Spring feeding

[E&MBees]

My bees are currently slowly working through a slab of fondant. They are bringing in pollen as the weather allows.

If they should need further feeding, should I continue with fondant or can I swap to syrup? I don’t need to worry about isolation etc as they are in my garden. I have invertabee left over from last year, but no fondant. If the general advice is to continue with fondant, then I will need to purchase more before the likely introduction of further covid restrictions.

Thanks

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

have you hefted the hive to see how heavy it is? hopefully their stores should see them through until the proper spring. If not, Invert will be fine unless it gets particularly cold.

 

[Ian123]

As above see if they need any first. Syrup will give you more bang for your buck for sure but you can always leave the fondant on if in doubt. I would suggest though it’s little and often and weak 1-1 You want them using it not storing.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Being 1:1 won't stop them storing it, nectar is even weaker and they'll store that if there is a surplus

 

[Ian123]

Being 1:1 won't stop them storing it, nectar is even weaker and they'll store that if there is a surplus

Obviously...never said they would not store it but then that may be the little I mentioned and if it’s weaker then your just not piling larger volumes of sugar into the hive. Clearly you are self isolating already?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

weak 1-1 You want them using it not storing.

You should try and be more specific then

 

[E&MBees]

have you hefted the hive to see how heavy it is? hopefully their stores should see them through until the proper spring. If not, Invert will be fine unless it gets particularly cold.

Thanks

A forum member hefted the hive when they showed me how to use a vapouriser and said it was a bit light then. At that point I had fondant on, but the opening to it wasn’t big enough. That was sorted, and since then the bees have eaten that slab and have started on a new one. When I lifted the roof yesterday and peered through the clear crown board they were in the middle of the hive and just under a third of the fondant had been eaten of a 2.5kg block of fondabee. There are lots of cream coloured wax fragments on the ground under the hive particularly in the middle and there is lots of activity when the weather is good.

 

[madasafish]

Thanks

A forum member hefted the hive when they showed me how to use a vapouriser and said it was a bit light then. At that point I had fondant on, but the opening to it wasn’t big enough. That was sorted, and since then the bees have eaten that slab and have started on a new one. When I lifted the roof yesterday and peered through the clear crown board they were in the middle of the hive and just under a third of the fondant had been eaten of a 2.5kg block of fondabee. There are lots of cream coloured wax fragments on the ground under the hive particularly in the middle and there is lots of activity when the weather is good.

The art of spring feeding is not to feed so much that the queen has nowhere to lay in , or so little that you leave them for a week (or two) and they die of starvation especially in a cold spell..

A quick peep at the outer frames - with few bees on - on a warm calm day will do no harm. If there is more than 2 full frames of honey stored, then they are OK. If less than 1 , feed. (rough approximations only)

That's just a quick lift the frame up and replace. No need to take fully out of the hive.
After a while you will recognise the weight of a full vs empty frame.

A continued spell of warm dry weather in Spring will soon see them storing nectar.. At which point cut back feeding to nil... and try hefting to see how heavy the hive is.

Practise and experience makes it easy err easier..

 

[Swarm]

Thanks

A forum member hefted the hive when they showed me how to use a vapouriser and said it was a bit light then. At that point I had fondant on, but the opening to it wasn’t big enough. That was sorted, and since then the bees have eaten that slab and have started on a new one. When I lifted the roof yesterday and peered through the clear crown board they were in the middle of the hive and just under a third of the fondant had been eaten of a 2.5kg block of fondabee. There are lots of cream coloured wax fragments on the ground under the hive particularly in the middle and there is lots of activity when the weather is good.

Does that forum member have similar bees? Some are more frugal than others. How many seams of bees could you see?

 

[E&MBees]

Does that forum member have similar bees? Some are more frugal than others. How many seams of bees could you see?

The forum member is not immediately local, so I expect their bees are different. It was hard to tell how many seams they were on as the fondant is positioned across the frames so it can be accessed from all seams, but I reckon they were spread out over approximately 4-5 frames in the middle, so 4 seams? I also have an empty super under the brood box which they have filled with wild comb. I misunderstood how to nadaire and put an empty super underneath (no frames) to help lift the brood box out of the cold. I’ll sort that mistake later, when it warms up!

