Planning for next year

[Ian123]

Why do we need snelgrove boards and demaree boards..i have never used either of these boards or methods for increase.. i simply split the hive i do not like into nucs and add a new mated Queen to each colony in the nuc...it can't get much easier than that.. i have went from one colony to three and from three to seven and i have given two nucs away..

above methods can produce good numbers of queen cells and can be used to increase from your prefered colony. So just depends on your goals

 

[Millet]

above methods can produce good numbers of queen cells and can be used to increase from your prefered colony. So just depends on your goals

Personally i do not have a good track record for getting virgins mated and safely back to the hive which i blame on the large Swallow population around my hives..this year was an exception with around 80% success..

 

[Poly Hive]

Having very distinctive strong colour patterns on the mating boxes makes a big odds on successful returns.

PH

 

[Millet]

Having very distinctive strong colour patterns on the mating boxes makes a big odds on successful returns.

PH

How can they return if they have been pouched by little spitfires .. this year was a bit different to previous attempts with the same colured boxes.

 

[Beefriendly]

Having very distinctive strong colour patterns on the mating boxes makes a big odds on successful returns.

PH

Like these you mean?

 

[Angularity]

Like these you mean?

Do they only let the queens back in if they can guess the next one in the sequence? It looks like some attempt to increase the overall IQ of the hive.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

These striking patterns make my attempts of painting the front of each nuc a different matchpot colour a bit half-hearted.

Had success getting queens mated this year. All of them where I didn't mess it up got mated. Beginners luck?

 

[madasafish]

These striking patterns make my attempts of painting the front of each nuc a different matchpot colour a bit half-hearted.

Had success getting queens mated this year. All of them where I didn't mess it up got mated. Beginners luck?

So far getting queens mated has been the last of my QR problems..even in 2017's variable and wet summer (ours was)..

 

[SDM]

These striking patterns make my attempts of painting the front of each nuc a different matchpot colour a bit half-hearted.

Had success getting queens mated this year. All of them where I didn't mess it up got mated. Beginners luck?

A near perfect season for it, i got 100% from nearly 200 queens this year. Some years i lose 40% in may and june to swallows. My mating nucs are nowhere near as symmetrical as beefriendly's but pattern is a good system to use. I just bought half a dozen tester pots for 20p each and put very un arty blobs of colour here and there.

 

[Millet]

A near perfect season for it, i got 100% from nearly 200 queens this year. Some years i lose 40% in may and june to swallows. My mating nucs are nowhere near as symmetrical as beefriendly's but pattern is a good system to use. I just bought half a dozen tester pots for 20p each and put very un arty blobs of colour here and there.

And some say paint the front of your hives different...does that stop the little birds chomping on
the Queens ..? . I think not.. .i have had 100% losses until this year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Having very distinctive strong colour patterns on the mating boxes makes a big odds on successful returns.

PH

I just put numbers on mine - to make sure they go back to the right hive.

 

[For want of a better word]

And some say paint the front of your hives different...does that stop the little birds chomping on
the Queens ..? . I think not.. .i have had 100% losses until this year.

Possibly AI may be the way forward.... *** and Swallow proof... not sure about wasps and hornets and the odd yaffler tho!

Chons da

 

[Poly Hive]

Got to be honest and say something is just not right here.

There were loads of swollows when I was in Aberdeenshire and Kincardinshire, not to mention the herring gulls, and also in the east Mids and here in the Borders which is not a 100 miles from your location and not a problem.

BUT as I suggested my hives are distinctive so as a cheap solution there you go! If it saves one queen its worth while surely?

I well remember Mobus saying at the Easter Expert courses he ran that making the colonies distinctive was critical.

Obviously your choice though.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

not wise making theories/assumptions on data accrued over just a couple of seasons

 

[For want of a better word]

Mad idea from one of Cornwalls premier bee breeders... put coloured plates on top of stakes around the mating area so that the queens ( and workers) can orientate to the mating nuks.

Mating nucs placed on a 1.5 meter high post in fours facing to the four compass points.

A Gos Hawk may help !

Chons da

 

[Poly Hive]

Actually not mad at all. Seen it in Germany.

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

Actually not mad at all. Seen it in Germany.

PH

Looking down from the Burrow my apiary looked like Mr Blobby!!

Chons da

 

[Hivemaker.]

Looking down from the Burrow

Dave...have you turned into a Rabbit.

 

[Millet]

not wise making theories/assumptions on data accrued over just a couple of seasons

If that is aimed at me try this.... three seasons of trying to get Virgin Queens mated and back alive with around 50+ Swallows and more when the chicks arrive flying over and around the hives all day give me 100% failure... this year the Swallows never turned up and i had 80% success with the same hives and no fancy colours.

 

[SDM]

Dave...have you turned into a Rabbit.

Hobbit