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.

 

[Swarm]

Interesting observation Mark, why do you think it doesn't work? I had some excellent results with mating nucs alongside thirty or more colonies.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Interesting observation Mark, why do you think it doesn't work? I had some excellent results with mating nucs alongside thirty or more colonies.

By my results from queen rearing last season, maybe the variables were not in my favour last season but I still plan to keep them all separate as much as I can.
Stocks are looking good though so far no losses plenty of stores and even some with no brood via inspection board observations, the stocks with no brood are my purer lines of amms, I'll keep an eye on these broodless colonys hopefully there queen right, they were in the autumn anyway.

I have a sublimox on its way for treatment this season I've already got a good supply of OA as I've been trickle treating over winter.

 

[rolande]

On the subjects of getting ready and mating nucs, we're busy repurposing some ancient dadant supers. Not my first choice of mating nuc bur they work OK and it's very cost efficient for us at present.

 

[Curly green finger's]

On the subjects of getting ready and mating nucs, we're busy repurposing some ancient dadant supers. Not my first choice of mating nuc bur they work OK and it's very cost efficient for us at present. View attachment 30367

Ive modified half dozen single brood hives in to two 5 frame nucs with a thick divider, looking at the photo is that a 4 way? If so I was wondering about moding some national into four way they would I suppose have half frames with a modified top bar or as I'm doing with some of the mini top bars making my own.
What are your thoughts.

Edit : nice to see your keeping the old kit going

 

[Swarm]

Three way? 3 x three frame and save modifying the top bar?

 

[Antipodes]

By my results from queen rearing last season, maybe the variables were not in my favour last season but I still plan to keep them all separate as much as I can.
Stocks are looking good though so far no losses plenty of stores and even some with no brood via inspection board observations, the stocks with no brood are my purer lines of amms, I'll keep an eye on these broodless colonys hopefully there queen right, they were in the autumn anyway.

I have a sublimox on its way for treatment this season I've already got a good supply of OA as I've been trickle treating over winter.

Do report back on the progress later in the season of the colonies that you think are broodless.
https://www.researchgate.net/public...ical_timing_of_colony_growth_and_reproduction

 

[Antipodes]

On the subjects of getting ready and mating nucs, we're busy repurposing some ancient dadant supers. Not my first choice of mating nuc bur they work OK and it's very cost efficient for us at present. View attachment 30367

Proper sized frames can be better for adding into normal sized boxes. Also, I remember B+, who used to post on here, mentioned that he was going to move from the little mini mating boxes to bigger ones as he hypothesised that the extra movement of the recently mated queen being chased by the workers as they were trying to remove the mating signs, was possibly of assistance.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Three way? 3 x three frame and save modifying the top bar?

Could be a plan, but I was wondering if I could work it with my mini frames so I could move them around from modified brood to mini nuc?
I'll get the tape out tomorrow when I'm in the workshop.

 

[rolande]

Ive modified half dozen single brood hives in to two 5 frame nucs with a thick divider, looking at the photo is that a 4 way? If so I was wondering about moding some national into four way they would I suppose have half frames with a modified top bar or as I'm doing with some of the mini top bars making my own.
What are your thoughts.

Edit : nice to see your keeping the old kit going

I have seen it done, a guy was selling about 100 of them a few years ago on ebay. So doable, but don't copy his method and keep the long top bars (huge central divider)* fill in part of the national rebates so that you can use short lugs, that'll give you a narrow box divider and more comb area.

*Edit: @Curly green finger's , I should have written long lugs ragher than" long topbars'.

 

[rolande]

Proper sized frames can be better for adding into normal sized boxes. Also, I remember B+, who used to post on here, mentioned that he was going to move from the little mini mating boxes to bigger ones as he hypothesised that the extra movement of the recently mated queen being chased by the workers as they were trying to remove the mating signs, was possibly of assistance.

I have seen that discussed a lot, but I don't see any difference in queens mated in our small nucs (not quite minis) and those we mate out of 5 frame standard nucs or for that matter any which are mated from full size dadant hives. They're all the same ie some are brilliant and others are rubbish but never any correlation to the box type as far as I can see.

 

[Curly green finger's]

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

 

[Curly green finger's]

I have seen it done, a guy was selling about 100 of them a few years ago on ebay. So doable, but don't copy his method and keep the long top bars (huge central divider) fill in part of the national rebates so that you can use short lugs, that'll give you a narrow box divider and more comb area.

I will have a play tomorrow if I get time after jarring and labelling thanks for your thoughts as always.

 

[Markthebuilder]

Some good brood cappings as you can see.

How do you know these are brood capings and not capping s from honey which I’m guessing could have become discoloured by this time of year….. is it exp or is there a clue/ guide I can learn?

 

[Curly green finger's]

How do you know these are brood capings and not capping s from honey which I’m guessing could have become discoloured by this time of year….. is it exp or is there a clue/ guide I can learn?

Honey cappings won't change colour to much over the winter.
Also think about where there honey stores will be, at the front of frames brood and generally towards the back and sides stores.
I will look for a better photo because there is pollen and bits of wax from the bees cleaning on that photo.

 

[rolande]

nice to see your keeping the old kit going

I way I was feeling a month ago we're lucky to be keeping any kit going!!

 

[Curly green finger's]

I way I was feeling a month ago we're lucky to be keeping any kit going!!

Well I'm glad you have kept going, no one on here quite like you mate.

 

[rolande]

@Curly green finger's, If you're having a go at dividing a box without router/saw set up you can fabricate a passable divider by laminating three lengths of 12mm ply or osb with the middle one the full hiegh of the box and the two outside ones cut to the height of the frame rests.

 

[elainemary]

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

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

 

[mbc]

I have seen that discussed a lot, but I don't see any difference in queens mated in our small nucs (not quite minis) and those we mate out of 5 frame standard nucs or for that matter any which are mated from full size dadant hives. They're all the same ie some are brilliant and others are rubbish but never any correlation to the box type as far as I can see.

I've found queens get mated quicker and are more likely to fail prematurely from smaller mating boxes.
Admittedly it's marginal and more than offset by the relatively tiny resources needed to stock mini's but its definitely discernible over the years.
The major advantage of full sized frame mating equipment imho though is the facility to promote them without the added step of queen introduction, I reckon to lose ~ 1/10 on introduction