Spring Preparation for OSR

[Poly Hive]

Interesting.

I wonder though if your wax flakes are not evidence of stores being opened up?

PH

 

[Teemore]

I have left my inspection trays in since treating with sublimated OA just before New Year and have also noticed wax flakes on several trays since then. They are definitely wax flakes that have dropped off wax mirrors. They are very distinct; thin and with that nice curved shape, not the bulkier, crumbled and fragmented appearance of cappings wax that has been opened by the bees. There is plenty of crumbled wax present to show they are still uncapping their stores too.
The quantities I have seen are not huge but they are obvious enough to suggest that some colonies, particularly those that were strongest going into Winter, have taken advantage of the mild weather to rear brood.
I started to give a little more attention to the inspection trays when my father and I both noticed the bees taking advantage of mild weather to bring in fresh pollen from Whins (local name for Gorse) and from Mahonia. I would add that my darkest colonies of bees are only just beginning to produce signs of wax flakes from young bees' wax mirrors but they have taken advantage of mild days to forage fresh pollen.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman, you have made almost a third of the posts so far on this thread.

When are you going to realise that feeding protein to bees if they need it is good, otherwise, a waste of time, cost and effort?

When are you going to realise that I would feed pollen substitutes to my colonies if they were short of pollen?

When are you going to realise that extra protein is not always needed for bees in the UK because we have a different climate to Finland?

When are you going to realise that beekeeping methods are somewhat different in Finland and the UK? And for that matter the US and Australia?

When are you going to realise that, for many, feeding protein is not necessary because they don't want to accelerate the spring expansion before there is loads of pollen, freely available, for the bees?

And, BTW, if my hands are quicker than your brain, you are likely in a bad way!! Have a nice day, perhaps go and make some pollen patties? I will not be making any pollen-substitute patties unless the bees need it. Others may feel theirs need it; a matter of observation and fairly simple decision making - nothing too difficult, I would think. Bye for now.

 

[UEAHoneyBeeMan]

Just be aware that building them up early often can result in earlier issues too.

Swarming for one, so you need to have a think about your plan for that issue.

PH

Thanks for the tip PH I am a relative newcomer to both beekeeping and this forum so all the different views are welcome.

Finman - I'm sorry if you are repeating what you have posted previously. I will take a look through the other topics to see if I can find answers to my questions there before I post next time.

 

[Finman]

Finman, you have made almost a third of the posts so far on this thread.

When are you going to realise

When are you going to realise

When are you going to realise

When are you going to realise
?

When are you going to realise that,

Bye for now.

I must do a long distange plan to handle those questions.

I remember 2 things, dem, ment what was it. And another thing was realise, yes realise.

 

[Firefly]

ADAS report; 8 Apr 2011

>>
SE and East Anglia – Crops are making rapid growth and are 30-75 cm tall with many at the yellow bud stage and some starting to flower.
>>

In April 1981 there were heavy snows in the English midlands and OSR crops in flower were flattened to the ground. When the snow cleared, they stayed flat but the stem bent through 90 degrees at the tip and carried on growing upwards

That was the first year that Sclerotinia appeared as a major disease in the crop (encouraged by all the wet mouldy cabbage on the ground!). Harvest was a nightmare and yields were poor

 

[MuswellMetro]

Interesting.

I wonder though if your wax flakes are not evidence of stores being opened up?

PH

would they be producing wax mirror flakes ,if opening up?

It is not old wax but new wax straight off the mirrors, curved and slightly beveled, i took a very close look as i thought they did not make wax below 16c

 

[Poly Hive]

Right enough it sounds like they are brooding.

Early swarming then? LOL

PH

 

[dpearce4]

would they be producing wax mirror flakes ,if opening up?

It is not old wax but new wax straight off the mirrors, curved and slightly beveled, i took a very close look as i thought they did not make wax below 16c

any chance someone has a pic of these please so i can recognise them when i see them. never thought about the differences in wax dropping down.

 

[RoofTops]

Just to play devil's advocate I would suggest there are two other alternatives to the mystery wax flakes. The first is they are flakes which fell into empty cells last year and the bees are now clearing them out and the second is the bees are simply making or repairing comb. Old bees can make wax - it is what happens with a swarm whose bees then go on to raise brood.

Both are signs the bee are preparing to raise brood but not that there are now lots of young bees in the colony - which is how I read the discussion above.

 

[MuswellMetro]

any chance someone has a pic of these please so i can recognise them when i see them. never thought about the differences in wax dropping down.

all i can find is this on wikki, the wax is clear and curved as in the centre between the wing and the varroa


i will take a PHOTO when i can

Rooftops, yes thinking bout it it could be preparation not brood , it is
in small patches either side of the cluster area, about 20 flakes in 4days, so still think it is a string of bees above and active wax building, remeber i am in london Micro climate, we have only had two nights bel ow zero

 

[Beeline]

Timing of apple blossom and OSR

I have the opportunity to move my hives to an area adjoining Winter sown OSR and an apple orchard. Are these two crops likely to flower around the same time or would one lead the other.

Just thinking about how long to leave them in this temporary location.

 

[oliver90owner]

Just thinking about how long to leave them in this temporary location.

Until the OSR has gone /is going over.

RAB

 

[iand]

ADAS report; 8 Apr 2011

>>

In April 1981 there were heavy snows in the English midlands and OSR crops in flower were flattened to the ground. When the snow cleared, they stayed flat but the stem bent through 90 degrees at the tip and carried on growing upwards

That was the first year that Sclerotinia appeared as a major disease in the crop (encouraged by all the wet mouldy cabbage on the ground!). Harvest was a nightmare and yields were poor

It made combing the swathed crop interesting. Not much stalk to hold the swath up to dry & to get lifters under. Don't recall what the yield was like though.

 

[susbees]

I have the opportunity to move my hives to an area adjoining Winter sown OSR and an apple orchard. Are these two crops likely to flower around the same time or would one lead the other.

Just thinking about how long to leave them in this temporary location.

Until the OSR greens, then get the crop off pronto and prepare for up to 2/3 of them to swarm....we had a very good talk on this subject last week.

 

[dpearce4]

susbees more info would be fantastic please.

 

[onriver]

As I've no OSR around me, I'm going to move a couple of hives to a local arable farm this year, aiming to choose the hives that happen to have the best build up just before the OSR starts to flower. I don't feel confident enough to work out anticipated protein demand yet (!) so I'm not going to
I'm concerned that so much planning, as advised by many august posters, would have been scuppered last year when the early spring meant OSR flowering 4 weeks ahead of schedule. What happens this year when it may surprise us all by being 4 weeks later than that schedule? Bees, especially italian, fed to perfection like so many F1 drivers with nothing to do but twiddle their metaphorical thumbs?

 

[susbees]

susbees more info would be fantastic please.

PM me an email and I'll send you my notes dp4

 

[dpearce4]

cheers PM sent.

 

[oliver90owner]

I don't feel confident enough to work out anticipated protein demand yet (!)

Why try to work it out? Just check at an appropriate time. Bees are likely to be taking in pollen 'hand over fist' any time from now onwards - depends on your area and weather, of course.

Four years ago, they were taking in huge amounts of pollen in abnormally warm weather by this date. Three years ago and they had hardly stirred until the end of Feb. All you have to do is watch and think. No guess-work required usually.

You are showing seven colonies.There is no reason why you should not have at least three of those well prepared for the OSR if you put your mind to it.

Aim for lots of emerged bees in the colonies (you intend to move) for three weeks before the OSR is expected in bloom. If not, add older (foraging bees) at the time of blooming. Very straight forward for just a couple of colonies from seven, I would think.

RAB