OSR Advice

[simonforeman]

So looking at the OSR close to my hives, I would think it will be out in full flower in a couple of weeks. Weather outlook looks to be settled and warmer.
All 4 hives look very strong through the clear crownboards and have fondant on them. I would say they all have between 6 - 8 frames of bees.
So questions...
1. When OSR is fully out would you stop feeding?
2. When would you add super?
3 lastly would you add queen excluded now as the weather is warmer?

Strange weather has confused me as I would of expected the OSR to be in flower after the first inspections have been completed...

Any advice would be helpful

 

[simonforeman]

Sorry forgot to add.... 2 hives brood +1/2, 1 double brood and the other 14x12.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So looking at the OSR close to my hives, I would think it will be out in full flower in a couple of weeks. Weather outlook looks to be settled and warmer.
All 4 hives look very strong through the clear crownboards and have fondant on them. I would say they all have between 6 - 8 frames of bees.
So questions...
1. When OSR is fully out would you stop feeding?
2. When would you add super?
3 lastly would you add queen excluded now as the weather is warmer?

Strange weather has confused me as I would of expected the OSR to be in flower after the first inspections have been completed...

Any advice would be helpful

1. Yes, no brainer
2.ASAP after it flowers, if not sooner
3.Yes

 

[B+.]

1. Yes, no brainer
2.ASAP after it flowers, if not sooner
3.Yes

But...if it's cold, there won't be a nectar flow. It needs to be warm enough too.

 

[Hivemaker.]

But...if it's cold, there won't be a nectar flow. It needs to be warm enough too.

Agree, the temperatures can be very variable, maybe best to put them on, on warm days... and take them off on colder days.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I agree with 1and 2 but no need for the QE... Imo.

 

[B+.]

Agree, the temperatures can be very variable, maybe best to put them on, on warm days... and take them off on colder days.

Nonsense. You just shouldn't be driven just by the appearance of flowers. If it is too cold, the plant won't secrete nectar

 

[Hivemaker.]

You just shouldn't be driven just by the appearance of flowers.

I am, being as no one can possibly know what the temperature is going to be on each and every day for the next month and thereafter.

 

[masterBK]

Modern OSR varieties being planted these days don't seem to yield as highly as those used by farmers in the past. Has anyone else noticed this ?

 

[mintmoth]

Modern OSR varieties being planted these days don't seem to yield as highly as those used by farmers in the past. Has anyone else noticed this ?

I haven't kept bees long enough to compare yields, but OSR varieties today are certainly a lot shorter than in the past. It used to grow well above the hedges, but nowadays doesn't even reach hedge height.

 

[Millet]

I haven't kept bees long enough to compare yields, but OSR varieties today are certainly a lot shorter than in the past. It used to grow well above the hedges, but nowadays doesn't even reach hedge height.

I agree with that..when we where kids we used to play in the fields that where well above our head height and build camps and come out covered in yellow pollen stinking of pee..these days it barely reaches knee height and has no pee smell like it used too..

 

[Insy]

Some rape near me I recon a week

 

[Beefriendly]

Modern OSR varieties being planted these days don't seem to yield as highly as those used by farmers in the past. Has anyone else noticed this ?

Depends what you mean by yields in the past.
I only have data for the last 10 years....and all seems very good to me.
Distance of hives from OSR is a big factor.

 

[simonforeman]

Depends what you mean by yields in the past.
I only have data for the last 10 years....and all seems very good to me.
Distance of hives from OSR is a big factor.

Hive on the field edge I guess is the best but how far away before yeald drops greatly. My home hives the OSR is 0.2miles away. The out apairy that I can use the OSR is about 0.7 miles away... although lots of Apple trees and hawthorn there....

 

[Beefriendly]

Figures from my own hives suggest that 0.4 miles away drop is about 25%, 1 mile is down about 50%. But note this could be tempered by what other forage is around between hives and OSR field.
0.2.....you should be fine, but nothing beats having hives on edge of field of OSR.
Note, weather and time of flowering and colony strength all influence yields.

 

[Angularity]

Some rape near me I recon a week

Still a week behind that in the crops I see in Suffolk and Norfolk.

I wonder if the drop in honey yield is due to the use of hybrid varieties, where male-sterile plants are sown with male-only, pollen producing plants.

The change in smell is probably due to the introduction of low erucic acid varieties from the eighties onwards.

 

[Poly Hive]

The breeders have gone for wind pollinated types and what do they care about nectar. They are after as short a flowering period as possible in my time the flowering period has gone from 7-8 weeks down to 3, and from 5 or 6 feet tall to 3. Times are achanging and not for the better. I used to rely on OSR for a ton of honey, now I avoid it as it messes with my comb honey. I've been successful too as I have liquid honey from last year that is still liquid.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I agree with that..when we where kids we used to play in the fields that where well above our head height.....these days it barely reaches knee height and has no pee smell like it used too..

Hasn't it occurred to you that you might be a little bit taller now?
And maybe the pee smell was not the OSR

 

[Millet]

Hasn't it occurred to you that you might be a little bit taller now?
And maybe the pee smell was not the OSR

The rape was 5ft tall and 6ft in places so i would have had to be a big owld sprog to get my head above that..as for the pee smell it was the rape fields..i was not old a decrepit in those days like you old timers leaking and stinking of urine while wearing incontinence pants ..

 

[enrico]

Sorry millet but JBMs comment was quite funny!!!!!!