What next?

[Newbuzz]

I have two single brood chamber hives each with a deep super on. Neither super is full or capped, though I have had one extraction earlier this summer from one hive. The nectar seems to be slowing and the weather hasn't been great for the last month, I'm debating to remove the queen guard and let the bees have what is there, or to hang on a while longer to see what happens before I get on with the Formic acid treatment. What is to expect as forage around this time of year?

I use the acid on the blotting strip with a bottle reservoir, I'm not sure what they are called in the UK, but they do two treatments here - late July/August after the last harvest and four weeks later in September. I'm not sure how long I can push it.

The plan is to run them as single brood chambers. If I leave them the honey supers would I be best to leave it until spring before reducing them down to a single again? Or should I sacrifice some of the brood and swap it with stores and feed up the single chamber for the winter? At the moment the both hives brood boxes are looking really good as they are, and the weather is looking reasonable for a couple of weeks. Decisions decisions.

My gut feeling is telling me to hang off another week or so, my over excited side really wants to try out the spinner, but I am happy to wait until next summer. What are your thoughts?

 

[enrico]

Your winter comes much earlier than ours! I would put the box with the part filled frames UNDER the main brood box with no queen excluder The bees will move the honey up into the brood box and it can then be removed first inspection in spring. We call that nadiring .Only you know your available forage for the bees so if you think honey is a possibility then go for it.
You will probably need to feed them anyway
E

 

[Newbuzz]

Well it looks like it is going wrong with my strongest hive. It looks like the queen has been caught above the excluder and there are clusters of open brood on two frames. The brood box is looking very empty. I didn't manage to see the queen but I have removed the excluder and nadired the hive. Was this the right course of action? I'm going to have another quick look at the weekend to see if she has moved up into the brood box.
When would be right rime to remove the nadiered super from under the brood box, or is it the plan to leave it there until spring before swapping them back around.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I didn't manage to see the queen but I have removed the excluder and nadired the hive. Was this the right course of action? I'm going to have another quick look at the weekend to see if she has moved up into the brood box.

At this time of year, yes, it was the right move.
You are safe to leave the nadired box in place until spring, I wouldn't bother going back to have a look, just leave her do her own thing, the cluster will beging to reduce before long anyway. You can take it off in a few months if you want, I prefer to leave it until bees are flying early spring so that any bees disturbed can fly back to the hive without chilling, leave the box leaning against the hive for a while so than any bees mooching around in there can exit if you are going to keep it in store until the colony has built up and the spring flow starts or, if they are strong enough, put it back on top over a queen excluder.

 

[StephenT]

At this time of year, yes, it was the right move.
You are safe to leave the nadired box in place until spring, I wouldn't bother going back to have a look, just leave her do her own thing, the cluster will beging to reduce before long anyway. You can take it off in a few months if you want, I prefer to leave it until bees are flying early spring so that any bees disturbed can fly back to the hive without chilling, leave the box leaning against the hive for a while so than any bees mooching around in there can exit if you are going to keep it in store until the colony has built up and the spring flow starts or, if they are strong enough, put it back on top over a queen excluder.

I'm in a similar situation with one of my hives as it has one brood box and two supers, one of which isn't filled much. Come spring is there much risk of there being brood in the nadired super? If there is, would it be OK to stick it above the QE, let the brood emerge and then use it as a honey super? Thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm in a similar situation with one of my hives as it has one brood box and two supers, one of which isn't filled much. Come spring is there much risk of there being brood in the nadired super? If there is, would it be OK to stick it above the QE, let the brood emerge and then use it as a honey super? Thanks.

As long as you don't leave it too late, there's not much chance of there being brood down in the nadired shllow (unless of course it's an exceptional spring and you have a really early brood burst) I take mine away on a warm February day or early March, then put them to one side (or above the crown board) until the colony has expanded enough to need a super.
If you do find brood in the nadir, that would indicate your colony is big and strong enough to need more space so yes, it's safe to super it above a QX ( the colony would shift upwards to cover the brood) and yes, it is perfectly OK to use it as a honey super once the brood has emerged.

 

[enrico]

I'm in a similar situation with one of my hives as it has one brood box and two supers, one of which isn't filled much. Come spring is there much risk of there being brood in the nadired super? If there is, would it be OK to stick it above the QE, let the brood emerge and then use it as a honey super? Thanks.

I do it regularly. Just move it over the QE before we get drones. It makes life easier!

 

[StephenT]

That's really helpful, thanks. I intended to put the partially filled super above the brood box and allow them to fill it with winter feed but that would just be creating brood and a half. If I go with the nadired option then I can always put them on double brood in the spring if they need the space.

 

[Newbuzz]

That's a relief.
I'm going to do the first Folic Acid at the weekend, hopefully it should have cooled down a bit by then.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That's a relief.
I'm going to do the first Folic Acid at the weekend, hopefully it should have cooled down a bit by then.

Oxalic unless you’re pregnant

 

[enrico]

Oxalic unless you’re pregnant

 

[Newbuzz]

Formic Acid, total dyslexia moment

 

[understanding_bees]

I have seen information about the use of formic acid as a treatment against varroa mites.

Thankfully we do not have varroa here in Australia. I am interested to know what information forum members may have about the comparisons between oxalic acid, and formic acid, as treatments against varroa.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have seen information about the use of formic acid as a treatment against varroa mites.

Thankfully we do not have varroa here in Australia. I am interested to know what information forum members may have about the comparisons between oxalic acid, and formic acid, as treatments against varroa.

Yes there's lots too get your teeth into
http://scientificbeekeeping.com/varroa-management/treatments-for-varroa/