Poly Hive has gone..................

[wilderness]

I have a National frame in each of my 14x12 brood boxes. The bees build down from the bottom of this frame with drone comb. Once in a while cut this off and open the cells and look at the larvae. You might (will) see varroa on the larvae. Varroa prefer drone comb for their reproduction.

It is recommended that you regularly cut out drone comb as part of your IPM (Integrated Pest Management)

 

[wightbees]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me.

 

[Heather]

But don't be too vicious with drone culling- we need plenty of them for good matings too!
I have frames of capped brood and some capped drone- so at last we are beginning to get started.

Lost 1 colony - queen failure and have helped another v small colony queen present but slow- transferred them to a poly Nuc and added a frame of brood and nurse bees- 2 pints syrup- now they are on their own - sink or swim.

 

[hillybee]

Hey Polyhive, how about some beekeeping tomorrow. Weather forecast 15c and sunny, wind due to drop pm. :http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/Smiles/party.gifparty:
I am about 10 miles north of you and feeling just as frustrated, apart from brief checks for stores no inspections carried out yet.
Roll on spring.
Hillybee

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this to me.

wightbees

see the link to the varroa pdf file

https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/beebase/index.cfm?pageid=167

 

[wightbees]

Thanks MM

That will keep me busy for a while

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thanks MM

That will keep me busy for a while

it is what is missed from most books becuase it is only a recent disease in uk

also read the foul brood one, hope you never have to report EFB or AFB to the Bee inspector ( its complusory)

 

[ian]

Hi

For those that have not been before a word to the wise.

Get there early, if you are not in the first wave to go through you may well miss out on some of the prime items(broods/hoff frames)

You are then restricted to what you can physically carry out.

So take a friend or six and someone that knows what they are looking for helps.

Last year parts went fast, the year before you got a couple of goes around.


Regards Ian