Summer not quite over

[viridens]

It's 22 degrees and humid here. Solid streams of bees in and out of the hives, many drones out and about, and pollen of all colours coming in. It's more like July should be.

Unfortunately, the hives and supers are stll stuffed with bees rather than stores, and its a bit late for a surge now. .
A strange year....

 

[Black Comb]

Been persisting down here all day. Just stopped. A poor 2 weeks, I'm feeding already.

 

[alynewbee]

It's 22 degrees and humid here. Solid streams of bees in and out of the hives, many drones out and about, and pollen of all colours coming in. It's more like July should be.

Unfortunately, the hives and supers are stll stuffed with bees rather than stores, and its a bit late for a surge now. .
A strange year....

24 degrees here! Can't believe it. My bees are busy as .... err well bees!

 

[wightbees]

Checked mine today and they are very busy with the HB.
It has been hot today here also.not sure how much they will
Bring in though .

 

[andycadman]

It most certainly has been a strange year!

Just asking for a little bit of advice please. All is very well with my all my colonies but I have one worry:

Is it possible to overwinter a prolific second year Buckfast colony on a single National Brood box only?

All my hives have now been treated for Varroa except for one. That is the one with a Buckfast queen that I obtained last year. All my other hives I am happy are in a condition to survive the winter on a single brood box, (feeding were necessary).

The one that I am concerned about has been very prolific. Still a lot of brood, in the brood chamber to hatch. It would be possible to collapse it to a single brood chamber for treatment before it is too late. I am worried that it might be a step too far, and have removed the clearer board while I think. I know it is difficult to advise from far away without seeing but, I would really appreciate some advice. Would it be perhaps better to overwinter on Brood Chamber and a half (Super on brood chamber minus queen excluder). I don’t really want to take this route and have always managed on single brood chamber in the past. Would a little more patience help? These Buckfasts (from H**** B** S******* are a new experience for me.

 

[chickendave]

Managed to inspect six hives today most are still covering seven to nine frames of eggs,larve and brood
Took eleven supers of just in time as the ivy has started to come in the bees were really busy still bring in HB as well
Will hopefully get the wet supers back on the hives for the bees to cean up this will also give them somewhere to stick the ivy if the weather says warm and dry

 

[Cazza]

It's 22 degrees and humid here. Solid streams of bees in and out of the hives, many drones out and about, and pollen of all colours coming in. It's more like July should be.

Unfortunately, the hives and supers are stll stuffed with bees rather than stores, and its a bit late for a surge now. .
A strange year....

I don't think it is late for a surge. My bees are going hammer and tongs at the ivy - like they do every year - when the sun shines. It's pretty normal for here.
Cazza

 

[drstitson]

for a moment this evening i thought that ITV weather (don't normally watch "the other channel") were putting out a special honey forecast after the news.....it said "Gales" all over the country later this weekend.




i'll get my coat.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Been persisting down here all day. Just stopped. A poor 2 weeks, I'm feeding already.

so am I. :-(

 

[JamezF]

Warm & humid here too. Would be nice if the cloud would disappear for a while though. I don't think I've seen blue sky in a week.

James

 

[IanDouglas]

Feeding

I'm feeding too. Turned up with my syrup and they were streaming in and out of the hive, but not many stores so still gave it to them.

By the way, why avoid Tesco? Is it the shop or the sugar that's no good?

 

[WelshPaul]

The shop, have a read of the sugar prices thread.


---
I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=51.666832,-3.017336

 

[TBRNoTB]

for a moment this evening i thought that ITV weather (don't normally watch "the other channel") were putting out a special honey forecast after the news.....it said "Gales" all over the country later this weekend.




i'll get my coat.

Wasn't there a caption right at the end saying "There are other suppliers of honey"

I'm fed-up with these coats

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

It most certainly has been a strange year!

Just asking for a little bit of advice please. All is very well with my all my colonies but I have one worry:

Is it possible to overwinter a prolific second year Buckfast colony on a single National Brood box only?

All my hives have now been treated for Varroa except for one. That is the one with a Buckfast queen that I obtained last year. All my other hives I am happy are in a condition to survive the winter on a single brood box, (feeding were necessary).

The one that I am concerned about has been very prolific. Still a lot of brood, in the brood chamber to hatch. It would be possible to collapse it to a single brood chamber for treatment before it is too late. I am worried that it might be a step too far, and have removed the clearer board while I think. I know it is difficult to advise from far away without seeing but, I would really appreciate some advice. Would it be perhaps better to overwinter on Brood Chamber and a half (Super on brood chamber minus queen excluder). I don’t really want to take this route and have always managed on single brood chamber in the past. Would a little more patience help? These Buckfasts (from H**** B** S******* are a new experience for me.

I'm sure there are many buckfast colonies on a single national brood.

If you think they too many to move to single brood now then treat while brood and a half and move to one box pre winter provided they have enough supplies. Or winter on brood and a half (without QE) - its not problematic , you can always go back to one or move them to a 14x12 in the spring

 

[user 6228]

the heather is still out in north hampshire mountains And the bees are still going for it big time.... When are colony population sizes supposed to peak? I think the book my hive has read says October!