ouch

[Tom Bick]

Ok i will have to think about this a bit. I will have a closer look at the next lot of QC and report back on the forum.

Edit. i just worried that theres not enough bees to split the hive up .

Hi wightbees

I said this earlier in the thread you may be worried about the number of bees but the bees are telling you they are very happy and want to swarm.
They know the conditions are right, lots of nurse bees, nectar flows, long days, warm weather ect.
Ok think about it but but ask yourself what are the bees telling me.
Good look

 

[wightbees]

would this mean there will be no crop for me this yr from these hives?

 

[Tom Bick]

If they swarm you can perhaps wave goodbye to your honey this year.

If you keep your bees and AS them you should still get a honey crop.

 

[oliver90owner]

As Tom says. It is one of the main reasons for doing an A/S.

Swarms = most of your foragers saying goodbye, AND taking a few days honey supply for the swarm. The bees left behind need to delve into the stores to feed the brood left behind.

It also means about 3 week gap in the brood cycle, and perhaps more, so your foragers from the new queen will not be foraging for about 6 weeks from swarming - they will be just about right for provisioning the colony for the on-coming winter!

A/S means that you still have all your bees. The foragers are redirected to the 'swarmed' part for a week, perhaps more, so should be continuing to store honey (at an increased rate until brood needs feeding!).

By then the new queen will hopefully hatching your colony be getting closer to new brooding. After a couple of brood cycles you may wish to re-queen the 'swarmed' section with that queen by removal of the old queen and uniting the two parts. By that time you will have had two queens laying for the past few weeks and so the new colony, headed by a young queen, will be strong enough to collect a lot of late nectar, if available, especially as the brood needing feeding will diminish to half after a week.

I've undoubtedly missed a few of the stages, left the dates open, but you can see the advantages of keeping all your bees. In the unlikely event of that new queen having a mishap - killed, damaged, not properly mated, your colony security may be further damaged, or doomed without serious, lengthy, or costly intervention.

Regards, RAB

 

[wightbees]

Ok, where i removed all QC Friday afternoon . If i was to do the A/S sunday afternoon
would that be ok . Or do i wait until they have new QC again ?

I have been reading Ted Hooper guid to this and it looks simple enough.

 

[Poly Hive]

Bees + simple = does not compute.

PH

 

[wightbees]

Ph now you have confused me lol
What do you mean ?

Edit > my last post > ted hooper bit
lol

 

[Tom Bick]

Wightbees they probably already have them do it sooner rather than later

 

[wightbees]

Ok sunday is as soon as i can do this, lets hope all goes well.
best not have to much to drink tonight

I will let you know how it goes , thanks all


One more thing, does it cause much flying about around me and so on, when doing this A/S ?