Solid stores

[Norton Caff]

It is a lovely day here so I took the opportunity to switch a nadired super and put it above a queen excluder on a hive. The colony had gone into winter as a large colony and the hive was heavy enough to feel stuck down to the stand so I'd left what I thought were plenty of stores. By early February the hive seemed ultra light so I put on some fondant. Having opened them up today I realise that they had loads of stores but it was all solid ivy. Very solid! I suppose the fondant was easier to consume. They have had no fondant for a while now. I'm not sure how to proceed. They have a super 2/3 full and the brood box perhaps 1/3 - 1/4 full of solid stores. I didn't spend too long looking as I hadn't intended to disturb them too much. Last year a colony ignored their solid stores and they were still in the hive in midsummer.
My thought is that I should remove the super of stores entirely to encourage consumption of stores in the brood chamber and put on an empty super later in spring as normal. Is the right way about things and do I chuck out the solid stores in the super frames?
Thoughts gratefully received.
Cath

 

[jimmybee]

Keep the honey and use it to build nucs and feed for swarms.

 

[Jimy Dee]

Cath
Please leave the honey in the hive, in fact stay away from the hive for another good while until the bee keeping year is properly up and running. I have an aversion to the micromanagement of bees which seems to be accepted as part of "good beekeeping" practice - as advocated by some people. Please remember the bees have got on just fine without human interference for millions of years, and they know better how to manage solid stores than we ever will know. Solid ivy stores are better in the hive than out of it at this time of year. It is a no brainer. I hope this assists you.
Jim

 

[BeeJayBee]

Leave them alone for now, and put some insulation above the crown board (above that super) because you've given them a lot of head space to heat when it's still quite cold. They'll have brood in the brood box, which is now at the bottom, and is the coolest part of the hive.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Mine eat solid ivy throughout winter and especially at this time of the year with no problem.

 

[oliver90owner]

''Ultra light'' in early Feb? It is now nearly the middle of April and the OSR is coming out in bloom, so the season has already started on the warm days.

If they are brooding heavily, they will need space. Otherwise you may well have an early swarming colony or OSR into frames with already set honey. I would be bruising the stores in the box and probably removing the super, depending on conditions.

 

[Arfermo]

. I would be bruising the stores in the box and probably removing the super, depending on conditions.

Bruising the crystallised (solid) stores induces the bees to do something with it straight away - eat it or move it. Better still, wetting frames of solidified honey under a medium warm water flow can helps seven more.

 

[pargyle]

''Ultra light'' in early Feb? It is now nearly the middle of April and the OSR is coming out in bloom, so the season has already started on the warm days.

If they are brooding heavily, they will need space. Otherwise you may well have an early swarming colony or OSR into frames with already set honey. I would be bruising the stores in the box and probably removing the super, depending on conditions.

Yes ... but some very localised and day to day varying weather conditions .. some local beginners (and not so beginners) have been warned by an e maiil out from the association to be very wary of tinkering just yet .. we get the odd fine day when all hell breaks loose in the colonies and then three days of cold wet weather ... Time to really put thinking beekeeper caps on - it's never good to do things because others are doing it or it's the date when we should ... I need a forecast of a week of warm settled weather before I will consider digging around inside the hives - no chance of that this week I'm afraid ... wet and windy most days.

 

[Tremyfro]

Impossible to inspect hives here either...too cold, too wet, too windy...take your pick!

 

[MuswellMetro]

well according to the nbu web site you are all being too cautious

Spring checks should be completed by late February or early March. You must not wait until April. This is the period of the year when many colonies are lost and feeding a starving colony in February or March can be a miracle cure enabling it to survive and become productive.
Spring inspections
On fine days colonies can be fully inspected. As a general rule colonies should not be examined below 10, quickly between 10 and 14 and above 14 there will be no problem. Bees do not usually fly below about 10 so this is a very useful guide

ok playing devil's advocate but too many generalizations from your own area that beginners pick up and take as verbatim

we all need to learn read our bees not dogma

 

[Erichalfbee]

Indeed and do they mention that you do not need to open the hive to check for stores and that you should have been keeping an eye on them after Christmas, given the weather we have been having ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

well according to the nbu web site you are all being too cautious

Spring checks should be completed by late February or early March. You must not wait until April. This is the period of the year when many colonies are lost and feeding a starving colony in February or March can be a miracle cure enabling it to survive and become productive.
Spring inspections
On fine days colonies can be fully inspected. As a general rule colonies should not be examined below 10, quickly between 10 and 14 and above 14 there will be no problem. Bees do not usually fly below about 10 so this is a very useful guide

ok playing devil's advocate but too many generalizations from your own area that beginners pick up and take as verbatim

we all need to learn read our bees not dogma

Which, unfortunately is what the NBU broadcasts - come a fixed date every year 'advice' such as the above gets automatically sent out with no regards to weather conditions ANYWHERE they do the same with the 'feed your starving bees 2;1 syrup' mid spring panic email (that must be due soon) and the June gap panic a bit later

 

[beeno]

well according to the nbu web site you are all being too cautious

Spring checks should be completed by late February or early March. You must not wait until April. This is the period of the year when many colonies are lost and feeding a starving colony in February or March can be a miracle cure enabling it to survive and become productive.
Spring inspections
On fine days colonies can be fully inspected. As a general rule colonies should not be examined below 10, quickly between 10 and 14 and above 14 there will be no problem. Bees do not usually fly below about 10 so this is a very useful guide

ok playing devil's advocate but too many generalizations from your own area that beginners pick up and take as verbatim

we all need to learn read our bees not dogma

I am in your locale and in your camp.

 

[beeno]

Hi Norton,
First question what happened between February and 11th of April? Either you got your hefting wrong, they have stored the fondant, or they have brought in some OSR. Either way I would be concerned to be in Somerset in mid April with this colony.
i) They have three/four brood frames to store fresh pollen and nectar and brood and some super frames. Not enough space.
ii) I always worry when I see lots of stores in a colony come expansion time, particularly large colonies - they should have eaten more.
iii) Large colonies often succumb to varroa in winter. How many bees have you got in there and is the queen laying?
iv) What is the situation with your other two colonies as a comparison?

If all is well, then I would keep two frames of stores either side of the brood nest and freeze the rest and put in empty drawn combs for now. Take super off and freeze store frames as you do not want Ivy in your spring honey. You can then feed these frames back to the colony as and when required or make up nucs for swarm control later in the season.
Obviously, pick a nice warm day to do it. Good luck.