So Tempted!!

[Susan1]

The sun is out and its really mild here but am not sure of the temperature. Am sooooo tempted to have a wee look inside the hives. But I know its far to early and I have no good reason to do so except am really excited to see how they are getting on.
Love seeing them flying in and out with pollen.
I will not look I will not look..........

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Take a chair, sit next to the hive and just watch the foragers coming back and try and identify what they're carrying - maybe try to take some nice photos, maybe that will sate your urge a little

 

[oliver90owner]

Just ask youself what the benefits are, of looking inside. You may well benefit by seeing they are alive (but you already know that) but will the bees chances of survival improve if you open the colony unecessarily. My view is they won't, so leave 'well enough' alone.

Hefting will give an idea of stores and maybe a small container of fondant over the feed hole might make you feel better.

If they are flying and taking in pollen they are not tightly clustered and will be able to get to stores. They know what they are doing as survival is their aim.

Cold weather to come can still cause their demise, but there is little you can do about that. So leave them in peace until the weather comes consistently warm.

Obviously, you are doing fine - so far. Keep it up!

BTW, I hope they are only flying 'in' with pollen!

 

[biglongdarren]

somebody said somethimg about Patience being a virtue,
seldom found in women,

Darren

 

[MJBee]

Beekeepers mantra:- Oh God give me patience - but I want it NOW

 

[tkwinston4]

At our assoc meeting on Tuesday we were all told to take advantage of the warm weather and open them up. We were told to just remove the outer frames for a look and to leave the brood area alone.

I have to say that I ignored this advice and left my bees too it. I am not sure if one has survived because it was very quiet yesterday but I will resist the temptation to open them up.

What are peoples thoughts on this advice?

 

[BeeNice]

Leave well alone, last week I had 4 hives flying like mad, 3 hive only 1000 yards away where quite and not flying much, but because all the hives where acting in the same way I am not worried, I did put an ear to the side of the hives to hear them buzzing away inside.
Steven

 

[Queens59]

BigLongDarren the ode being:

Patience is a virtue,
That very few possess,
Rarely in a woman...

AND NEVER IN A MAN!!!!

 

[scuttlefish]

I sat by the hives for a couple of minutes last weekend on a warm day - saw foragers bringing in pollen, new-looking bees out on orientation flights (with a couple of others by the door fanning their Nasanov glands to make sure the kiddies didn't get lost), workers clearing out some detritus... between that and a zero mite drop there wasn't much else opening the hive at this time of year was going to tell me, especially as I'd given them some just-in-case fondant the week before. Oh, and they're on OMF, so a peek up the skirts let me see that there was still a big ball of bees alive inside.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

BigLongDarren the ode being:

Patience is a virtue,
That very few possess,
Rarely in a woman...

AND NEVER IN A MAN!!!!

Try telling my wife that she's been nagging for five years for a patio - I'm prepared to wait a little longer

 

[drstitson]

ironic isn't it - usually all that nagging eventually reaches the point where recipient finally cracks. patio gets laid in next to no time. great job over extra deep foundations. shame OH never gets to enjoy it!

 

[Poly Hive]

Re assoc advice. Rubbish.

Precisely what was to be achieved apart from disturbing them in mid winter?

The old sign was to wait until the flowering currant was in bloom....

PH

 

[Hivemaker.]

The old sign was to wait until the flowering currant was in bloom....
PH

Which kind of flowering currant,some flower in Feb?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Re assoc advice. Rubbish.

Precisely what was to be achieved apart from disturbing them in mid winter?

The old sign was to wait until the flowering currant was in bloom....

PH

Which kind of flowering currant,some flower in Feb?

And some don't flower until June - ours is one of those!

 

[victor meldrew]

Which kind of flowering currant,some flower in Feb?

VM

 

[For want of a better word]

ironic isn't it - usually all that nagging eventually reaches the point where recipient finally cracks. patio gets laid in next to no time. great job over extra deep foundations. shame OH never gets to enjoy it!

 

[AnotherNewBee]

When the MIL 'phoned I kept telling her her daughter was in the garden. It took her months to catch on...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

ironic isn't it - usually all that nagging eventually reaches the point where recipient finally cracks. patio gets laid in next to no time. great job over extra deep foundations. shame OH never gets to enjoy it!

mwahahahahaha

 

[susbees]

I know someone (who ought to know better but is a hive fiddler) who went through all his yesterday (for no good reason whatsoever). His "blacks" had a small patch of brood, the others some brood on three frames.

Purpose of visit? Erm....pointless?

 

[gavin]

Which kind of flowering currant,some flower in Feb?

I can confirm that there were flowering currant flowers out near Longforgan in cold eastern Scotland yesterday.

Any peeks in the hive are just to check some light ones and apply more fondant on top. Not time for frame-lifting inspections for over a month yet.