 

[Murox]

The forum member is not immediately local, so I expect their bees are different. It was hard to tell how many seams they were on as the fondant is positioned across the frames so it can be accessed from all seams, but I reckon they were spread out over approximately 4-5 frames in the middle, so 4 seams? I also have an empty super under the brood box which they have filled with wild comb. I misunderstood how to nadaire and put an empty super underneath (no frames) to help lift the brood box out of the cold. I’ll sort that mistake later, when it warms up!

Don't leave it too long!!

 

[E&MBees]

Don't leave it too long!!

When would you suggest sorting it? It’s sunny today, but the wind is cold. Only 11c, so probably not warm enough. Is the best thing to do, lift each brood frame out, cut off the wild comb and replace in a new brood box? And then sort the wild comb. What’s the best way to dispose of the wild comb as it will have brood in it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the wind is cold. Only 11c, so probably not warm enough.

11 degrees is fine , I've inspected in that before now, but in this case you are not inspecting just opening up, lifting the frames, checking the queen isn't there then putting them back, it's the wind is the issue, but if not blowing a hooley, go for it.

. What’s the best way to dispose of the wild comb as it will have brood in it.

If you do it soon And what you say is true they are light on stores then there shouldn't be brood in it yet, the queen will still be laying high up on the frames.
Maybe get someone with a bit of experience to help - don't bother with inspecting, just lift the brood box and your bee buddy can quickly check the brace comb is empty (it's only the queen that is the concern) cut it off then remove the shallow so you can place the brood box on the floor.

 

[Murox]

So as I understand it your nadir shallow box is not really full of wild comb - rather the brood frames have been 'messily' extended below into the void of the nadir shallow ? Are you intending to go brood and a half or double brood ??
It would probably be best to get some help when you tackle it.
The next warm still day when some are out foraging would be a good day to tackle it. If there is a lot of brood and you can remove large pieces try mounting it in an empty frame (shallow or deep) with elastic bands and put it into the brood box next to the main nest. Alternatively just bin it.

Just seen that JBM has told you how to do it. Get a 'bee buddy'.

 

[Swarm]

Dealing with the wild comb may not be that simple if they have drawn at an angle, you won't get the frame up without breaking it. Of course, it depends how busy they've been and how much there is but I think I'd leave it until it's less 'raw'. Get some help just in case and do it on a warmer day. Let's hope the comb is still empty but don't be surprised if it's not.
Sounds like they have plenty of stores.

 

[E&MBees]

Completed first inspection of the year following my first winter, quite a tricky one! I removed the ‘empty’ nadired super from under the brood box which the bees had filled with wild comb. The wild comb was mainly drone, with some stores. It was so haphazard that I was unable to save any of it which was a shame. Unfortunately, because of the current restrictions I had to sort it by me self, which made it much harder. The frames themselves were filled with brood at all stages. Stores on outer frames. I put a super on top. The foundation is not drawn.

There was a good mix of bees in the brood box, including quite a few drones. There were a number of queen cups on the wild comb only, but no eggs or larvae. I did not see the queen, but assume that she is present due to the presence of eggs and the even laying pattern. I did search the ground afterwards to check that I had managed to move the queen into the new brood box. No sign of her, so fingers crossed!

I would like to split the colony. Would now be a good time, or should I wait until later in the season? The hive did seem fairly full, there were bees on all of the frames. However, this will be my first full year, and the colony was a small cast swarm which I was given in June of last year, so I do not have a feel for what a really full hive is like. I have a nuc, ready for when the time comes.

Thanks,
Emily

 

[Erichalfbee]

First well done fir managing on your own
Second. The nadired super should have frames in it. The only reason to put supers under is to get the bees to move honey that you can’t extract up into the brood nest for winter. If you simply want a baffle under the brood then leave the inspection tray in.
I am going to split one colony next inspection. They are bursting out of their space. They have a fair number of drones already emerged though I haven’t seen any flying yet. I shall simply split off the queen with a couple of frames of brood and leave the parent hive to it.

 

[E&MBees]

First well done fir managing on your own
Second. The nadired super should have frames in it. The only reason to put supers under is to get the bees to move honey that you can’t extract up into the brood nest for winter. If you simply want a baffle under the brood then leave the inspection tray in.
I am going to split one colony next inspection. They are bursting out of their space. They have a fair number of drones already emerged though I haven’t seen any flying yet. I shall simply split off the queen with a couple of frames of brood and leave the parent hive to it.

Thank you Dani. I will give them a week to settle down, and then think about doing a split.