What happened in my colony please?

[Worker bee]

That seems impracticable for a huge proportion of people (eg those who work). Also contradicts a large body of opinion which says don't inspect more often than necessary.

I'm saying as much as possible but ideally once every three days and thats my opinion. Maybe not the large body of opinion but its mine. Until you can read one and that's certainly not in the first two years unless they have access to numerous hives of someone else's

 

[pargyle]

In my opinion new beekeepers should inspect hives as often as possible. A minimum of once every three days

What a load of rubbish ... tearing the hive apart every three days is so totally unecessary and destructive - every time you disturb the bees in this fashion it causes them stress - it takes days for them recover properly - is likely to actually promote swarming rather than prevent it and the stressed colony is rendered susceptible to disease. Not to mention the fact that every time you drag a frame out looking for a queen you probably stand (as a beginner) a fairly reasonable chance of squishing her by accident ...

Where on earth did you come across such an incredibly gormless idea to promote as a course of action. Unbelievable ....

 

[Worker bee]

What a load of rubbish ... tearing the hive apart every three days is so totally unecessary and destructive - every time you disturb the bees in this fashion it causes them stress - it takes days for them recover properly - is likely to actually promote swarming rather than prevent it and the stressed colony is rendered susceptible to disease. Not to mention the fact that every time you drag a frame out looking for a queen you probably stand (as a beginner) a fairly reasonable chance of squishing her by accident ...

Where on earth did you come across such an incredibly gormless idea to promote as a course of action. Unbelievable ....

What a load of rubbish

 

[Sutty]

Just agree to disagree people!

 

[user 819]

In my opinion new beekeepers should inspect hives as often as possible. A minimum of once every three days

A lot of us call it unnecessary fiddling which sounds like you are one of the fully paid up members, once a fiddler always a fiddler.
And then a fiddler comes in to there own mid winter extolling to the world how to remove winter brood to treat for mites etc.etc.

 

[pargyle]

What a load of rubbish

Frankly, from what I've seen of all your posts, your suggested beekeeping is so far off what is practical and sensible that I rather wonder whether you have ever kept bees ....

 

[Worker bee]

A lot of us call it unnecessary fiddling which sounds like you are one of the fully paid up members, once a fiddler always a fiddler.
And then a fiddler comes in to there own mid winter extolling to the world how to remove winter brood to treat for mites etc.etc.

Don't you think a new beekeeper should learn how to inspect a hive without killing a queen? Should be able to do it with ease? Much better a new beekeeper stress a few bees than to let the colony die when it swarms from a varroa infestation.

 

[Worker bee]

Frankly, from what I've seen of all your posts, your suggested beekeeping is so far off what is practical and sensible that I rather wonder whether you have ever kept bees ....

maybe then you would like to see my hives? All are perfectly healthy and all but splits on three broods?

 

[pargyle]

Don't you think a new beekeeper should learn how to inspect a hive without killing a queen? Should be able to do it with ease? Much better a new beekeeper stress a few bees than to let the colony die when it swarms from a varroa infestation.

So you think a new beekeeper would be able to see varroa infestation by looking at the bees ... have you ever looked at a frame of bees to try and count varroa .... more rubbish. Better to inspect less and teach them to do a sugar roll once in a while - far less destructive than you constant fiddling with them.

 

[pargyle]

maybe then you would like to see my hives? All are perfectly healthy and all but splits on three broods?

More by luck than good management, I would respectfully suggest, if you carry on the way you are suggesting others should ...

 

[Worker bee]

So you think a new beekeeper would be able to see varroa infestation by looking at the bees ... have you ever looked at a frame of bees to try and count varroa .... more rubbish. Better to inspect less and teach them to do a sugar roll once in a while - far less destructive than you constant fiddling with them.

I can spot a bad varroa infestation with an inspection yes can't you? Look at your bees. One of the first things my bee inspector pointed out to me

 

[Sutty]

Gents: please stop it and let's keep vaguely to the topic of the thread!

 

[pargyle]

I can spot a bad varroa infestation with an inspection yes can't you? Look at your bees. One of the first things my bee inspector pointed out to me

Well, you've obviously had a lot of varroa infestation to be fully competent at spotting a colony with a heavy varroa load ;.... says it all really. Anyway, I've had enough of this tonight - do what you like with your colonies but if you spout these outrageous ideas here - expect to be challenged.

