Thank heavens that's over

[ShinySideUp]

Every year I take a partially capped or incomplete super or two from each hive after the honey crop has been taken and nadir it (them) for the winter feed. Every year I dread it. If there is one thing the bees do not like it's lifting the brood box from the floor to facilitate the nadiring of a super. As soon as the BB is lifted the bees get in all sorts of a tizzy (hardly surprising really) and sting everything they can that moves and isn't a bee -- which means mostly me. Lots of smoke, cursing, pulling at gloves and bee suit to dislodge irritated and stinging bees. Lifting, moving, replacing and finally getting the bloody roof back on before moving on to the next bunch of narky bees.

Never mind, all done until next spring when the nadir has to come out and the whole cycle starts again. A quick visit on Christmas day with OA trickling is all I do now until March/April.

An added bonus is that we can start to use our summerhouse again. Can't use it in the summer as it is too close to the beehives so we are now calling it our winterhouse.

 

[Stiffy]

Every year I take a partially capped or incomplete super or two from each hive after the honey crop has been taken and nadir it (them) for the winter feed. Every year I dread it. If there is one thing the bees do not like it's lifting the brood box from the floor to facilitate the nadiring of a super. As soon as the BB is lifted the bees get in all sorts of a tizzy (hardly surprising really) and sting everything they can that moves and isn't a bee -- which means mostly me. Lots of smoke, cursing, pulling at gloves and bee suit to dislodge irritated and stinging bees. Lifting, moving, replacing and finally getting the bloody roof back on before moving on to the next bunch of narky bees.

Never mind, all done until next spring when the nadir has to come out and the whole cycle starts again. A quick visit on Christmas day with OA trickling is all I do now until March/April.

An added bonus is that we can start to use our summerhouse again. Can't use it in the summer as it is too close to the beehives so we are now calling it our winterhouse.

Your beekeeping sounds like real fun! A simple queen change could easily remedy but if you ‘enjoy’ the experience, each to their own
S

 

[Machonachos]

You know what. I’m with you on this. I bloody hate this practice. Did one hive and then decided to leave the other two as an ‘experiment’ this year.

I know that not nadiring is more likely to get brood in the super but it doesn’t greatly affect me as my winter supers are always exclusively for invert. Am gonna see how it goes this year and hopefully avoid doing this Again.




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[bingevader]

You know what. I’m with you on this. I bloody hate this practice. Did one hive and then decided to leave the other two as an ‘experiment’ this year.

I know that not nadiring is more likely to get brood in the super but it doesn’t greatly affect me as my winter supers are always exclusively for invert. Am gonna see how it goes this year and hopefully avoid doing this Again.

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Just checking that this is the general section.
We haven't used QEs for years, but still nadir if there are several supers and some are part filled just to reduce the head space.
Also, if there are then too many supers on for the following year, we've found that they are filled unevenly.
That shouldn't be a problem though if you are only using the super for winter feed.

 

[For want of a better word]

Your beekeeping sounds like real fun! A simple queen change could easily remedy but if you ‘enjoy’ the experience, each to their own
S

Yes totally agree..Shiney should aim to requeen with nice Cornish Black Native Amm for a more peaceful beekeeping experience that he is getting with his ( Garry&Steve) imported exotics!

Too much smoke and crashing around would wind most bees up... an extra pair of( beesuited) hands is essential to nadire etc... which is why I remove all supers ( and Queen Excluders!!!) from my stripey ( and a few of my natives) and feed copious amounts of 2:1 thymolated syrup with an English one gallon feeder....
BUT what would I know only rum a mere 150 colonies and 60 odd nucs in our wonderful Cornwall!!

Chons da

Chons da

 

[Stiffy]

Yes totally agree..Shiney should aim to requeen with nice Cornish Black Native Amm for a more peaceful beekeeping experience that he is getting with his ( Garry&Steve) imported exotics!

Too much smoke and crashing around would wind most bees up... an extra pair of( beesuited) hands is essential to nadire etc... which is why I remove all supers ( and Queen Excluders!!!) from my stripey ( and a few of my natives) and feed copious amounts of 2:1 thymolated syrup with an English one gallon feeder....
BUT what would I know only rum a mere 150 colonies and 60 odd nucs in our wonderful Cornwall!!

