Noted today.

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Poly Hive

Queen Bee
Joined
Dec 4, 2008
Messages
14,093
Reaction score
393
Location
Scottish Borders
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
12 and 18 Nucs
A colony with no brood, just eggs yet lots of young bees around which says what?

Tells me that for the last 20 days it was too damn cold for HM to start laying again.

Also noted with considerable interest that several of the hives and nucs have brood on the OUTSIDE frame next to the wall. Something not seen in wooden hives at this time but often found in polys. Warmth.

Noted too some dark red pollen which set me wondering if there was a horse chestnut popping into bloom though it seems a bit early for that yet.

PH
 
Hi Poly

I often find brood in wooden nuc boxes up against a wooden wall, it normaly happens when that wall gets the sun..........

I also found a few cells of a brick red pollen and thought Chesnut, but no where near ready yet so must be something else. Anyone any ideas?


Regards Ian
 

I often find brood in wooden nuc boxes up against a wooden wall, it normaly happens when that wall gets the sun..........

Same here,have several like it at the moment,nothing unusual about that,thats where the radiators are bolted to the walls.:smilielol5:
 
Last edited:
Horse chestnut leaf buds just opening here, so a way off flowering I expect.

Tons and tons and tons of pussy willow around here, which is great for pollen!
 
[QUOTEthats where the radiators are bolted to the walls. ][/QUOTE]

well mine have solid floors with underfloor heating La la

My bees are acting as per normal starting from the centre and working out wards. I have a Langstroth with dark bees Ha Ha Ha, and have the lower brood box full of sealed brood and she has just started on the upper brood box.

Re pollen do you have any Red Dead Nettle about? bit early for Great mullen or Pot Marigolds.

Regards;
 
Last edited:
A colony with no brood, just eggs yet lots of young bees around which says what?

Tells me that for the last 20 days it was too damn cold for HM to start laying again.
PH

I opened my 2 colonies up today and found the same. I was worried that the queen(s) had been lost but I spotted a load of eggs in both. When I took a quick peek on 24 March there was a lot of brood.

Thank goodness someone else is in the same position.
 
In Aberdeenshire it took late June/ July type temps before the brood got to the outside frames (if ever) so what is common to one is often times quite a different matter to others.

PH
 
I'm hoping that's the score with mine, I had a very brief peak on Saturday and there was emerging brood but didn't see anything younger. Mine were taking in loads of water but since it cooled down again they have been flying but not going for water, now it's warmed up the water is going in by the bucket load so I'm hoping it all coincides with HM having a break and starting again.

Time will tell.
Si.
 
How can you tell that they are taking in water? I can clearly see pollen going in but I dont think I'd know if they were collecting water.
 
I have a bucket full of soil which I keep topped up with water and it gets covered with bees having a drink!

<<<<See the avatar!
 
Last edited:
Now I am wondering - is this going 'off lay' related to the temperatures, to water availability, or a lack of protein for the larvae?

I have one hive with brood all along one side of the hive - the better insulated side (the polystyrene sheet was loose on the other side, for some time). Tells me something, or rather confirms that insulation is used by the bees to their benefit.

Regards, RAB
 
Well I can't be sure that she is back on lay yet but for the period she appears to have been off lay water was available and the bees were flying, but I suppose the water could have been too cold for them to collect without chilling.

There is also stacks of pollen stored so I don't think protein was lacking.

As nice as these warm days are we could do with some warmer night time temperatures. I had to scrap ice of the car this morning and I'm in sunny South Devon.

Si.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top