Warning To Nebees.

[Millet]

Keep an eye on stores in the brood box's...all mine are as light as a feather even the strong colonies some of which produced over six supers of honey ...wearied going's on this year..no Varroa one minute then No stores..

Feel the hives for weight if you can lift it easy you need too feed. Fondant or syrup your choice.. mine all have a full Nadired super and will be fed Thymol syrup soon.

 

[XYZ]

What's a nebee Steve? Do you mean "watch your stores or you'll end up with nee bees?"

 

[XYZ]

On a more serious note I have noticed that two identical setups weigh much different when hefted. I appreciate colony size can contribute but I'm slowly learning the hefting trick and when to be concerned enough to stick a feed on.
Got plenty of thymol sugar syrup in the garage anyway.

 

[Monbees]

Keep an eye on stores in the brood box's...all mine are as light as a feather even the strong colonies some of which produced over six supers of honey ...wearied going's on this year..no Varroa one minute then No stores..

Feel the hives for weight if you can lift it easy you need too feed. Fondant or syrup your choice.. mine all have a full Nadired super and will be fed Thymol syrup soon.

Just had to Google the word 'nadired' - never heard of it before. What is it's derivation please?

 

[Beersmith]

Thank you for the heads up.

I have one strong colony with a full super and will make sure it gets nadired soon. Hopefully the ladies will then get the stores into an ideal position over the early autumn. I'll keep a close eye on stores and act accordingly.

My other colony is not so strong, and I think that locally forage is rather sparse. Blackberries seemed to finish flowering surprisingly early, with few other obvious sources hereabouts. Also Ivy seems rather sparse in the local hedgerows and still a while from flowering. I may err by feeding sooner rather than later. Thymol on order.

Thanks again.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Just had to Google the word 'nadired' - never heard of it before. What is it's derivation please?

Basically a nadir is the opposite of zenith, i.e. it is the lowest point of something. So a super, when moved to it's lowest point becomes a nadir and hence the origin of the word nadired, the action of making something the nadir.

 

[Helen]

Fed all of mine last weekend. Most had very little stores left in brood frames. Pity they cant convert the blackberry fruit, as there;s loads here.

 

[For want of a better word]

What's a nebee Steve? Do you mean "watch your stores or you'll end up with nee bees?"

The old sages used to say "steel thee bees honey and ye need to feed"

Still plenty of ivy coming in tho!

 

[Murox]

The old sages used to say "steel thee bees honey and ye need to feed"

Still plenty of ivy coming in tho!:

Just as a contrast - The ivy around me is still in bud, maybe it will crack open shortly.

 

[Horseradish]

I overfed one of mine too early, they are in full on swarm mode now and are ignoring the super I put on top, thinking they could go brood and a half.

 

[Murox]

@Horseradish they probably need space down below in the brood box, likely to be stuffed full of stores.

 

[Swarm]

Thank you for the heads up.

I have one strong colony with a full super and will make sure it gets nadired soon. Hopefully the ladies will then get the stores into an ideal position over the early autumn. I'll keep a close eye on stores and act accordingly.

My other colony is not so strong, and I think that locally forage is rather sparse. Blackberries seemed to finish flowering surprisingly early, with few other obvious sources hereabouts. Also Ivy seems rather sparse in the local hedgerows and still a while from flowering. I may err by feeding sooner rather than later. Thymol on order.

Thanks again.

Just to clear things, as more and more I read about supers being taken off and 'nadired'.
Beersmith,
Your bees have stored their honey where they want it, primarily above and behind the brood nest. Now they have completed that hard work, you want to make them do it all over again?
The idea of nadiring is to clean out partially capped/ high water content frames, it is easier than spinning them out and feeding back.
If that super is full and you want to leave it for the bees, leave it where it is and remove the excluder.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just to clear things, as more and more I read about supers being taken off and 'nadired'.
Beersmith,
Your bees have stored their honey where they want it, primarily above and behind the brood nest. Now they have completed that hard work, you want to make them do it all over again?
The idea of nadiring is to clean out partially capped/ high water content frames, it is easier than spinning them out and feeding back.
If that super is full and you want to leave it for the bees, leave it where it is and remove the excluder.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just to clear things, as more and more I read about supers being taken off and 'nadired'.
Beersmith,
Your bees have stored their honey where they want it, primarily above and behind the brood nest. Now they have completed that hard work, you want to make them do it all over again?
The idea of nadiring is to clean out partially capped/ high water content frames, it is easier than spinning them out and feeding back.
If that super is full and you want to leave it for the bees, leave it where it is and remove the excluder.

too
There’s lots of chatter on Facebook as well about this
What you do with the super depends on what you want to achieve. If you’re leaving it for the bees then leave it sans QX. If it has capped frames in it then extract it. If there are uncapped frames you can’t extract and there is room in the brood box, ( which is where the bees need it over winter) then you can either put it over a reduced feeder hole hoping the bees will rob it down ( which has never worked for me) or you can put it below the brood where the bees don’t like it and will invariably move it up in a matter of days. Then you can take it away or leave it over winter as a baffle. Beware of wasps. The bees can’t defend these frames as readily so do t do it if there is a lot of wasp activity’

 

[Poly Hive]

Another heads up.

Murox I wouldn't hold my breath for Ivy up here. Never seen it flower apart from one sun trap spot in Kelso.

"I have fed my bees" REALLY? You may think your bees are fed but a wise beekeeper keeps checking the weight. Learn to heft. If in doubt use a luggage scale to get a handle on what that heavy or light feeling actually relates to.

Use the scale to weigh some empty kit so you can do the subtractions and be in a position of knowing what the stores in there actually are. A starved colony is your responsibility.

PH

 

[Curly green finger's]

I also agree if it's a full super your leaving better it be above where they want it ,
I'm surprised @ Dani that you've not had success with them moving stores down after using eke in-between brood and super .
My experiences it's worked but can take a while .

 

[Erichalfbee]

I also agree if it's a full super your leaving better it be above where they want it ,
I'm surprised @ Dani that you've not had success with them moving stores down after using eke in-between brood and super .
My experiences it's worked but can take a while .

No patience I guess
Tried this year
Left it 10 days
Underneath empty in 2

 

[Swarm]

too
There’s lots of chatter on Facebook as well about this
What you do with the super depends on what you want to achieve. If you’re leaving it for the bees then leave it sans QX. If it has capped frames in it then extract it. If there are uncapped frames you can’t extract and there is room in the brood box, ( which is where the bees need it over winter) then you can either put it over a reduced feeder hole hoping the bees will rob it down ( which has never worked for me) or you can put it below the brood where the bees don’t like it and will invariably move it up in a matter of days. Then you can take it away or leave it over winter as a baffle. Beware of wasps. The bees can’t defend these frames as readily so do t do it if there is a lot of wasp activity’

That's the worrying bit ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's the worrying bit ...

Yes. Horrendous some of the ideas on the bbka page! Pity the poor bees

 

[Curly green finger's]

No patience I guess
Tried this year
Left it 10 days
Underneath empty in 2

That's true they will empty them quicker if you nadir the super ..
Patience is a virtue so I'm told .