C
Chons da

Blimey you don’t harf use this forum to promote your friends businesses, do they pay commission?
I’m not fixated with promoting a certain bee , but to sort the problem a decent queen from wherever would sort, black, brown or yellow!
S

 

[enrico]

Shiny, you are right, no bees like their brood nest being moved. If I have a hive I know may be problematic I put the super on a new floor. Lift the brood box making sure I leave the old floor behind!!!!! Put the brood box straight on top of the super. Then move the old floor and lift the super and brood onto the old site. It is easier for me as I can fit at least two hives on my stands so I can almost slide the heavy super and brood into place. It is also good to pick the right time of day to do it. When alot of fliers are out and busy is good.....11am ish on a sunny day!
E

 

[foghornleghorn]

They sound like aggressive bees, a puff of smoke should be enough while doing that. Often whip off bottom brood box and leave it standing on its side. Decent bees + smoke and they don't really care

 

[enrico]

They sound like aggressive bees, a puff of smoke should be enough while doing that. Often whip off bottom brood box and leave it standing on its side. Decent bees + smoke and they don't really care

They are not aggressive. They are defensive and that is very very different. Mine are babies until you lift the brood box, and I don't blame them!
E

 

[Popparand]

Stroppy bees

So I am not alone in finding that my previously impeccably behaved bees are now really feisty. I put this down to:

Absence of males (aka drones)
Residual problems with wasps and other robbers
Lousy weather
Aging population

So I wont be rushing out to squish any queens for the time being (and leaving them Q- over winter).

But then, what do I know? I'm only a beginner? (Aren't we all?)

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

So I wont be rushing out to squish any queens for the time being (and leaving them Q- over winter).

Yikes! God no!

 

[ShinySideUp]

As Enrico says. they are not aggressive, just defensive. If you were sitting in your living room and a bunch of builders suddenly burst in, picked you up and moved you, built a basement room, moved your front door to that basement then plonked you back on the top without a word of warning, all the while also blasting you in the face with rancid cigarette smoke you'd not be best pleased even if you were the calmest person in the world.

 

[Ian123]

Pick the average teenager doubt they would even notice!!

 

[For want of a better word]

Pick the average teenager doubt they would even notice!!

Bet they would notice their roof being ripped off mid winter and being smothered in sticky acid.......and then being told this is your Christmas present and it was all for their own good!!

 

[ShinySideUp]

Bet they would notice their roof being ripped off mid winter and being smothered in sticky acid.......and then being told this is your Christmas present and it was all for their own good!!

Well that's what they are going to get and for exactly that reason -- Christmas Day, weather permitting

 

[Swarm]

Recently nadired a few hives and my biggest concern was one Amm colony headed by a 2017 queen. Removed the roof and gave a puff of smoke under the open mesh, cracked the box from the floor and moved it onto upturned roof and put the super in its place. As I was putting the brood box on, there were quite a few bees crawling out from the front end and I struggled not to crush any. Alas, that little 'crunch' told me I'd failed.
Helped my landlord to do his last hive and with two of us it was a doddle and not a single bee lost its life. He lifted the brood (no bees came out) I placed the super and he popped it back.
There are other ways to deal with unripe/partly capped stores but nadiring is so quick and easy. The bees certainly should not be piling out on a sting fest, a few more bees in the air due to disturbance, I'd accept.
I echo the advice to change the genetics, get some nice queens.

 

[For want of a better word]

Well that's what they are going to get and for exactly that reason -- Christmas Day, weather permitting

Originally Posted by Cheers View Post
Bet they would notice their roof being ripped off mid winter and being smothered in sticky acid.......and then being told this is your Christmas present and it was all for their own good!!

Well that's what they are going to get and for exactly that reason -- Christmas Day, weather permitting.

Are you going to check through the colonie(s) first to make sure there is no brood... sealed or otherwise?

In reality you should wait until noon on Old Twelfth Night as that is a more auspicious time..... and then come Wassailing with us all in Rillaton!

Cheers

 

[Murox]

Think I'll just stick to Wassailing the cider orchard - probably safer.

 

[Mandeville]

Shiny, you are right, no bees like their brood nest being moved. If I have a hive I know may be problematic I put the super on a new floor. Lift the brood box making sure I leave the old floor behind!!!!! Put the brood box straight on top of the super. Then move the old floor and lift the super and brood onto the old site. It is easier for me as I can fit at least two hives on my stands so I can almost slide the heavy super and brood into place. It is also good to pick the right time of day to do it. When alot of fliers are out and busy is good.....11am ish on a sunny day!
E

I do it this way too. One advantage is that you're not trying to put a super on the old floor which is covered in bees.
The only thing I do differently is to move the whole hive forward about 3 feet first, then put the new floor with the super back in its position and then transfer the brood box. That way you don't have to move a heavy hive with both a brood box and super.
This year my bees didn't seem to notice I'd done anything at all!

 

[ShinySideUp]

I do it this way too. One advantage is that you're not trying to put a super on the old floor which is covered in bees.
The only thing I do differently is to move the whole hive forward about 3 feet first, then put the new floor with the super back in its position and then transfer the brood box. That way you don't have to move a heavy hive with both a brood box and super.
This year my bees didn't seem to notice I'd done anything at all!

That's a good idea but I can't do that as the number of hives I have has gone up this year and I have no equipment left. I have five hives now and TBH I'd be quite happy if that dropped to three this winter so as to free up some stuff for swarm control next year.