Preparing for the season

Afternoon, thought I would start a new blog entry of .
At present getting ready fo the new season cleaning equipment making new equipment and modifications of old equipment.
Last season I managed to make up 28 nucs from splitting big colonys and splitting smaller into 1 / 2 frame nucs I had 10 queen's bought and I reared the rest.
I plan this season to have 40 single brood colonys ready for the end of July to go up on to the Heather using the same methods but using my own queen's my thought for next year is to winter more banked mated queen's in mini nucs, so I have those early queen's to play with.
Im not using pollen patties but I am using syrup extra pollen comes from frames I collect from colonys that have an abundance of pollen early in the season, something I'm able to take advantage of.
And so it begins I'm also setting out new mating apiarys because last season I had two many mating boxes mingled with others which doesn't work IMHO.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Are you seeing any difference to date with your bees that are overwintering on heather stores? I’ve noticed mine are larger

Yes I am, all my colonys that went to Heather are all together and definitely have been brooding more and bigger/stronger.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I am, all my colonys that went to Heather are all together and definitely have been brooding more and bigger/stronger.

Now is that because they overwinter better on heather or because the colonies you put on the heather were your strongest ones to start with?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Now is that because they overwinter better on heather or because the colonies you put on the heather were your strongest ones to start with?

I put various strengths of colonys up on the Heather.
And also all of my apiarys at work found the Heather.
My thinking is the later forage extra protein has helped which would stand to reason.
I have purposely kept my Heather Moor colonys together so I can see if there is any difference.
@jenkinsbrynmair you have taken bees to Heather more times than me what have you been your findings?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I put various strengths of colonys up on the Heather.
And also all of my apiarys at work found the Heather.
My thinking is the later forage extra protein has helped which would stand to reason.
I have purposely kept my Heather Moor colonys together so I can see if there is any difference.
@jenkinsbrynmair you have taken bees to Heather more times than me what have you been your findings?

So your employer's bees are stronger too?

JBM's bees find the heather if I remember correctly.

 

[Ian123]

Now is that because they overwinter better on heather or because the colonies you put on the heather were your strongest ones to start with?

From experience of heather in the sunny south. Bees that have access to it benefit, nothing to do with colony size taken. Many of ours have access to varying amounts of Heath on a permanent basis. For the record those with access to ivy and heather will do even better, in heathland areas both often go hand in hand.IMO apart from the late nectar the main reason has to be the late pollen source. There is a marked difference between locations offering these late supplies and those that don’t! Ironically as a beginner I was told bees winter poorly on heather.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you have taken bees to Heather more times than me what have you been your findings?

no difference whatsoever

 

[Curly green finger's]

From experience of heather in the sunny south. Bees that have access to it benefit, nothing to do with colony size taken. Many of ours have access to varying amounts of Heath on a permanent basis. For the record those with access to ivy and heather will do even better, in heathland areas both often go hand in hand.IMO apart from the late nectar the main reason has to be the late pollen source. There is a marked difference between locations offering these late supplies and those that don’t! Ironically as a beginner I was told bees winter poorly on heather.

I've also heard that to that bees winter poorly, but the mojority of what I read and beeks even on here say different.

 

[Newbeeneil]

That is an interesting thing.
I had 2 of my 12 apiaries that found heather this year. Both are the strongest I have.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So...more questions. Do you take all the heather off? If you do and the bees have no heather stores are they still the strongest?
Are the strongest colonies the ones with heather stores?
How old are the queens in these strong colonies?

 

[PLUTO]

when i put my bees to the heather i make sure the 2 outside frames either side are clean frames
when the come home i remove these for honey
i get about 20LB a box this way i am selling heather honey at £14 a lb so the honey is say £12 thats £240
new frames in box and feed 15 liters sugar syrup that costs £6.75 the bees draw really nice frames in autum
no brainer for me
and beekeepers say its a expensive hobby ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

So...more questions. Do you take all the heather off? If you do and the bees have no heather stores are they still the strongest?
Are the strongest colonies the ones with heather stores?
How old are the queens in these strong colonies?

