Thinking Ahead

[thedozzer]

Now most of the winter prep has been done, have been reading Ted Hooper and a few other beek books plus going to lectures, one of the common things for Spring prep seems to be removing excess stores? apparently giving more egg laying room for her maj and this is to try and help stop swarming! but with the British weather being so unpredictable i would not want to leave the colony short then have 3 weeks of snow.

Plus we have a large yellow Mimosa tree in the garden that will produce lots of pollen & nectar around Feb/March time, so will probably need to put a supper on at some point, but how are you supposed to know when to do what or is it all just experience & guess work?

We only have the one colony on 12x14 but they are pretty much full of bees & stores at the moment, and if you look up from the OMF you can barely see about 8 frames for bees. they wouldn't swarm at this time of year would they?

Do wish they would just do what we are told they will do, rather than making it up as they go along.

 

[alfazer]

They won't/can't swarm at this time of year. (Nov)

It's highly unlikely you will need super in Feb/March. There will be space in the brood chamber because the colony size will be small, although probably growing fast. And I doubt one tree in your garden would have enough impact anyway. Plus, if the weather is patchy at that time, the bees might not be out much while it flowers.
I'm rarely going into the box until mid March, (although I'm much further north at 54.9N) then if there's more than about 2 full frames of stores, I'm pulling out the extras. But yes, you do need to be careful if the weather turns or there isn't much forage.

 

[thedozzer]

They won't/can't swarm at this time of year. (Nov)

It's highly unlikely you will need super in Feb/March. There will be space in the brood chamber because the colony size will be small, although probably growing fast. And I doubt one tree in your garden would have enough impact anyway. Plus, if the weather is patchy at that time, the bees might not be out much while it flowers.
I'm rarely going into the box until mid March, (although I'm much further north at 54.9N) then if there's more than about 2 full frames of stores, I'm pulling out the extras. But yes, you do need to be careful if the weather turns or there isn't much forage.

Thanks, wont worry about swarming then.

tree is about 30ft tall and 25ft wide and looks like this when in full flower = https://personaltourguidefrenchriviera.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/mimosa.jpg

 

[alfazer]

Thanks, wont worry about swarming then.

tree is about 30ft tall and 25ft wide and looks like this when in full flower = https://personaltourguidefrenchriviera.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/mimosa.jpg

I know little about this tree but if it flowers Feb/Mar it could prove a valuable source of pollen and/or nectar. From I read online it is not a good tasting honey for humans but obviously that doesn't matter to your bees.

 

[Swarm]

Thanks, wont worry about swarming then

Bees swarm when there are drones about.

 

[enrico]

Sadly one tree won't give you a super of honey. A forest of them might! Be patient, use this winter and next year to get a feel for them. Whatever you do they will surprise you by doing just what you don't expect!
E

 

[thedozzer]

Sadly one tree won't give you a super of honey. A forest of them might! Be patient, use this winter and next year to get a feel for them. Whatever you do they will surprise you by doing just what you don't expect!
E

Hi Enrico, having read all the books my head is swimming with mildly conflicting info, wasn't expecting a super, but think there could be a few frames worth? i still have no grasp on how much forage a frame of honey requires? and not sure when to remove excess stores and when to give them more storage space above?

I am slowly getting the idea that what ever you plan for, they will find something new and unexpected to do, they have already brace combed 2 of the frames to the OMF!!

 

[Amari]

Don't fret, don't micro-manage. Even if your timing isn't perfect the bees will compensate. Over winter the bees are likely consume a few frames of stores resulting in laying space for Q. In Feb/March she speeds up laying and this consumes stores at a faster rate than in the coldest months = more space for laying. So the biggest danger is starvation in March - so make limited hive inspection to check for stores (Don't go looking for Q etc). If in doubt apply fondant in Jan/Feb or syrup in late March.
i assume you have oil seed rape nearby? Keep an eye on the blossom opening and slam on a super as soon as the weather warms.

 

[thedozzer]

Don't fret, don't micro-manage. Even if your timing isn't perfect the bees will compensate. Over winter the bees are likely consume a few frames of stores resulting in laying space for Q. In Feb/March she speeds up laying and this consumes stores at a faster rate than in the coldest months = more space for laying. So the biggest danger is starvation in March - so make limited hive inspection to check for stores (Don't go looking for Q etc). If in doubt apply fondant in Jan/Feb or syrup in late March.
i assume you have oil seed rape nearby? Keep an eye on the blossom opening and slam on a super as soon as the weather warms.