 

[Worker bee]

Well, you've obviously had a lot of varroa infestation to be fully competent at spotting a colony with a heavy varroa load ;.... says it all really. Anyway, I've had enough of this tonight - do what you like with your colonies but if you spout these outrageous ideas here - expect to be challenged.

Errr I had one hive in the heat of a flow that had already been treated according to advice. It was a large colony mind you. And he also congratulated me on the state of my operations. I don't kill drone brood by the way in fact I encourage it I have frames of it in each hive. And nothing I've said is outrageous it's all in your own mind because you think you know it all. You think there is a set of rules that can't be broken without the detriment of bees and your talking excrement. It's a simple thing like seeing a few bees with deformed wings. But you should know this. If you have a few bees with deformed wings it's safe to say your hives are getting ready to be treated. But then that's just a single pointer. Then there's bad infestation and grave. If I see any sign of it it's bad because my bees should be top notch. I've already treated my hives for varroa twice this year pre flow and also treated them with a general medication. My bees are booming every hive. Luck? Ok

 

[Erichalfbee]

But... He couldn't find the queen. Your advice is surely for where you know the hive has swarmed? He didn't (and they hadn't). No?

I was presuming they had swarmed.

 

[pargyle]

And nothing I've said is outrageous it's all in your own mind because you think you know it all. You think there is a set of rules that can't be broken without the detriment of bees and your talking excrement.

Whatever... I think if you had been here a few years you would find that this could not be further frin the truth...

What you are preaching about new beekeepers needing to inspect their colonies every three days is utter nonsense ... like i said manage your bees your way I really could not care less... just expect people to question and challenge ideas that are nonsense that you put forward as practical solutions for people to follow.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Whatever... I think if you had been here a few years you would find that this could not be further frin the truth...

What you are preaching about new beekeepers needing to inspect their colonies every three days is utter nonsense ... like i said manage your bees your way I really could not care less... just expect people to question and challenge ideas that are nonsense that you put forward as practical solutions for people to follow.

Philip
Worker bee joined the forum in May this year with what appears to be the sole purpose of disruption
His first post
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/foxes-visiting-the-garden.50262/page-4#post-767962Ever since then he has continued in the same vein
If he persists he won’t last long

 

[drex]

I love this forum, with so many different opinions. Thankfully I have enough experience to sift the wheat from the chaff. Beginners do not, but the chaff is usually questioned by experienced users. Worker bee puts forward some interesting ideas few of which I would actually investigate any further.
I encourage all to think things through in their beekeeping. I find Pargyles comments far more balanced and reasoned.
Each to their own, but beginners beware

 

[oliver90owner]

all but splits on three broods

Three brood boxes? What size box? If deeps, that is about 150,000 cells? How prolific are your queens?

Lets have a quick think about this. Say one third of the frame area is nectar/honey arch. That leaves about 100,000 cels for queenie to lay up. Say cells are cycled every 25 days, so she is laying 4000 eggs every day? Amazing queens you have. Lets assume 6 week life span of a worker. Six weeks would see an over-160,000 bee population? About twice the size of a really large colony.

We once had one forum member who claimed her bees filled a box with brood in a week and then stopped laying for a few days. This is about on a par with that.

Even a sustained 2000 eggs per day only requires a single brood (just) so a brood and a half would suit her. Possibly better if the honey arch is the other side of a queen excluder, too, thus allowing more cells for brooding in the brood box.

I run 14 x 12 frames and rarely need more than a single brood - usually the queen is allowed into upper shallow(s) for a short time at peak lay rate. This leads me to believe that three broods on every hive is an unnecessary exaggeration.

Successful beekeeping can be achieved without extreme practices. It can do without unnecessary exaggeration, too.

 

[Tigger]

Folks,

It's distressing me a bit that, as a result of my question, the thread had become so bad tempered.

On the actual question, I've re-read my notes, and (while I'll never know for sure) the notes do not say I moved Q cells. In fact, because I had the step-by-step notes printed out, I think it's more likely that there were no Q cells on the frame that I moved.

In any event it would please me if this thread is now closed.

Thank you all very much.