Small weak colony - what to do ?

[MerryBee]

I am a first year beekeeper, with only one colony.
Due to a queen problem earlier this summer, I have ended up with a colony that is rather small, and I need advice how to overwinter it.
The colony is in a wooden national hive. A new queen has been laying for about 5 weeks, and I have 3 well covered frames of brood. Bees from the previous queen are all now 6 weeks old, so not expected to last much longer. Of the remaining frames in the brood box about half contain stores, some capped, and the other half are drawn but empty. I have put a super containing 2 frames of honey underneath the brood box. I have also started feeding heavy syrup. The weather here has been dry warm and sunny. The bees are flying and appear to be bringing in a lot of nectar and pollen.

Should I move the colony to a poly nuc for the winter, which I assume would be warmer, or should I just leave them well alone in the big hive ?

many thanks.

 

[pargyle]

If you leave them in the 'big' hive then make sure that any vacant space is filled with insulation and a nice bit of insulation on the top as well - either an eke or a super above the crown board filled with insulation. The super underneath won't do any harm as it will keep the draughts away and they will almost certainly move the honey up to the brood box from there anyway.

Key to winter survival (IMO) is enough stores to get them through ... which, if it's a national brood box, should be as near full of stores as possible ... and a well insulated hive. Do you have ivy around you ? If so they could probably make enough stores for themselves, if not - well you will need to feed them .. 2:1 in Autumn ...

Three frames of brood isn't too bad and she's still got time for more laying before the winter.

 

[enrico]

Personally, I don't think you will have a problem. Just make sure that bb is rock heavy with stores.
E

 

[MerryBee]

If you leave them in the 'big' hive then make sure that any vacant space is filled with insulation and a nice bit of insulation on the top as well - either an eke or a super above the crown board filled with insulation. The super underneath won't do any harm as it will keep the draughts away and they will almost certainly move the honey up to the brood box from there anyway.

Key to winter survival (IMO) is enough stores to get them through ... which, if it's a national brood box, should be as near full of stores as possible ... and a well insulated hive. Do you have ivy around you ? If so they could probably make enough stores for themselves, if not - well you will need to feed them .. 2:1 in Autumn ...

Three frames of brood isn't too bad and she's still got time for more laying before the winter.

Thanks for that advice. Yes there is lots of ivy around as I am in a rural area with woods and copses. I will keep feeding the syrup and look for some suitable insulation in the mean time.

 

[itma]

A polynuc is a very useful thing to have in your toolkit!
It can come in very handy in the future for swarm control, or even collection (way better than a skep, IMHO.)

In October Paynes have a sale (on complete, not partial) polyhives that has previously included their polynuc.
I'd suggest you consider getting one - and an eke for it (buy it as the 14x12 version, which just means it includes an eke cheaper). The roof is too thin, so an eke-ful of insulation makes a worthwhile difference - also, my suggestion would be to completely close off the integral feeder and try to pretend it isn't there (it is not without problems). The eke then provides you with space for a feeder or great chunks of fondant, or both.

October isn't too late to move them into a nuc, if need be.

 

[MerryBee]

A polynuc is a very useful thing to have in your toolkit!
It can come in very handy in the future for swarm control, or even collection (way better than a skep, IMHO.)

In October Paynes have a sale (on complete, not partial) polyhives that has previously included their polynuc.
I'd suggest you consider getting one - and an eke for it (buy it as the 14x12 version, which just means it includes an eke cheaper). The roof is too thin, so an eke-ful of insulation makes a worthwhile difference - also, my suggestion would be to completely close off the integral feeder and try to pretend it isn't there (it is not without problems). The eke then provides you with space for a feeder or great chunks of fondant, or both.

October isn't too late to move them into a nuc, if need be.

Many thanks for that advice. My bees originally came from Paynes in a polynuc, which I still have, not in use. Sounds like I should get the eke for "the toolkit", as you put it.
I'll put it on the shopping list for my next visit.

 

[MerryBee]

insulation

If you leave them in the 'big' hive then make sure that any vacant space is filled with insulation and a nice bit of insulation on the top as well - either an eke or a super above the crown board filled with insulation.
.

I am looking at 50mm polystyrene insulating board which is quite cheap at B&Q. Is this the right kind of thing for above the crown board? Would it also be suitable for filling vacant space in the hive or would the bees try to eat it?

 

[pargyle]

I am looking at 50mm polystyrene insulating board which is quite cheap at B&Q. Is this the right kind of thing for above the crown board? Would it also be suitable for filling vacant space in the hive or would the bees try to eat it?

If it's polystyrene (like your polynuc - but probably not as dense) they probably won't eat it .. if it's the silver foil faced type of insulation like Kingspan and Celotex then (in my experience) you need to seal the cut edges with aluminium foil tape or they will burrow into the stuff.

Any insulation is better than no insulation - straw in a black bin liner has been used by some of us to just fill up the empty space in a hive.

See this thread:

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=31213

 

[Madge]

If it's polystyrene (like your polynuc - but probably not as dense) they probably won't eat it ..

They'll chew it. If you use it above the crown board, then that's obviously ok, but for use inside the brood box you'll need to cover that polystyrene with something - perhaps a thick plastic sheet or thin 2mm Correx. (I think they'll even chew the dense stuff if there's an exposed edge that they can bite on.)
Kitta