nickhodge
New Bee
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2011
- Messages
- 45
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Southampton
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 3
You'll see from my post counts that this is my first year with bees. I inspected last weekend and re-inserted my varroa boards to do my monthly mite drop count (coated in vaseline)
They have been in for 48 hours and tonight I did a count of both colonies. Hive 1 a month ago had six mites and this time eight. Hive 2 had fourteen and twenty-one respectively. Hive 2 has always had more bees since they arrived in April and May respectively. (Hive 1 was, I think, a cast against Hive 2 being a prime swarm)
What confuses me is what is high and what is low? Everywhere I read says there are no hard and fast numbers you just need to compare one count with another. So far I have used a short frame and cut off when the drone cells are capped and one treatment of powdered sugar.
My dilemma is I want to give the bees the best chance to over winter and therefore wanted to treat with something more 'certain' in time for the treatment to lower the count further for winter. However, I have got very close in the last couple of weeks to getting about one super of honey while leaving the bees near enough too. It's just it is not completely capped and I reckon it needs another 2-3 weeks.
Can anyone help with either whether I have a low/high count or whether I still have time to perhaps get a couple of jars of honey.
I have Nationals with standard depth brood boxes (1 each pretty fully drawn) with two supers on each. The second super was only put on at the weekend. Open floor, etc
Any comments?
Thanks in advance
They have been in for 48 hours and tonight I did a count of both colonies. Hive 1 a month ago had six mites and this time eight. Hive 2 had fourteen and twenty-one respectively. Hive 2 has always had more bees since they arrived in April and May respectively. (Hive 1 was, I think, a cast against Hive 2 being a prime swarm)
What confuses me is what is high and what is low? Everywhere I read says there are no hard and fast numbers you just need to compare one count with another. So far I have used a short frame and cut off when the drone cells are capped and one treatment of powdered sugar.
My dilemma is I want to give the bees the best chance to over winter and therefore wanted to treat with something more 'certain' in time for the treatment to lower the count further for winter. However, I have got very close in the last couple of weeks to getting about one super of honey while leaving the bees near enough too. It's just it is not completely capped and I reckon it needs another 2-3 weeks.
Can anyone help with either whether I have a low/high count or whether I still have time to perhaps get a couple of jars of honey.
I have Nationals with standard depth brood boxes (1 each pretty fully drawn) with two supers on each. The second super was only put on at the weekend. Open floor, etc
Any comments?
Thanks in advance