Spring build-up....or not

[linoleum bonypart]

But R.O didn't try European available products

 

[BMH]

They must be so fat with all that excess I wonder if they can fly... or even need to go foraging!

Yeghes da

They only eat it if they can't get out and forage.

It's so noticeable as it goes down so quickly and then as soon as natural sources are available they pretty much ignore it. They definitely prefer to fly and forage than stay in and eat fast food!

My view is fondant and patties are cheap so doesn't matter if I waste a bit. Gives them a head start for early splits which is what I want

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[jeff33]

Early split in North Wales? I am surprised it's warm enough and there are plentiful drones about to get virgin mated. I think my first mating was around the end of may here.

 

[Finman]

They only eat it if they can't get out and forage.

k

They eat my patty as long as willow blooms. When bees get various high quality pollen from nature, they stop. But they start again if there couple of bad days.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

27 years, I do not have any foggy idea what I have done.

Glad you're big enough to admit it

 

[BMH]

Early split in North Wales? I am surprised it's warm enough and there are plentiful drones about to get virgin mated. I think my first mating was around the end of may here.

I buy my queens in from Europe so they get split and then get given a mated f1 buckfast queen.

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[BMH]

They eat my patty as long as willow blooms. When bees get various high quality pollen from nature, they stop. But they start again if there couple of bad days.

I notice the same.

Days they can forage they ignore it.

rainy days they still use it.

after April I just take it away as it becomes a nuisance and they definitely don't actually need it anymore.

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[Finman]

T They definitely prefer to fly and forage than stay in and eat fast food!

They are different bees, which forage and different which eate patty-
Bees forage as well pollen and store it when they eate at same time patty.

 

[Finman]

I

after April I just take it away as it becomes a nuisance and they definitely don't actually need it anymore.

and scent of yeast and soya is not wanted aroma in spring honey.

 

[BMH]

and scent of yeast and soya is not wanted aroma in spring honey.

past two years I've sacrificed any honey for splits.

I'd leave my colonies in touched if I wanted to produce honey.

good point though. Would need to be careful to avoid contamination

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[dpearce4]

what product do you use lal?

 

[BMH]

I use Ultra Bee from Mann Lake and find it works well.

I buy the 50lb sacks and make it up myself

 

[SDM]

I buy my queens in from Europe so they get split and then get given a mated f1 buckfast queen.

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The splits get a new F1 or your hives do?
If it's the hives, are your late May nucs sold with the queens that headed production hives the previous year ?

 

[BMH]

The splits get a new F1 or your hives do?
If it's the hives, are your late May nucs sold with the queens that headed production hives the previous year ?

I've done it both ways in the past. This year all nucs will get a 2018 F1.

I'll will then breed over the year from my best 2017 F1 and then replace them all with a 2019 F1 next year

So a proportion of the 2019 Nucs will be 2018 F2s

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[SDM]

I've done it both ways in the past. This year all nucs will get a 2018 F1.

I'll will then breed over the year from my best 2017 F1 and then replace them all with a 2019 F1 next year

So a proportion of the 2019 Nucs will be 2018 F2s

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You'd get more consistent results with pure breeder queens. Artificially inseminated queens are surprisingly cheap from a few places. £50-60 can do it.

 

[BMH]

You'd get more consistent results with pure breeder queens. Artificially inseminated queens are surprisingly cheap from a few places. £50-60 can do it.

ah that's really interesting. I've only seen them in the £500 range.

where are these ones from?

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[madasafish]

ah that's really interesting. I've only seen them in the £500 range.

where are these ones from?

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Try:http://www.the-beeman.co.uk/buckfast-instrumentally-inseminated-queen-bee-482-p.asp

 

[BMH]

Try:http://www.the-beeman.co.uk/buckfast-instrumentally-inseminated-queen-bee-482-p.asp

nice one.

out of stock but I've added my email to get alerts.

Will try a few of these this year and see how I get on with the daughters.

Thanks

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