What to do with my bees now?

[sloydall]

Hi there, this is my first post here so Hello.

I've done a little reading (March edition BBKA) and have a few questions regarding what I should be checking for in the apiary this month.

I have clear open mesh floors in both of my hives, should I change these floors or take off the whole hive and leave it on the floor whilst cleaning the the floors or should I do nothing with the floors?

I would like to move one of my hives about 9 ft, is this possible or do I have to do it three times so the bees understand where they are?

The article suggests to check for a drone layer - how would I spot this? I have been beekeeping since last June so my skill of sighting different types of bee is very minimal.

Finally what constitutes enough stores? How do I reckon this? I did not heft my hives as I was heavily pregnant throughout the winter and could barely fit into my bee suit let alone pick anything up!

Many thanks in advance....

 

[REDWOOD]

I change the OMF and BB every second year, scorch clean and make repairs/paint the old ones

To move nine feet if the bees are flying then a bit at a time in three moves

drone layers are either dud queen or laying workers (no queen), you will see multiple eggs in cells with laying workers and you can't tell if you have a drone laying queen until the brood is capped (large domed cappings).

Critical time for starvation now, put some fondant on now, just in case and until you can do an inspection where you should have about 2 frames of stores

 

[beeno]

Hi Sloydall,
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new addition.
Keep reading the forum as there is lots to learn!
First of all let's establish the comings and goings at the hive entrance. What level of activity is there? Have you seen any orientation flights, cleansing flights or pollen going in? +13C these coming days should tell you all of this.
Food stores are your first priority! Three frames of capped honey would be plenty for the time being. If not put block of fondant on.
I get the idea that you have not had much chance of being a hands on beek as the bump will have been in the way. So, leave spring cleaning for the time being. Also, unless you see lots of drones at the hive entrance I would not worry about this for the time being either.
Read the forum over the next few warm days and you will be able to learn from others the state of our various hives no doubt!
Most of all have fun.

 

[Moggs]

At this critical time of year, you may find the assistance of a more experienced beekeeper will be of great value, now and in the coming weeks. Lots to check now, stores, pollen, healthy queen, healthy brood, healthy bees, equipment change, etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Beesand]

Hi there, this is my first post here so Hello.

I've done a little reading (March edition BBKA) and have a few questions regarding what I should be checking for in the apiary this month.

I have clear open mesh floors in both of my hives, should I change these floors or take off the whole hive and leave it on the floor whilst cleaning the the floors or should I do nothing with the floors?

I would like to move one of my hives about 9 ft, is this possible or do I have to do it three times so the bees understand where they are?

The article suggests to check for a drone layer - how would I spot this? I have been beekeeping since last June so my skill of sighting different types of bee is very minimal.

Finally what constitutes enough stores? How do I reckon this? I did not heft my hives as I was heavily pregnant throughout the winter and could barely fit into my bee suit let alone pick anything up!

Many thanks in advance....

I don't know if this is an option for you but when my bees were coming out of their first winter a few year ago, I had a more experienced beekeeper pop round and just give them the once over to make sure they were ok and I was doing everything as I should. A bit of a bee MOT going into Spring if you like

 

[enrico]

It is worth changing the floor, or at least sweeping it clean. Take an empty super, lift the brood box and place it on the empty super to prevent squashing any lower comb and the queen, sweep the floor clean or change it, place the brood box back, check the empty super to make sure the queen is not in it and knock any bees off at the entrance.
Checking for a drone layer is easy, when it is warm enough to do a complete inspection just make sure you have proper worker brood and not raised drone comb everywhere. You will also see early drones and fewer workers if you have a drone layer.
As far as moving your hive, you can move it a little way each day or you can hope for a cold spell when the bees may not be flying for a few days and move it then, pile a few twigs at the entrance so they have to think about things when they leave! If you need to move them in one go then do it quite soon as you will have fewer fliers but be prepared for a lot returning to the old site. It depends if your other hive is close by and would take these fliers?
Hope this answers all your questions..... Welcome, I was born and bred in rugby!! Oh well can't have everything!
E

 

[drstitson]

"Checking for a drone layer is easy, when it is warm enough to do a complete inspection"

or just a quick peek - drone cappings or multiple eggs in cells is all you'll need to see. if present a more complete inspection would be necessary.

any normal capped brood indicates fine.

