October Brood

[Zaclangley]

In my second year of beekeeping and yesterday went through two hives, lots of stores and bees but hardly any brood to speak of Saw one of the two Queens but didnt look thoroughly for the other. Just wondered if this is uncommon in October. Have been feeding syrup at intervals throughout Sep and have now stopped.

 

[Erichalfbee]

As long as the queen has room to lay all is good. Brood breaks are common at this time of year. Ideal time to vape

 

[Zaclangley]

Both hives are on brood and a half plus a super for the winter. The super and the half were pretty full of stores but the brood box, on the bottom, had plenty of space. Is there an argument for moving the half down to the bottom of the stack?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Time to stop fiddling in the brood box now and give the bees a chance to seal up everything for winter - bees will often have brood breaks September into October.

Both hives are on brood and a half plus a super for the winter.

that's a bit excessive - if you are running brood and a half, there is no need for an additional super.

 

[Zaclangley]

Trying to get the balance right. Last year i thought I underfed them then this year they seemed to have no stores to speak of in early September so may have over done it since then. There was a lot of propolis around which i put down to winter preperations.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Trying to get the balance right

Good plan, but as JBM said, brood & half is enough. If it's honey, extract and sell it: 11kg could = £300.

PS: add your location, because forage, feeding and colony development is variable.

 

[biglongdarren]

Due to bees on the heather and what not I only got round to sticking apivar into hives on Saturday past. I had a quick peek through a few nucs and a hive at my front door here and some 8frame nucs were wall to wall brood, the only national at the house was very full too. I was pleasantly surprised.

 

[Jonnyl]

Due to bees on the heather and what not I only got round to sticking apivar into hives on Saturday past. I had a quick peek through a few nucs and a hive at my front door here and some 8frame nucs were wall to wall brood, the only national at the house was very full too. I was pleasantly surprised.

I knock back taking them to the heather, bee club has an arrangement with a landowner, as ive never figured out how to get the damn strips out in mid December? I cant countenance opening a hive in the temps we have in central scotland. Frustrating much.

 

[ericbeaumont]

how to get the damn strips out in mid December

Give the strips a miss next year in case resistance has appeared, and use OA or thymol.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Give the strips a miss next year in case resistance has appeared

especially if they were left in all winter

 

[Jonnyl]

Give the strips a miss next year in case resistance has appeared, and use OA or thymol.

I do vape, around December. Read bad stuff about Maqs and dont trust it. Apilife gas developed resistance already? So still dont know how to get strips outta hive in mid december though, if i have to like the poster will have to. Maybe the temps are kinder further south at that time of year.

 

[Jonnyl]

especially if they were left in all winter

I would never, never do that JBM. That would be wholly wrong and an affront to all beeks. That would be beyond the pale sir. Much rather no ling than expose fellow beeks bees to that.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I do vape, around December. Read bad stuff about Maqs and dont trust it. Apilife gas developed resistance already? So still dont know how to get strips outta hive in mid december though, if i have to like the poster will have to. Maybe the temps are kinder further south at that time of year.

Grab the top tightly with a pair of good pliers. Pull hard while holding the adjacent frames down. It takes seconds.

 

[user 819]

I do vape, around December. Read bad stuff about Maqs and dont trust it. Apilife gas developed resistance already? So still dont know how to get strips outta hive in mid december though, if i have to like the poster will have to. Maybe the temps are kinder further south at that time of year.

Vape them in Autumn as well, no need to open hive to add or remove strips.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I would never, never do that JBM. That would be wholly wrong and an affront to all beeks. That would be beyond the pale sir. Much rather no ling than expose fellow beeks bees to that.

maybe I misunderstood

still dont know how to get strips outta hive in mid december

 

[Newbeeneil]

Grab the top tightly with a pair of good pliers. Pull hard while holding the adjacent frames down. It takes seconds.

I use a J tool and just hook it into the hole and yank it.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Apilife gas developed resistance already?

ApiLife Var is a fumigant biscuit (not a gas) based on thymol, eucalyptus and camphor and attacks varroa broadly. For that reason, varroa are unable to develop a workaround and develop resistance. OA works similarly.

Varroa is able to survive chemical attack that disables only one piece of it's jigsaw, such as Amitraz (the Apivar chemical) and fluvalinate (Apistan) and the like.

Leaving strips in over winter is not a hanging offence, but I suggested an alternative next winter in case resistance builds during this one.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Leaving strips in over winter is not a hanging offence,

but it is well documented that leaving them in for longer than the recommended time leads to the mites developing resistance quicker

 

[Jonnyl]

Grab the top tightly with a pair of good pliers. Pull hard while holding the adjacent frames down. It takes seconds.

Thats what i do. However trying to get purchase on the strip with it covered on bees whilst they boil over can be problematic. And thats in average conditions. Not all the time but on occasion. And the desire to rip it from the frames whilst being stung is sttong. On more than one occasion ive had to retreat and go back again. Damn buzzers.

 

[Jonnyl]

Vape them in Autumn as well, no need to open hive to add or remove strips.

Often thought about doing that, certainly easier but we're continually encouraged to vary treatment. Suppose the odd year wouldn't do any harm though. Better than leaving strips in anyway.