What did you do in the Apiary today?

[oliver90owner]

One hive has eaten 4 kilo in 2 weeks

What does that tell you?

What will you need to do if the weather comes very cold?

Think ahead, beyond placing more fondant on there just because they have consumed it.

RAB

 

[TOBY-3652]

One hive has eaten 4 kilo in 2 weeks

What does that tell you?

What will you need to do if the weather comes very cold?

Think ahead, beyond placing more fondant on there just because they have consumed it.

AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE????? WHAT DO I NEED TO DO???? PLEASE TELL ME

 

[Erichalfbee]

Perhaps as they are brooding they are going to need some pollen if it gets cold and they can't get out?

 

[Amari]

Removed woodpecker guards

 

[WelshPaul]

Went out and seen three bees coming out of the hive, bloody nutters, as it was to cold for me.


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[Alabamaeee]

When you have to go…you have to go

 

[Itchy]

One hive has eaten 4 kilo in 2 weeks

What does that tell you?

What will you need to do if the weather comes very cold?

Think ahead, beyond placing more fondant on there just because they have consumed it.

AND WHAT WOULD THAT BE????? WHAT DO I NEED TO DO???? PLEASE TELL ME

They're cold?

 

[TOBY-3652]

perhaps as they are brooding they are going to need some pollen if it gets cold and they can't get out?

thanks thats a better way of advising people.. Not like some who think we can read minds

 

[victor meldrew]

Temp 8 degrees , no wind ,broken cloud . I checked all colonies for fondant consumption . All colonies had a fair bit left ,so I removed same , also removed ekes , I don't want to repeat last years mistake of leaving the ekes on too long, thus encouraging the bees to build comb in the ekes and finding it full of eggs/brood and stores !
VM


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[Gilberdyke John]

Wandered down to the apiary about 1.30 when the mist had burnt off and the sun was warming everything up. Chickens were sitting in the sun but the bees were forming clouds in front of all four hives with foragers flying out and bringing back pollen. When I went down again at 3.30 the sun was on its way down and temperature lower. The clouds of bees had gone back inside and only a few foragers were flying. What a difference two hours made!

 

[yellowrage 53]

hooray just seen pollen going me in both hives for 1st time thats me not bees. i have a hive that is m t whot do i need to do to set it up ready for a swarm/more bees

 

[Erichalfbee]

As a bait box you need some old drawn comb, some foundation, an entrance reduced to a few bee spaces and some lemongrass oil applied to the entrance and the top bars or a bought swarm lure. Position it in a tree as high as you can reasonably get it back down.
For a new colony, a couple of frames of foundation ( one each side of your new nuc ....though some put the new colony against the wall and add just the one frame) and some insulted dummy boards and top insulation to keep them cosy,
smallish entrance.
That should do for a start...probably forgotten something

 

[Cellectronic]

VM, Thanks for your comment on removing the ekes.
I thought earlier in the week "How long before they build comb in there"
I suppose the answer depends on how much capacity they have to develop in the brood box. But once they decide they need more room you have to be prepared !! They will not wait for the beek.

 

[protheroe]

put fondant on 1 hive and 4 nucs.getting a bit light.

 

[dickbowyer]

Nationals under supered with stores still heavy with hefting but P****s nucs very light and the girls now woofing down fondant. Pollen going in all as girls

 

[victor meldrew]

VM, Thanks for your comment on removing the ekes.

I thought earlier in the week "How long before they build comb in there"

I suppose the answer depends on how much capacity they have to develop in the brood box. But once they decide they need more room you have to be prepared !! They will not wait for the beek.

Bees don't like a space above them, mine are on 14x12s ,plenty of room but that didn't stop them from filling the space . Ekes were only 25 mil ,just enough to fit a crown board over the fondant,given at OA time
VM


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[Oli]

I lifted the crown board for the first time this year; there were a huge amount of bees going in and out with crocus pollen. The hive has a brood box on top of a super which they filled from feeders in the autumn. I lifted a couple of frames out of the brood box but didn't remove the brood box to look in the super underneath. The brood box has 8 frames absolutely packed with food and the rest of the frames are half food and half brood; it doesn't look like they've started the food in the brood box so they're doing well as they seem a strong colony.

I did have some fondant on the top as I was worried I couldn't check them for a couple of weeks and they've been eating a fair bit of it. I've taken the rest of the fondant away from them as I want them to eat a bit more of the stores and make some more space for brood. I'm going to wait another couple of weeks then swap the brood box and super over and probably put a queen excluder inbetween though I may go brood and a half.

 

[youngyoungs]

Weighed hives, checked fondant, watched bees carrying in a little pollen. Then went to Dunham Massey where the crocuses were humming with bees!

 

[oliver90owner]

Oli, i think you really need to think about what your bees really need in the winter (and at any other time?). I think you have got if about 100% wrong. Sorry. Think here overwintering requirements, brood space, how bees like to arrange their stores, -in facf just about everything.. think also about early swarming.

At least you have not yet decided, in advance, of how best to proceed. A lot of thought on that might help in preventing early swarming.

RAB

 

[Oli]

Oli, i think you really need to think about what your bees really need in the winter (and at any other time?). I think you have got if about 100% wrong. Sorry. Think here overwintering requirements, brood space, how bees like to arrange their stores, -in facf just about everything.. think also about early swarming.

At least you have not yet decided, in advance, of how best to proceed. A lot of thought on that might help in preventing early swarming.

RAB

I'm here to learn, hence my post! What exactly do you think I have 100% wrong and why?

My aim with this colony is that they will be ready to swarm early as i'd like a second colony in the garden.

Oli