What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Splitter]

So correct me if I'm wrong, you've moved the queen and a frame of BIAS plus a few super frames of bees into a full box of foundation (Well not quite full - you've left a space at the end of the frames that they will probably have fun with) and a super with just one frame of stores on top ? You are hoping that the flying bees will return to this new box ? Assuming they can fly with the weather we've had ... if they can't you might have a problem. Not enough bees, too much space, small amount of stores and cold weather - not a great combination. Good luck, let us know how you get on.

Bear in mind that, usually, when you are doing Pagden it's well into spring, the bees are flying well and the weather gives them the ability to fly and forage ...

https://www.netweather.tv/weather-forecasts/uk/14-day/27603~Suffolk

Missed this post, sorry. You are correct. I forgot to put the dummy board back in (well spotted). That will go back next time i get in there.

They have some drawn comb in the shallow box on top and I have fed them some 1:1 syrup to help them draw out the brood frames. I suspect the queen will be laying in the shallow on top.

I've been pretty lucky with the split in terms of bees, both halves appear to have ended up with good numbers. So hopefully a bullet dodged there.

Thanks for the weather page recommendation. I've been using the met office app but always up for trying different ones.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Although it was blowy & wet on Thursday, world of difference today on the edge of London when I went to check Dagenham: upgraded a few nucs, gave a frame of foundation to two in exchange for sealed brood (gave it to a single BB colony) and reversed the double broods.

Not all as good as this, but not bad for March, and many colonies are building fast:

 

[Steve7962]

Although it was blowy & wet on Thursday, world of difference today on the edge of London when I went to check Dagenham: upgraded a few nucs, gave a frame of foundation to two in exchange for sealed brood (gave it to a single BB colony) and reversed the double broods.

Not all as good as this, but not bad for March, and many colonies are building fast:

View attachment 39376

That’s a very busy frame of brood, is the queen a buckfast?

 

[gregior]

Inspected the last 10 I haven't looked in yet this year. All doing very well with between 7 and 12 frames of brood apart from 1 which had only 2 frames of bees and 1 frame of brood . The 1 frame of brood looked very good though so I think they will make it through,sometime these tiny colonies can build up very well and are unlikely to swarm this year which makes life easier for me! I reckon the first swarm cells will be appearing within the next couple of weeks.

 

[ericbeaumont]

That’s a very busy frame of brood, is the queen a buckfast?

No, but yes.

I have bought queens a couple of times: once a single (!) open-mated Buckfast from Ged Marshall in my third year, and three years ago a few from Denrosa. In between I have selected from stock for temper, productivity and health, and put my foot on anything awkward.

The 'yes' part of the answer is that I reckon in the London area Buckfast genes dominate, often from beginners' swarms or drones, as BF is promoted as the ideal starter. Broad result is that colony temper, size and productivity is generally good, but selection is always necessary.

 

[Splitter]

I went in to check on the queen-right side of the split I did last week. All looking good at the moment. I'll leave the splits for a few weeks to give the queens a chance to get mated.

15 degrees and sunny in Suffolk.

 

[ericbeaumont]

give the queens a chance to get mated

Drones emerged already?

 

[Splitter]

Drones emerged already?

Yes, I counted a dozen on one frame in this hive nearly two weeks ago. My friend also has a colony nearby who are producing lots.

The weather will be the potential stumbling block I think.

 

[Sutty]

Consolidated a colony on triple brood down to double, another double down to single, and transferred a double-decker nuc into a poly hive with mesh floor closed off.
Mainly preparation towards uniting several colonies to halve my numbers at least.
Some sealed drone brood seen as well as BIAS, but only checked very few frames despite 14C and piling in pollen. No emerged drones seen yet.

 

[Swarm]

Drones emerged already?

Saw drones walking on the combs today

 

[Curly green finger's]

Apparently snowploughs have been deployed only a few miles away on Exmoor. We had a frost, but that has been melted by the rain.

James

I got sent photos from the Devon four inches of snow there on Thursday.

 

[Redcap]

Fed all three colonies...added supers to two. A nice day, but not disturbing further until consistently warmer days arrive. Something's been nibbling at the front of an empty poly nuc, an almost round area just bigger than a 50p piece 3 or 4 mil deep...a mouse/bird perhaps....

 

[Wilco]

Fed all three colonies...added supers to two. A nice day, but not disturbing further until consistently warmer days arrive. Something's been nibbling at the front of an empty poly nuc, an almost round area just bigger than a 50p piece 3 or 4 mil deep...a mouse/bird perhaps....

Why feed and add supers? Surely you're just going to end up with feed in the supers.

 

[Redcap]

Why feed and add supers? Surely you're just going to end up with feed in the supers.

I did think about that and decided to feed based on the following....(1) Frames in the supers are a mis-mash of foundation and (2) some (quite a bit) of damaged comb, in need of repair, so I'm hoping they'll use it rather than store it.... Only fed a relatively small amount, so my thinking is more about helping them to repair and build-up the comb; a bit of a helping hand you might say...

 

[emoclewbee]

First inspections done today.
One queen failure, all else made it through. Nectar and pollen are coming in. Brood nest across 3/4 frames in most. 6 frames in a single BS deep, that was a caught cast AMM swarm last year, which is ahead of the curve so far it seems.

 

[Do224]

Consolidated a colony on triple brood down to double, another double down to single, and transferred a double-decker nuc into a poly hive with mesh floor closed off.
Mainly preparation towards uniting several colonies to halve my numbers at least.
Some sealed drone brood seen as well as BIAS, but only checked very few frames despite 14C and piling in pollen. No emerged drones seen yet.

If you’re consolidating a double down to a single, won’t it very soon need to be on a double again? Not criticising at all…just trying to understand as I have all mine on single BB and am anticipating having to add another BB in a few weeks time (in the past I’ve always just put a qx on and then a super, but they always seem to need more brood space, so I thought I’d try them on double brood this year)

 

[StephenT]

Inspected the three allotment hives and bit of a mixed bag. First hive on a double was not doing great so knocked it down to a single. Must have superseded end of last summer as unmarked queen now. Was hoping to expand the second hive on 8 frames but didn’t need it. Third hive which was in a nuc a few weeks ago is doing great through. The double brood in the garden had a top box rammed with brood and stores with some brood in the bottom box. Reversed the boxes and stuck a super on. The other hive in the garden needed a bit of feeding as it’s much weaker. Got all 5 hives through winter but only one is coming into spring really strong.

 

[Sutty]

If you’re consolidating a double down to a single, won’t it very soon need to be on a double again? Not criticising at all…just trying to understand as I have all mine on single BB and am anticipating having to add another BB in a few weeks time (in the past I’ve always just put a qx on and then a super, but they always seem to need more brood space, so I thought I’d try them on double brood this year)

Yes, but they will be united with another colony so will be back on double brood shortly.
I really need to reduce my number of hives!

 

[Redcap]

Why feed and add supers? Surely you're just going to end up with feed in the supers.

So have I made a school-boy error here?....Thought a small amount of feed would encourage comb building on the foundation and repairs to the damaged/incomplete comb....I so very nearly didn't too!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So have I made a school-boy error here?....Thought a small amount of feed would encourage comb building on the foundation and repairs to the damaged/incomplete comb....I so very nearly didn't too!

doubtful - they will draw wax when there is a flow on and they need storage space. They will also be reluctant do make wax in this cold weather.