Top bee space or bottom bee space?

[boywonder]

... I ran both tim(b)er and poly side by side for some time and found very little difference in them ...

Me too, and I disagree; I think there is a perceptible difference - mainly colonies being only in loose cluster over winter, and brooding more ... and consequently entering this side of winter larger. This is, of course a double-edged sword, as such colonies are then more prone to spectacular collapse, in the event of a prolonged cold-snap / spring-dearth.

Also, by the time you hit say May/June, the colonies in timber would have caught up.

So they are different, but I also judge there to be no real benefit to poly. I still run both, but prefer/lean towards wood.

Just my opinion/experience.

As I say in my post above, TBS vs. BBS is inconsequential.

 

[Ely]

I admit, I'm a bit lazy with cleaning equipment. I haven't had disease though. How often do you people scrub/scorch everything?

 

[Penninetrader]

I admit, I'm a bit lazy with cleaning equipment. I haven't had disease though. How often do you people scrub/scorch everything?

You have no need to worry, your girls are obviously not lazy and keep house.

 

[Swarm]

I admit, I'm a bit lazy with cleaning equipment. I haven't had disease though. How often do you people scrub/scorch everything?

If you've not had disease there is no real need.

 

[Honey badger]

I’ve run Abelo hives for 10 years and never scraped any.

So what at the end of the year does a cleaning regime look like for you on your supers/ kit?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How often do you people scrub/scorch everything?

hardly ever

 

[Honey badger]

If you've not had disease there is no real need.

Oh ok !
I thought at the end of each year no matter what that all of the boxes removed would have to a scrape clean and then sterilized/ blow torched, so is that not the case?

 

[Ely]

hardly ever

Phew. For a minute there I thought I'd have to put some effort in

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh ok !
I thought at the end of each year no matter what that all of the boxes removed would have to a scrape clean and then sterilized/ blow torched, so is that not the case?

read Manley's 'Beekeeping in Britain' there is a great paragraph there lampooning the average tweed clad BBKA acolyte armed with scraper, scrubber, bleach and what not ready to dive in to the 'mandatory' 'spring clean' which basically just stems from the urge to be seen to 'do something' even though there is nothing to do.

 

[Honey badger]

read Manley's 'Beekeeping in Britain' there is a great paragraph there lampooning the average tweed clad BBKA acolyte armed with scraper, scrubber, bleach and what not ready to dive in to the 'mandatory' 'spring clean' which basically just stems from the urge to be seen to 'do something' even though there is nothing to do.

Haha that’s so funny a great to hear because I’ve no time to spare with my kids etc to be doing other things just for the sake of it.
Thank you

 

[Moobee]

Oh ok !
I thought at the end of each year no matter what that all of the boxes removed would have to a scrape clean and then sterilized/ blow torched, so is that not the case?

I only scrape off any excess propolis that stops boxes fitting together properly or prevents frames going in and any excess wax off the queen excluder or crownboards. Just a bit of light tidying up. Bees need propolis, so no need for scorching and unnecessary scraping.

 

[ericbeaumont]

at the end of each year no matter what

As Moobee said above, scrape only that which interferes with efficient use of the kit: box rims, comb on walls, QXs. I've just finished scraping more than 200 boxes and roofs, and between the two of us we never want to scrape anything ever again.

 

[Honey badger]

As Moobee said above, scrape only that which interferes with efficient use of the kit: box rims, comb on walls, QXs. I've just finished scraping more than 200 boxes and roofs, and between the two of us we never want to scrape anything ever again.

200!!! Omg.
A good pod cast to listen to while doing that followed by a week deserved beer.

Thank you for all of your advice so far Eric. I really appreciate it. I’m finding the whole process a little daunting tbh but the advice I’ve received from you above will give me loads of info to study over the coming weeks refer back to in the future,

 

[Honey badger]

Hello again.
I was down at the apiary this week and was helping a gentleman throw away his broad frames as when open the boxes up they were 50% covered in black mould, so he burned those and is keeping some frames which are heavy with honey stock to put into another hive/ nuc to help feed them
I’m wondering
1 what the cleaning process after this mould is like especially on a poly hive
2 is it right to chance putting any of those other “good “ frames into another box
3 are poly boxes any better when trying to prevent this mould from occurring / how to stop it happening on a wooden National.

 

[Roger.Wilco]

are poly boxes any better when trying to prevent this mould

I don't think so... but others will comment.

Beginning of 2024 - I was intrigued with neat black powder lines neatly on top of chewed capping mounds on the outer edge of the drop tray under one of my poly hives. During one of the first inspections - identified that it was caused by the bees cleaning/chewing the affected comb. The bees had chewed large chunks of affected comb leaving large holes. On one frame they had made some attempt to replace removed comb - on another frame they left the holes as-is. I eventually replaced with new clean foundation frames and the bees drew them and carried on as normal. So far this year - I have not (yet) seen a repeat of the black powder lines in the drop tray.

When I added fondant to one of my NUCs this month - the poly eke used to make space for the fondant has a lot of mold covering the inner walls; hasn't stopped a family of spiders seemingly living successfully next to the fondant. I do wonder what the spiders are eating as I couldn't see any corpses of anything near by. The other NUCs with ekes have clean and white inner walls.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

healthy strong colonies is the best way to deal with mold. By the looks of that comb it was about time it was scrapped, but also the colony was definitely in trouble

 

[ericbeaumont]

50% covered in black mould, so he burned those

Bees will clean & repair mouldy combs in spring and if the boxes are mouldy inside, but not too bad, same story. If bad - rank, wet, and sludgy - scrub the box (poly or wood) in hot washing soda.

Good combs, even if lightly mouldy, are worth retaining. The photos tell a story, that laying workers or a drone-laying queen was on board late last year and the colony expired.

Bear in mind that fungi are always present in hives or nests and are part of the colony ecosystem, so no need to get in a flap about cleanliness.

 

[judy12]

Insulation can be problematic with plain nationals. One way out might be to invest in WBC lifts which take either WBC brood boxes and supers or nationals with no problem. On very cold days my uncle, born 1915, used to advise me to stuff old jumpers into the space between the lifts and the bbs. He passed his lifts on to me and they're fine.