat in your dressing gown stroking the cat and bouncing your grandchild on your knee.
Enough I hear you say, what is all this management consultant speak mumbo jumbo, but hey add it to this

E x R = O

E is for event, R is your reaction to the event and O is the outcome.

So something happens (E) you react (R) and you get an outcome (O)

How many times is it not the outcome you wanted.

Here's the trick....... after an E, take a few seconds to evaluate what has happened and consider what outcome you would like. Now tailor your reaction to help achieve that outcome.
Easy said when all you want to do is chin the git (and sometimes you just have too) but use the now created gap between the E and R and maybe you wouldnt jump so quick and end up hurting your hive tool hand.

Anyway, apply it next time you look in a hive and see something an (E) and use the gap to think about what you want to achieve before you react and you will find that your reaction after a bit of thought will be a better one. A few extra moments wont hurt unless they are really mad !

Boring blurb over, the sun is out and I have a couple of unites to uncombine and tidy the spare boxes away.
Pete D

 

[mo0g]

Could I have a pint of whatever Pete is having?

 

[Pete D]

aye and I'll have another, IPA please

 

[REDWOOD]

Both Banned, I am sorry it came to this as oliver90owner is an experienced beekeeper who knows what he is talking about and have learnt a great deal from his posts and replies and should be respected for his knowledge and wisdom how ever his replies might sound to some but I always remember in school that it was drummed into you and occasionally a board duster, cane, detention, and lines but what came out of it was you never forgot what you was told.
You should Respect you Teacher, Policeman, mother and father and elders

 

[scuttlefish]

Should we draw a line under it and get back on-thread?

 

[Ailsaboat]

I also have a similar hive, transfered from nuc about a month ago. At that time i gave them 2 new frames and blocked the rest of the BB off with a plastic dummy board.
I realise as a newbie things will never happen fast enough, but i was expecting more, so far they've barely started drawing out the new.
I have the entrance reducer in and the crown board holes covered, but just removed the varoa tray.
I was feeding them, but have now stopped - so my question is:
If the general feeling that the lack of expansion/building is due to heat(or rather the cold) should i be doing more to help them in this respect - put the tray back under, pack the empty side of the BB with insulation?? etc etc

 

[Tom Bick]

Its hard to comment on your situation Ailsaboat without knowing your nuc or the shape it is in now or what it was when you got it.

I would have expected a nuc to make a bit of progress in 4 weeks but if it still needed to expand to a size so as to be a strong nuc in the first place then this would make sense.

Have you noticed an increase in bees over this time and looks stronger all be it not expanding the frames.

Heat retention is a good thing for a small colony if you can get a piece of the board type insulation the stuff that is foil covered 1” is plenty cut the same size as the crown board and placed over the crown board will help. You can even make dummy boards out of the same insulation board but you will have to tape up the edges with gaffer tape otherwise the bees will love to chew the insulation. I would refit the inspection tray.

Bees also need other factors to draw foundation they need to know its worth their while so with bad weather and reduced nectar flow can impact on this.

Also we have to think is there a problem with the queen? or is there a disease problem? Varroa have you been checking as you have the inspection tray fitted?

 

[mo0g]

Bees also need other factors to draw foundation they need to know its worth their while so with bad weather and reduced nectar flow can impact on this.

I agree, in our experience the bees will draw foundation, or not, based upon their own will. All the other factors are incidental it seems.

 

[jackbee]

Both Banned, I am sorry it came to this as oliver90owner is an experienced beekeeper who knows what he is talking about and have learnt a great deal from his posts and replies and should be respected for his knowledge and wisdom how ever his replies might sound to some but I always remember in school that it was drummed into you and occasionally a board duster, cane, detention, and lines but what came out of it was you never forgot what you was told.
You should Respect you Teacher, Policeman, mother and father and elders

mostly true, but no amount of knowledge can make up for being abusive and downright unpleasant, I have been on the receiving end of his comments and there's no need for it.

respect is earned, and can be unearned.

I will welcome both their knowledge when they return. The spat in question got out of hand, hopefully lessons will be learnt.

 

[Ailsaboat]

Thanks for the replies,
No signs of varoa on the tray, but i'll put it straight back under.
There is definately more activity out of the hive.
I've only done one full hive inspection (read on here it was best to leave alone to develop for a while) but i would say there were def more bees than when i got it. Saw the queen and saw medium and small larva, so presume she's laying, although i couldn't see any eggs, but put this down to my untrained eye.
I'll put some insulation on and leave for another couple of weeks - see if i notice a difference then!

