DomB
New Bee
Hi All
I've recently received some bees in a Modified Dadant hive and could do with a few pointers as to what I should be doing right now (apart from joining my local association which I will do very soon!)
I was just doing a final inspection ready for winter when my next door neighbours started having a BBQ and I felt the need to leave the bees be, as it were.
At the moment the hive has:
I'd also removed one of the supers ready for winter and I now have that Super sat just outside the hive with a number of bees all over it and a host of questions!
Thanks very much indeed for any help!
DomB
I've recently received some bees in a Modified Dadant hive and could do with a few pointers as to what I should be doing right now (apart from joining my local association which I will do very soon!)
I was just doing a final inspection ready for winter when my next door neighbours started having a BBQ and I felt the need to leave the bees be, as it were.
At the moment the hive has:
- One Varoa Strip in the brood chamber (turns out there was only one left in the pack which my friend thought had two left in it, doh)
- No queen excluder
- One Super which has a framefull of honey + some empty combed frames in it
I'd also removed one of the supers ready for winter and I now have that Super sat just outside the hive with a number of bees all over it and a host of questions!
- Is it right to have the hive as I do right now?
- Do I just leave that Super outside the hive until the bees leave it and then take it away or should I shake them off (bare in mind the BBQ!)?
- Being a Modified Dadant, the bees have a large brood chamber which is very full plus at least one full frame of honey on top, do I need to feed them for winter?
- I guess I now leave the Apistan strip in for 42 days, put the mouse guard on and then just keep an eye on the entrance for blockages etc through the winter?
Thanks very much indeed for any help!
DomB