I don't think you can take all of the heather honey /pollen stores off, I know some will remove brood frames from the outside of the brood because it's so valuable.
Personally anything in the brood box unless they are honey bound stays in the brood box, I only removed super frames this last season. Most of my Heather colonys had no extra autumn feeding because of the above.
Queen's were only last seasons and the season before.

 

[Curly green finger's]

when i put my bees to the heather i make sure the 2 outside frames either side are clean frames
when the come home i remove these for honey
i get about 20LB a box this way i am selling heather honey at £14 a lb so the honey is say £12 thats £240
new frames in box and feed 15 liters sugar syrup that costs £6.75 the bees draw really nice frames in autum
no brainer for me
and beekeepers say its a expensive hobby ?

That's interesting we averages 25lb per production colony from 18 colonys.
Imo I would prefer to leave the Heather in the brood box, mainly because the time + feeding and unless they are honey bound out ways the cost, plus the benefits that the bees will get from not suplimenting them with sugar.
Im getting £20 per lb for heather honey and 10lb for anything else I've worked hard to get these prices.

 

[PLUTO]

That's interesting we averages 25lb per production colony from 18 colonys.
Imo I would prefer to leave the Heather in the brood box, mainly because the time + feeding and unless they are honey bound out ways the cost, plus the benefits that the bees will get from not suplimenting them with sugar.
Im getting £20 per lb for heather honey and 10lb for anything else I've worked hard to get these prices.

Last year i left 2 hives with there heather honey no feed
come end of february both were dead
they had sh!t all over the frames i dont know if it was nosema or something else
but this is what i was told long ago thats what would happen
may be because my bees go to hills wher it is pure ling and they have very little else
or it may be i am so far north and my bees stay longer in the hive over winter
i wont be trying to leave it again

 

[pargyle]

Photo of my best production colony from last season taken yesterday. View attachment 30368View attachment 30369
Some good brood cappings as you can see.

What was your reason for opening them up at this time of the year ? With what's on the board you can tell they are alright without fiddling with them ...That's a first year beekeeper trait !

 

[Curly green finger's]

What was your reason for opening them up at this time of the year ? With what's on the board you can tell they are alright without fiddling with them ...That's a first year beekeeper trait !

Phillip Philip they are a huge colony on double brood and are weighing a bit light so they have had 2.5kgs of fondant directly on top of the frames, they also were not fed in the autumn. I want to add the colony in the photo didn't go to Heather.
I've also today given fondant to some lighter colonys.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Last year i left 2 hives with there heather honey no feed
come end of february both were dead
they had sh!t all over the frames i dont know if it was nosema or something else
but this is what i was told long ago thats what would happen
may be because my bees go to hills wher it is pure ling and they have very little else
or it may be i am so far north and my bees stay longer in the hive over winter
i wont be trying to leave it again

Colonys can get nosemia whatever I think that might of been more to do with coinsadunce who knows, did you get them tested for nosemia?

 

[elainemary]

Checked all mine today, left a super of heather / blend plus what they’d collected in brood box end sept. Mix of white and blue queens. Flew to the heather except 1 colony that I took directly to the moor. All looking strong , no winter losses to date, no poo on landing boards, or on outside of hives. Some photos thru crownboards today

 

[pargyle]

Phillip Philip they are a huge colony on double brood and are weighing a bit light so they have had 2.5kgs of fondant directly on top of the frames, they also were not fed in the autumn. I want to add the colony in the photo didn't go to Heather.
I've also today given fondant to some lighter colonys.

Well ... its an explanation of sorts . .. considering the amount of feeding you did, generally, in the autumn and you did not take the colony to the heather why did this colony not get fed ?

If you must open them at this time of the year best explain to our newer beeks why you did it and that photography is unnecessary time spent with them open just for bragging rights.

 

[PLUTO]

Colonys can get nosemia whatever I think that might of been more to do with coinsadunce who knows, did you get them tested for nosemia?

no just put it down to experiance

 

[Curly green finger's]

Well ... its an explanation of sorts . .. considering the amount of feeding you did, generally, in the autumn and you did not take the colony to the heather why did this colony not get fed ?

If you must open them at this time of the year best explain to our newer beeks why you did it and that photography is unnecessary time spent with them open just for bragging rights.

Aye ill do that next time, bragging rights? Maybe one should stop posting then he won't have folk putting him down all the time hey?