 

[Luminos]

The spat in question


Is spitting against forum rules?

 

[Rob55]

Well guys, the sun came out today and I had a look

Bees have been busy! They have taken over 7Ltr of sugar syrup since I last looked in and are drawing out foundation like champions, only 2.5 frames left until I have a full box and that is right to the bottom of my deep 14x12 frames. Spotted the queen for the first time and noticed a hell of a lot more bees than previously. Going to keep a close eye and get super and frames ready to add shortly. Also not sure when I should remove the entrance block?

Over the moon !

 

[ultreen1]

I have been on the receiving end of his comments and there's no need for it.

So have I, he more or less called me a liar on one post.

 

[scuttlefish]

Well guys, the sun came out today and I had a look

Bees have been busy! They have taken over 7Ltr of sugar syrup since I last looked in and are drawing out foundation like champions, only 2.5 frames left until I have a full box and that is right to the bottom of my deep 14x12 frames. Spotted the queen for the first time and noticed a hell of a lot more bees than previously. Going to keep a close eye and get super and frames ready to add shortly. Also not sure when I should remove the entrance block?

Over the moon !

Hurrah!

 

[PaulM]

I was going to ask the same question as the op today as I am in a similar position.

Having read the thread I have just put a thick piece of cedar above the crown board (I had left one of the feed holes uncovered) and put in the verroa floor temporarily. I'm not convinced about using a dummy board (if the weather picks up I would need to remove it pretty quickly to give them enough space). I reckon the heat loss from convection up through the feed holes could be a much greater loss of heat at this time of year.

Weather at present is about two good days per week with heavy rain on the other days.

I'm surprised that there hasn't been more scientific study on the heat transfer through the hive, but perhaps I've not found it yet.

I like the forum and it's good to see all of the different views, Beekeeping seems a lot like Forestry (my profession), ask two foresters and get two different answers.

Paul M

 

[aberreef]

Well guys, the sun came out today and I had a look

Bees have been busy! They have taken over 7Ltr of sugar syrup since I last looked in and are drawing out foundation like champions, only 2.5 frames left until I have a full box and that is right to the bottom of my deep 14x12 frames. Spotted the queen for the first time and noticed a hell of a lot more bees than previously. Going to keep a close eye and get super and frames ready to add shortly. Also not sure when I should remove the entrance block?

Over the moon !

Great news

To make wax they need heat, nectar, bees and the need for more space. Each of these points sort of regulates the others to an extent but as the new bees emerge a colony expands faster and faster every day until it reaches full size.

Now, I'm far from an expert but, to my understanding, bees create their own heat when making wax by hanging in bunches (especially evident in a TBH)
I seem to remember it takes 1lbs of honey to draw one bb frame (can't remember where I read this though). I don't use dummy boards though having read a few posts on here I may in the future.

I am in the lucky position of having some spare drawn brood frames though which aids expansion considerably. I got these by supering with a spare brood box instead of a regular super. Once full I extracted the honey then had the bees clean the frames before storing for winter. I doubt you'll get a crop from this hive this year so may be worth doing similar to get spare frames drawn ready for next year

 

[scuttlefish]

I'm not convinced about using a dummy board (if the weather picks up I would need to remove it pretty quickly to give them enough space).

On that point in particular Paul, it's a not-uncommon practive to leave the dummy board in the whole time for nationals, so you have eleven frames + dummy board rather than twelve frames. Twelve frames is just a little tight in a national brood, so having the 11+1 set up means you can whip the dummy board out when inspecting and have room to separate the frames and remove the first one more easily (and without rolling and bees on the comb - esp. the queen). If they need more space, give them a super or go brood & a half.

 

[scuttlefish]

The spat in question


Is spitting against forum rules?

If it's not it should be. Spitting is for camels.

 

[jackbee]

I seem to remember it takes 1lbs of honey to draw one bb frame (can't remember where I read this though(

heard quite a few times that it takes the equivalent of 6-8lbs honey to produce 1lb wax, but don't know how much a brood frame of wax would weigh?? anyone?

 

[Meg]

I always reckon on 9lbs of honey for 1lb of wax, so that means a lot more in syrup plus of course pollen.

Wax in a brood frame with foundation there already? - very little 1/2oz?

The thing that makes the big difference I think is that meanwhile the bees have to live and given the rotten weather will be using a lot of feed just to exist.

Meg