what should I be doing now??

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Being a newbie and only having started bee keeping at the beginning of this year, Im unsure what i need to be doing now to ensure my bees survive the winter.

I have not had any honey off them this year, Ive bascially left them with it as I wanted to help them get off to the best start and build up the colonys. Hopefully ill get them over the winter and next year will be the time for collecting honey.

Anyway, I have begun feeding some small colonys hoping they will draw more comb on undrawn foundation, giving her maj maybe more laying space but most of all, more room to store stores for the winter.

so what else should i be doing?? should i be treating them for varroa yet and if so, how much and when??

any advice much appreciated

 

[justme]

Varroa treatment should really have been started if not finished by now. Most treatments are temperature dependent and winter bees will be starting to be reared very shortly if not already started.
Generally honey off (if any) late July early August, varroa treatment started straight away, then winter feed.

If you've been monitoring varroa counts correctly and a they are low as according to fera managing varroa table (available on web, fera/beebase) then you may be ok. Otherwise you could always do oxalic treatment around Christmas.

Hopefully someone with more experience be along in a minute:.)

 

[beesleybees]

Right I see,

problem is that i have recently aquired a swarm (couple of days ago) and also one a few weeks back. I had no drawn foundation frames to give them and have been feeding to help them get started. Obviously they need drawn comb for stores and laying but reading about thymol treatment, this says i can put the queen off laying for a few weeks which is obviously the last thing i want when im trying to boost numbers for over wintering.

This beekeeping has alot more to it than meets the eye. Its a good job i like it lol

 

[justme]

Ah, I see. Well if it was/is a swarm and you've no brood in there yet you could use oxalic acid now. Use 5ml per full seam of bees or comparative amounts. You can get ready made or buy it and mix it yourself. You'll need to make sure its mixed to the correct strength if you mix it yourself but my brain fails me here. Bound to be thread on here somewhere or just g**gle it.

I'm still hoping a more experienced beek will come along on this thread.

 

[enrico]

You have blown the varoa treatment too late!! Not the end of the world though, If they were my hives I would keep the two swarms in a brood box only and feed until they no longer take it, (2 X 1) and also feed the other hive. Don't forget to take out any QE when the weather starts to get cooler. All you can hope to do is get them really strong to fight Varoa. Oxalic acid during the winter may help but I am not a great lover of it. Strong hives WILL survive and you have a chance in three that one will get though OK.
Best of luck
E

 

[beesleybees]

You have blown the varoa treatment too late!! Not the end of the world though, If they were my hives I would keep the two swarms in a brood box only and feed until they no longer take it, (2 X 1) and also feed the other hive. Don't forget to take out any QE when the weather starts to get cooler. All you can hope to do is get them really strong to fight Varoa. Oxalic acid during the winter may help but I am not a great lover of it. Strong hives WILL survive and you have a chance in three that one will get though OK.
Best of luck
E

thats not the news i was looking for........

could i not feed them with thymol as in hivemakers recipe???

I picked up a swarm a couple of days ago in a nuc and have been feeding sugar syrup, they have been taking it down by around 500ml per day and have had a litre in total now. They have drawn comb out on 6 foundation frames and are approx 50% there in completion.

again, today, i have obtained another big swarm. im just waiting till tonight to pick it up to ensure I have all the foragers too. Ive put these in a bs brood box as i dont have a nuc spare. I am going to feed them also with sugar syrup to give them a hand with comb building.

At this moment in time, i do not know if either swarm is Q-.

can you advise me on what my best course of action is in order to try and get them to survive the winter?? There are loads of experienced beeks on here and im sure someone can help a newb through this. It would be much appreciated

 

[eric]

The swarms will have no sealed brood so oxlic acid them now and feed feed feed.
You seem to be collecting alot of swarms ( are they from your hives )

Your other hives feed feed then oxlic acid them in dec/Jan

 

[drstitson]

eating your tea and waiting for Dr Who to start!

 

[beesleybees]

The swarms will have no sealed brood so oxlic acid them now and feed feed feed.
You seem to be collecting alot of swarms ( are they from your hives )

Your other hives feed feed then oxlic acid them in dec/Jan

Thanx for the replies guys, they are much appreciated. I wouldnt have got this far without the help from guys like you on the forum

anyway, not sure what it is but ive had 3 calls in the past 2 days regarding swarms. They are not from my hives. I got one from penketh in warrington, and another from beechwood in Runcorn. Any beeks here from them areas that are missing some bees??

oh well, I guess they havent been reading the same books as us.

 

[drstitson]

decent sized swarms or tiny casts?

 

[beesleybees]

decent sized swarms or tiny casts?

i wouldnt say tiny casts but enough to over fill a nuc!!

im unsure as of yet if they are Q- or not, only time will tell

 

[eric]

i wouldnt say tiny casts but enough to over fill a nuc!!

im unsure as of yet if they are Q- or not, only time will tell

I would think they will have a Queen

 

[enrico]

I'm sorry it wasn't the news you were looking for!!!!
I really wouldn't worry too much about treating, is what I was trying to say, If they are strong enough to swarm at this time of the year it doesn't suggest they come from a weakened hive! Look on the bright side. All 3 will probably survive!
Swarms in September.... ouch! someone somewhere has a depleted hive for winter!
e

 

[Swarm]

It's not too late for varroa treatment, I still have hives with supers on. Treatment will probably start in a week or two. Last year it was into October.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

It's not too late for varroa treatment, I still have hives with supers on. Treatment will probably start in a week or two. Last year it was into October.

Shouldn't that be it may not be too late for varroa treatment? No long range forecast will be able to predict that mid October will have temperatures over the 15degrees necessary for a full treatments efficacy.

The October average for E Mids for the 30 years 1970-2000 ranged from 9 degrees to just under 15. Your part of South Wales coast a tiny bit better, but still a risk

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/climate/uk/averages/regmapavge.html#wales

 

[drstitson]

from apiguard site:

"Apiguard works best in temperatures above 15°C. But it is also effective at lower temperatures even though the gel takes longer to evaporate and the gel needs to be left in place for longer."

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

from apiguard site:

"Apiguard works best in temperatures above 15°C. But it is also effective at lower temperatures even though the gel takes longer to evaporate and the gel needs to be left in place for longer."

Maybe doc, but with temperatures diminishing rapidly and bees about to cluster, expecting it to do much into November would seem to me to be optimistic - especially bearing in mind beeselybees is in the north. He could of course kill two birds with one stone and apply oxalic now rather than in midwinter to the swarms if there is no brood.

Treating late is better than not treating at all, but playing chicken with the weather just seems a tad cavalier to me.

 

[Swarm]

Well another beekeeper finished his treatment a full fortnight later than I did. I merely stated it isn't too late, which it isn't. Labels on products are failsafe guidelines for manufacturer protection, not law.
People take their dogs for booster jabs every year. Is that because the immunity suddenly wears off after twelve months? No, it's because the manufacturer cannot guarantee the product for longer.
If temp drops to 14.5 degrees during treatment, does that mean the treatment has been a waste of time?
As it stands, night time temperatures are higher now than they were mid August, when most advocate starting treatment.
You may consider it cavalier and playing chicken, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but that's really all it is.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

You may consider it cavalier and playing chicken, that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but that's really all it is.

Yup, no sleight intended

 

[nelletap]

Don't know that I am much more advanced but had you thought of a polystyrene hive? Would that help a weak colony maintain warmth? I would certainly worry if my colony last year had been quite small going into winter.
Tricia