tempted to do OA tomorrow

[mbc]

mbc

I know you're in the middle of the gulf stream but did you actually open up and go through brood frames to have a look?

It was 'christmas crackers' here all week!

richard

Yup. Split a few frames and had a peek down on a couple of the hives I deemed most likely to have brood = quick split with hivetool, shine torch and look, push frames back together, drizzle, close up and go, all in less than 2 minutes.
I'm not pretending that they wouldnt have been better off being left in peace, but curiosity got the better of me (and I also wanted to make an informed decision about whether to carry on oxalicking the others).

 

[beeno]

Thanks Finman I have learnt something new today. In my imaginary honey bee farm I shall plant white clover then. God Jul och Gott Nytt Aar.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
The deed is done. PH broodless with stores and now treated with OA. Seven seems all in all, but spread out because it was a nice day. Not many out when I did it as this hive in shade. However, they took the opportunity to poo on me which has never happened before. I also did my other large older colony which was broodless as well. This is the one that had a pile of dead bees under it earlier on. The floor was covered in dead bees haven't done much house cleaning during the cold spell I guess. I slid the brood box across the OMF and estimated 2,000 dead bees. About 3,500 dead bees in total which I guess is about right for a largish colony? My other two colonies which I did not do were out in force for cleansing flights as they have the warmest position in the garden. My nuc did not fly and upon investigation it was dead. Just too few bees left, so that was a bit sad.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Yup. Split a few frames and had a peek .....
I'm not pretending that they wouldnt have been better off being left in peace, but curiosity got the better of me (and I also wanted to make an informed decision about whether to carry on oxalicking the others).

So how many times were you going to peek before you had the information you needed? All colonies are different so what you see in one doesn't necessarily mean the others are the same.

 

[mbc]

So how many times were you going to peek before you had the information you needed? All colonies are different so what you see in one doesn't necessarily mean the others are the same.

Just a peek at one or two of the colonies with big clusters and new queens at a near sea level apiary.
Why do you ask ?

 

[richardbees]

mbc

It was 'christmas crackers' here all week!

that was last week! It was Tenerife weather here today so I'll probably do the same tomorrow.

richard

 

[psafloyd]

I'm going to do them after a spell of cold whether they have brood or not. Its been cold for more than a week now and not seen any pollen going in for a while. I'm not spending time looking through the boxes to be sure.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
Pleased I did OA yday. Bees are off foraging today. Cold but sunny here. Mite drop 59 in 21 hrs on wooden hive and 0 on PH so far.

 

[Finman]

.
We have here in Helsinki winter storm. One foot snow and temp -4C.


At my summer cottage district snow covers is now 40 cm. Temp -7C.

Next Friday forecast is -20C

.

 

[Luminos]

.
We have here in Helsinki winter storm. One foot snow and temp -4C.


At my summer cottage district snow covers is now 40 cm. Temp -7C.

Next Friday forecast is -20C

.

What happened to the other foot

 

[whoosling]

.
We have here in Helsinki winter storm. One foot snow and temp -4C.


At my summer cottage district snow covers is now 40 cm. Temp -7C.

Next Friday forecast is -20C

.

Brrrrr balmy here compared to you

 

[djg]

I'm going to do them after a spell of cold whether they have brood or not. Its been cold for more than a week now and not seen any pollen going in for a while. I'm not spending time looking through the boxes to be sure.

Hi PSA, I trickled yesterday for exactly the same reasons. You beat me to it - and there was pollen going in (and some not quite making it back) yesterday.

 

[Bob Bee]

Well I certainly will not be doing OA until at least three weeks after the first proper cold weather down here in Cornwall, which was about the 7th December. Advising people to do it after just a week since the first frost is maybe a bit "personal choice" . The brood cycle is 21 days......... ( and I wont be looking to see if they're broodless !, all 10 full colonies will be treated) .

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
PH day 2: 9 mites Wooden hive: 200+

 

[lebouche]

If I bye here queens from South Europe, they often continue brood reading in Autumn so that they die.

So if there is still brood at this time of year my queen might die or the colony?
Just asking because they were still bringing in pollen last weekend...god knows where they found it!

 

[Finman]

So if there is still brood at this time of year my queen might die or the colony?
Just asking because they were still bringing in pollen last weekend...god knows where they found it!

AS long as they bring pollen, they are alive.

.