Stores starting to be reduced

[BBG]

Last weighing 25th Jan - good weights

Weighed today 3 weeks on and find biggest hive weighed in:

October - 21.5Kg

January - 27.5Kg

Today - 23.0 Kg

Nucs have lost on average 1.5Kg over 3 weeks.

Double nuc bees arrived on their doorstep on full alert as we went to weigh them.

Danger time has arrived we think.

Thoughts please.

 

[Andy Duff]

Chuck in some fondant, if its gone in a few days the bees are hungry, so chuck in some more. If you do it regularly the bees get to know what usually happens when the hive is approached and will not give you a hard time.

 

[For want of a better word]

Something amiss here?
My double brood colonies supped down 20 litres + of 2:1 syrup last autumn... that has got to be a good 35kg of Tesco's best!
plus weight of cedar National hive/bees/wax must weigh more than 20kg... or maybe the Poly hives weigh nothing

gave up on weighing as could not get accurate weight even by lifting halfway and stablising on a jig... think bees were jumping up and down for a laugh!

and place some fondant carefully on the crownboard feed hole in a see thru tub... then run away!

 

[Andy Duff]

Something amiss here?
My double brood colonies supped down 20 litres + of 2:1 syrup last autumn... that has got to be a good 35kg of Tesco's best!
plus weight of cedar National hive/bees/wax must weigh more than 20kg... or maybe the Poly hives weigh nothing

gave up on weighing as could not get accurate weight even by lifting halfway and stablising on a jig... think bees were jumping up and down for a laugh!

and place some fondant carefully on the crownboard feed hole in a see thru tub... then run away!

I bet half of that 35kg went in your tea.

 

[Finman]

.
Fantastic hive! It foragers surplus in the middle winter.


We had 4 hives on balance 3 winters ago. That winter was harsh.

Consumption of hives in broodless time 1.11 - 20.3 was 1.2 - 1.6 kg/month.

One Macedonica race hive starved because it consumed too much =2.2 kg/month.

We do not feed hives during October - March. They must manage with their stores which they get at the end of Summer.

 

[BBG]

.
Fantastic hive! It foragers surplus in the middle winter.


We had 4 hives on balance 3 winters ago. That winter was harsh.

Consumption of hives in broodless time 1.11 - 20.3 was 1.2 - 1.6 kg/month.

One Macedonica race hive starved because it consumed too much =2.2 kg/month.

We do not feed hives during October - March. They must manage with their stores which they get at the end of Summer.

Well they're headed by a Hivemaker Queen!!

We think perhaps they were robbing the nucleus before we moved it away?

 

[beebreeder]

Well they're headed by a Hivemaker Queen!!

Are you inferring Hivemakers queens have daughters that are robbers?

 

[BBG]

No! There must still be some of the bandits left from the swarm we put her in to take charge of

 

[Poly Hive]

I shudder when I see people talking about feed holes in CB's.

The holes are there for porter bee escapes.

A good CB has no holes at all.

Do you open your roofs up in mid winter on your house? Hmm thought not.

PH

 

[oliver90owner]

I shudder when I see people talking about feed holes in CB's.

Carry on shuddering, but you don't need to even open the 'trap door to the roof' if you think about how to do it without. Simply slide the fondant container across the hole, as the hole covering is slid away immediatey in front of it. Obviously not all understand how simply it can be done, without disturbing the bees.

That said, I don't have holes in my crownboards, so the board would need to be changed, to a feeder board, if I need to add fondant.

 

[drstitson]

"Chuck in some fondant, if its gone in a few days the bees are hungry, so chuck in some more. If you do it regularly the bees get to know what usually happens when the hive is approached and will not give you a hard time."

surprised PH didn't pick up on this one too!

DON'T tinker with fondant. If it is needed then it is needed. No point feeding dribs and drabs and disturbing the bees every time.

an apiguard eke will happily accommodate 1/3-1/2 of a block of fondant (4-6kg).

if hives light and the bees are eating a kilo or so in takeaway tray every couple of days they'll definitely be needing a good few kilos to see them through to spring.

 

[Cazza]

DON'T tinker with fondant. If it is needed then it is needed. No point feeding dribs and drabs and disturbing the bees every time.

an apiguard eke will happily accommodate 1/3-1/2 of a block of fondant (4-6kg).

if hives light and the bees are eating a kilo or so in takeaway tray every couple of days they'll definitely be needing a good few kilos to see them through to spring.

Please don't start the little or large debate again. Some put a large slab on and others use the takeaway container method. No problems with either. Do what you like. No point banging on about which is correct.
Cazza

 

[Finman]

.
In my hives stores have been reduced 5 months. They should be enough next 3 months.
Insulation and ventilation are keywords to keep stores enough and avaiable. We cannot feed hives every month.

If i now disturb hives, they come out and die on snow. Nothing is to be done. - exept today I put on one hive a box of capped crystallized honey. No scraping. They open the caps when they need it.

Temp is -5C and 60 cm snow.

 

[itma]

Please don't start the little or large debate again. Some put a large slab on and others use the takeaway container method. No problems with either. Do what you like. No point banging on about which is correct.
Cazza

As always, what's appropriate will depend on whether your bees are pets or livestock!

I know my lot are quiet, but with the clear polycarbonate crown board I'm astonished at how little disruption is caused by swapping the marge tub of fondant above the escape/feeder hole. I'm not using smoke or doing anything else that should disrupt them.
I'd expected notice to be taken when lifting off the insulation super and letting daylight in. But they're simply 'not bovvered'. So far!

And yes, the 'attic hatchway' has been kept closed (and insulated) before the fondant tubs went in (with insulation over and around). No problem for me or my pets.


Added: +8.5C, bright and slightly muddy underfoot here.

 

[Red Bee]

I shudder when I see people talking about feed holes in CB's.

Carry on shuddering, but you don't need to even open the 'trap door to the roof' if you think about how to do it without. Simply slide the fondant container across the hole, as the hole covering is slid away immediatey in front of it. Obviously not all understand how simply it can be done, without disturbing the bees.

That said, I don't have holes in my crownboards, so the board would need to be changed, to a feeder board, if I need to add fondant.

What about the bees in the container?

 

[BeeJayBee]

I shudder when I see people talking about feed holes in CB's.

What's wrong with this setup? ... Top bee space, syrup feeder with central hole, crown board with hole to match.

 

[Poly Hive]

How much does the feeder hold?

PH

 

[drstitson]

the problem is the potential cold space in and around the feeder. Is it completely surrounded by kingspan or similar insulation? or just sat in an empty super with roof on top.

likewise the presence of top bee space would allow provision of a thin sheet of fondant directly on top of the frames where the bees are more likely to get to it if cold.

 

[Hivemaker.]

likewise the presence of top bee space would allow provision of a thin sheet of fondant directly on top of the frames where the bees are more likely to get to it if cold.

And the need to open them up every few days to add another wafer thin layer of fondant,and getting the bees down to avoid crushing some each time.

 

[drstitson]

presuming a framed crownboard which gives a decent space!