Thar She Broods!

[RoofTops]

Being a bit naughty I took the opportunity in this afternoon's sunshine to have a quck peek inside a couple of hives and was delighted to see a very small patch of sealed brood in one and a few eggs in the other. Better dust off the supers ready for the honey crop, the season has started...

 

[Poly Hive]

LOL.


Very naughty. You will encourage the newbies to spend an hour in wonderland...


Leave them alone please unless like RoofTops very experienced.

PH

 

[blackbrood]

congratulations Rooftops. A proud father again.

 

[Skyhook]

Being a bit naughty I took the opportunity in this afternoon's sunshine to have a quck peek inside a couple of hives and was delighted to see a very small patch of sealed brood in one and a few eggs in the other. Better dust off the supers ready for the honey crop, the season has started...

I have to confess I did the same. It was 14C on the thermometer in the shade, and felt warmer in the sun where the hive is so took a chance, tempted by the cloud of bees outside. Lots of bees, sealed and unsealed brood on 4 frames (didn't stop to look for eggs). All frames about 1/4-1/3 remaining stores, plenty of space, some pollen coming in, well chuffed.

I was in and out in 3 minutes- is that OK Poly Hive?

 

[Poly Hive]

NO.

Leave the puir things alane.... for goodness sake your like addicts.... need a fix, need a fix...

Never mind the damage done.

PH

 

[drstitson]

"I was in and out in 3 minutes - is that OK"

par for the course this coming monday evening i'd've thought!!!

had a quick peek at fondant and patties in mine today - didn't disrupt the actual brood box - will leave that until after the snow next weekend.

 

[hedgerow pete]

is it only me and polyhive that still hold to the bee keepers off season, the way some of you lot are going on it does sound at times as you are doing weekly hive inspections all winter long, i am not saying that rooftops is one of them as a quick look is ok some times. my lot go to winter and stay they alone and unmolested untill mid feb for a quicky first look.

i was always told to leave them alone from september to march, but thats just me being old fashioned

 

[drstitson]

"unmolested untill mid feb"

as this year is not a leap year then this monday is mid feb AFAIK so peeking today is not too far out!!!!

 

[Somerford]

May I break from the vein and chastise Rooftops and Skyhook in the strongest possible terms...


LEAVE THEM ALONE GUYS !!!!

Tis not the time or place or SEASON to be disturbing your precious bees. We all know that disturbing the hive, even in the honey flow, can disrupt the colony, and outside of a flow, even more so.

Did any of you look towards next week's cold snap forecast ? You will have disrupted the bees and sent them hither and thither, nights are still COLD

Can I ask ALL BEEKS, especially NEWBEEKS, leave the bees alone until the SPRING, or we'll be reading about colony losses

Patience is a virtue

S

 

[Poly Hive]

Patience and common sense are very scarce commodities. VERY.

Let them be folks you are doing no good at all.

PH

 

[jezd]

not even mid-Feb and ppl are examining frames, classic, not to be advised as in the shade it was very cool today

 

[Finman]

Being a bit naughty I took the opportunity ..

RoofTops, you should focus to report "I saw a dead bee on roof".

In these days my hives start brooding too, but they are under half metre snow now.
I cannot report.

 

[Haughton Honey]

Patience and common sense are very scarce commodities. VERY.

Let them be folks you are doing no good at all.

PH

I agree totally.

I haven't lifted a crown board since mid September 2010 and won't do so until early March when I'll reverse brood boxes.......at the earliest.

Even fondant has been added above the central crown board hole and I can peer down (sometimes with a torch) when I replace it to see the clusters working their way up in to the top brood boxes, albeit slowly.

 

[oliver90owner]

2 years ago it was unseasonally warm - I would say nearer 20, shirt sleeve time and all that, and I went through the one colony of bees in the garden on the 17th Feb after several days of high temperatures and manic activity from the bees. So far this month I have seen a lot of bees but have not removed the roof from any of the 5 colonies in the garden. Not looked at the rest this month, either. I will go and heft this coming week, just in case they need something before the next cold spell.

Apart from that they seemed fine, last time I looked at he hives. If they are not (other than stores), I can do little about it at this present time. So, as they say, only inspect if there is a valid reason.

Some may get a frame feeder of 1:1 shortly, but certainly not all of them. Depends on the weather outlook, among other things. I am thinking perhaps a few frames of hatching brood might be moved to the OSR colonies, if needed, about the middle of March. Nothing is set in stone and I shall not be doing so much before assessing the colonies, when appropriate. Oh, and most of the OMF ventilation may be reduced as the spring brooding gets underway. Have usually left most open, but the Dartingtons have underboards to stop the draughts(just open at one end) and that may be one reason for them getting a good start in the spring.

RAB

 

[hedgerow pete]

if your realy desparate for a look see, why not lie underneth your mesh floors with a torch and have a look from underneth. i am with the others crown boards dont get lifted till at lest next week for othe first time since september and since its getting cold next week it will be left untill march

 

[margob99]

From a newbie trying desperately to hold herself back from checking inside the hive - this qualifies as Thread of the Year So Far

 

[TBRNoTB]

Thar she broods

I have to confess I did the same. It was 14C on the thermometer in the shade, and felt warmer in the sun where the hive is so took a chance, tempted by the cloud of bees outside. Lots of bees, sealed and unsealed brood on 4 frames (didn't stop to look for eggs). All frames about 1/4-1/3 remaining stores, plenty of space, some pollen coming in, well chuffed.

I was in and out in 3 minutes- is that OK Poly Hive?

about the average apparently!

 

[RoofTops]

I agree with all of the above wrist-slapping comments because there is not a lot you can do whatever you find but this afternoon was sunny, no wind, and the hive tool was calling for me...

I have locked it away now and promised myself not to touch until next month at the earliest.

 

[Poly Hive]

Good Man.. but liar.. LOL

More seriously look at the damage...

PH

 

[Dishmop]

Definately a need to develope winter hobbies.