Hi im trying to go with the flow, sorry for the pun, but im used to slightly more compliant & easy to control livestock!
we have a few kg of fondant on standby but they have already had 35ltrs of Thymolated ambrosia.
There is very little Rape planted round this way, most of the fields are Beet or winter wheat at the moment, there is one field about 500mtrs away, but i hope they don't find that as its on the other side of one of the busy parts of the A12! not sure how many would survive that journey.

 

[Amari]

Hi im trying to go with the flow, sorry for the pun, but im used to slightly more compliant & easy to control livestock!
we have a few kg of fondant on standby but they have already had 35ltrs of Thymolated ambrosia.
There is very little Rape planted round this way, most of the fields are Beet or winter wheat at the moment, there is one field about 500mtrs away, but i hope they don't find that as its on the other side of one of the busy parts of the A12! not sure how many would survive that journey.

35 l sounds like an awful lot - I'm surprised they took it all down! Get used to hefting. You could even weigh your hive with a luggage scale, lift each side separately then add the two readings.
Plan to get a second hive - two colonies = four times the interest - to compare progress, donation of combs if needed, reduce disappointment of one colony failing etc.

 

[thedozzer]

35 l sounds like an awful lot - I'm surprised they took it all down! Get used to hefting. You could even weigh your hive with a luggage scale, lift each side separately then add the two readings.
Plan to get a second hive - two colonies = four times the interest - to compare progress, donation of combs if needed, reduce disappointment of one colony failing etc.

Hi.
We have two hives as i was promised a few swarms by a friend, but 5 out of his hives had swarmed last year so they were all new queens, only one swarmed and he missed it, so we had to buy a nuc in the end.

some of the syrup was to help build the colony from 4 frames that we started with in July they now have 11 frames.

We cant lift the hive easily, i got a bit to enthusiastic when making the hive stand and interlocked the base!!

If the colony comes through winter strong and produces any Q cells we may attempt a split.

 

[For want of a better word]

If you are serious about planning ahead ... order a nuc of NON SWARMY bees for next season... and queen rear from them!

Chons da

 

[thedozzer]

If you are serious about planning ahead ... order a nuc of NON SWARMY bees for next season... and queen rear from them!

Chons da

"NON SWARMY bees" honestly is there such a thing? as from what i have read and heard from others, its the way the species reproduces, so they all do it naturally, just some have more propensity toward it than others.

or am i missing something.

 

[madasafish]

"NON SWARMY bees" honestly is there such a thing? as from what i have read and heard from others, its the way the species reproduces, so they all do it naturally, just some have more propensity toward it than others.

or am i missing something.

You are missing something..

 

[For want of a better word]

You are missing something..

Some bees tend to swarm less than others.
Goes across the board.. I have even had swarmy Carniolians... and the Greek yellow beasts seemed to swarm just for the fun of it!

Thy to get "less " swarmy bees!!!

Yeghes ad

 

[madasafish]

Some bees tend to swarm less than others.
Goes across the board.. I have even had swarmy Carniolians... and the Greek yellow beasts seemed to swarm just for the fun of it!

Thy to get "less " swarmy bees!!!

Yeghes ad

I am using third generation Buckfast/carnie crosses(with mongrels somewhere). No swarms last year at all from them. One swarm prior year. Requeen autumn Year 2.

 

[thedozzer]

I am using third generation Buckfast/carnie crosses(with mongrels somewhere). No swarms last year at all from them. One swarm prior year. Requeen autumn Year 2.

Ok as i don't have the experience or breading stock that you gentlemen have to play with, what is the best way to find a good supplier of Non Swarmy bees, i know that temperament, health, honey production is just as important.

Our current queen is jet black with not an ounce of yellow on her, but some of her offspring are yellow stripy, some jet black so not sure what i could get from a queen cell?

 

[drex]

Some of what the queen is already passing on and the lottery of characteristics from the Unknown drone the virgin would mate with. I don't have a vast number of colonies but selecting from my good queens and culling the bad, have still managed to improve my mongrel stock. Not difficult for anybody to do but you must keep culling.

 

[Poly Hive]

No one has mentioned supercedure unless I missed it?

PH

 

[Amari]

Ok as i don't have the experience or breading stock that you gentlemen have to play with, what is the best way to find a good supplier of Non Swarmy bees, i know that temperament, health, honey production is just as important.
Our current queen is jet black with not an ounce of yellow on her, but some of her offspring are yellow stripy, some jet black so not sure what i could get from a queen cell?

Dozzer, I have PM'd you