What did you do in the Apiary today?

[GuyNir]

yes they were over wintered with the super on and the queen excluder and they were strong up to the last inspection which was done with the association. They are in a deep commerical brood box and had over three brood frames full of food I was advised that was enough. I could not get regular access to the old apiary site due to it being locked and not knowing where the key holder lived locked this only became a problem last month when i decided to move it.
I have old open drone cells the colour of the comb but the larva is worker,

Suggest you seek someone to mentor you, as many things doesn’t sound right. Overwintering with queen excluder on being one of those.

 

[Alistair]

i have just today spoken to the association and have got a different mentor who is looking at the hive on Saturday he has bees near my hive one question why is it not a good idea to keep the queen excluder on over winter ?

 

[GuyNir]

i have just today spoken to the association and have got a different mentor who is looking at the hive on Saturday he has bees near my hive one question why is it not a good idea to keep the queen excluder on over winter ?

As the cluster consumes stores and slowly moving up during winter, the Q won’t be able to pass through the QE and could be left behind.

 

[pargyle]

As the cluster consumes stores and slowly moving up during winter, the Q won’t be able to pass through the QE and could be left behind.

Or they will eat through the stores below the queen excluder and will refuse to move through the QE -preferring to stay clustered around the queen .... and stave ... the OP was lucky that any are still alive ...

With so few left I would be getting them into a nuc as well ....

 

[Alistair]

i see that makes sense that had not been explained to me thanks for that

 

[Swarm]

Went through two on brood and a half, got the queens into the brood boxes and fitted excluders. Finally this will be the end of brood and a half for me. Loads of brood to emerge in the halves, no drones to get stuck in the excluders thankfully.
Third one was given a different stand, new Abelo floor, new lower brood box (transferring frames from rotting one). Found a lot of drone brood - two frames, both sides, solid. Last week there was loads of worker brood in the upper box, so will have to check in a few days if the queen has failed. With all the disturbance the bees were more than a little feisty at the end, so upper box not gone through, ending with five determined to see me off.

Only five?

 

[madasafish]

Beginners session at Association Apiary going through 4 hives 2pm to 4pm.
Sunny,12C , no wind.

First three hives were fine, marked one queen ,placed super above QE.
Fourth were the proverbial bad girls ,strong double brood, decided I was an evil man and kept stinging my hands bare and then through nitriles..
Fortunately all were young so not much venom .

Despite their endeavours, we managed to mark the Queen - or one of the beginners did- perfectly.

So our aspiring beekeepers saw a lesson in why to choose calm bees

 

[drex]

@ Alistair. Lockdown was not a good time to start beekeeping with the absence of face to face training. Good that you have a new mentor. I suggest you read some books. The more you know, the more enjoyable beekeeping becomes. It is way too cold here for Apiguard to work

 

[The Poot]

Only five?

They were the ones that followed wherever I went and couldn’t see my veil...

 

[Angularity]

A queen wasp has been going in to the weaker hive at home, and I couldn't get her. This morning I found her outside the hive entrance writhing in pain. Bless. So I finished her off. Add that to the one I got in the greenhouse yesterday, and the one from the bedroom window and the one in the kitchen, and I'm feeling a bit under wasp attack.

 

[Murox]

@Alistair in the absence of reading material the videos from the Norfolk honey company are are good trustworthy source of information. The link will take you to the home "library" page so you can see what subjects Stewart Spinks covers.

 

[Moobee]

Yes

Brilliant thanks!

 

[jeff33]

i have just today spoken to the association and have got a different mentor who is looking at the hive on Saturday he has bees near my hive one question why is it not a good idea to keep the queen excluder on over winter ?

I reckon you should also ask them to change their Apiary Manager while you are at it .

 

[Brian Bush]

Yes. No rain here for ~6 weeks

Same here!!
Only moisture has been an inch of snow one morning

 

[Swn58]

Maybe clip the queen

I never clip Queens. None of them are going to leave at the moment anyway!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

can not remember exactly when but it was when the association treated their hives and it was Apiguard just about to order some, also have feed then today with bee patty and fondant

Forget the patty and fondant if they need feeding (I don't think they do as you mention combs of stores) use 1:1 syrup at this time of year.
To be honest, I have serious doubts whether they went into winter as prepared as they should have been. I'm still of the opinion that they are riddled with varroa. That's the first thing that needs to be addressed.

 

[Swn58]

Off to the farm apiary today to see if the two queen-less colonies have new queen-cells.

 

[LeaBees]

Yes

Hi,
How long can stores be frozen for before either extracting or returning to bees?
Thanks

 

[Moobee]

Yes. No rain here for ~6 weeks

I can't even remember what rain is. Garden is parched and cracked!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hi,
How long can stores be frozen for before either extracting or returning to bees?
Thanks

I’m sure honey and syrup are good forever.
Runny honey stays runny in the freezer.
It’s how I keep my cut comb till ready for sale
Pollen probably degrades