 

[Chris B]

I would simply feed them a gallon of syrup and leave them for a few weeks. The right time to inspect for the first time? Well it varies year by year but the first week in April is a good guideline, but possibly a little earlier this year as the spring seems advanced.

 

[BeeFarmer]

Hello and welcome, you're not a million miles away from us.

 

[sloydall]

Thanks everyone!

Hi, thanks for all of the advice. I do have a bee mentor and she is likely to come and assist/guide me. After your advice I think I'll do some more observation over the next couple of days and then take a peek in for food on Sunday as the weather seems to be very favourable. I going to hang back on changing the floor and I'm going to continue to think about whether or not to move the hive! I look forward to reading more of the forum posts.

BeeFarmer - Northamptonshire is not too far at all

enrico - Rugby is a fine place to be born and raised in...I'm sure it's not changed too much since you were here!

 

[yellowrage 53]

Hi Sloydall,
Welcome to the forum and congrats on the new addition.
Keep reading the forum as there is lots to learn!
First of all let's establish the comings and goings at the hive entrance. What level of activity is there? Have you seen any orientation flights, cleansing flights or pollen going in? +13C these coming days should tell you all of this.
Food stores are your first priority! Three frames of capped honey would be plenty for the time being. If not put block of fondant on.
I get the idea that you have not had much chance of being a hands on beek as the bump will have been in the way. So, leave spring cleaning for the time being. Also, unless you see lots of drones at the hive entrance I would not worry about this for the time being either.
Read the forum over the next few warm days and you will be able to learn from others the state of our various hives no doubt!
Most of all have fun.

as a newbee this reply is of a great help to us all thank u

 

[Dishmop]

A couple of times I have moved hives a few feet in one day when the bees were flying by moving about a foot at a time several times throughout the day. My hives sit on paving stones and I was sliding the hive slowly off one slab onto another and then moving the first slab to the other side of the hive for the next move.
It depends on the ground, and how easy the hive will move, but best if there are two people to do it if its on rough ground.

 

[sloydall]

Update on bees

Hi all, I checked one hive today and all is well. The bees are busy, there was about 3frames of stores and 2 of brood. It appears to be a Qyeen laying which is ace. There was a lot of activity, lots of pollen and generally a good looking hive. I've added a varroa floor so I can check up next time I look. I'm going to clean the hive mesh floor in my next inspection I think. I have a super under the brood box as the bees didn't move the stores from that super before winter set in, when should I remove that? Finally, I didn't have time to check the hive I want to move so I'll do that in the next couple of days. Thanks for all the advice and keep it coming!

 

[MartinL]

Are you feeding them syrup now? I would, just to be sure they have enough stores. If you haven't been hefting try it now just to get you hand in.
If it's really light could be a "just in time" warning!
Wouldn't bee too worried about any deep cleaning either, they are more than capable of doing that themselves.
Most important thing is not to chill them by poking around too early, stave off the enthusiasm till it has been warm for more than a couple of days.

Oh and welcome to the forum, (not that far away either).

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a super under the brood box as the bees didn't move the stores from that super before winter set in, when should I remove that?

I have four like that and I'm taking them off this week.
As a two man job it's quick and easy.
Floor cleared at the same time.

 

[Roola]

Should I be concerned if I saw some capped drone brood cells during my quick look yesterday? I only ask as there was no other capped worker brood but a few frames of newly laid eggs so I'm left wondering whether the queen is failing or not, they don't have the biggest number of bees compared to my other hive but have been flying well... I'm wondering whether to donate them a frame of capped brood from my much stronger colony which has plenty of bees which would if anything buy me some time to see what happens with the newly laid eggs... If queen is fine then an injection of new bees would not be a bad thing but if she's not then at least I can think about getting in a new queen.

 

[sloydall]

Next step...

MartinL - thanks, I'll heft tomorrow and add 1:1 syrup if needs be as well as have a quick look at the hive I didn't have chance to look at. You said that too much poking about isn't good as it is still hilly, what amount of time would you say I should limit myself to - 10mins?

erichalfbee - thanks I think I'll wait until my mentor can pop over to do any moving of the super

Roola- sorry - no idea!

 

[sloydall]

How much syrup?

Just a thought...I have a 5litre contact feeder, do I make enough syrup to fill this and then put it on top of the crown board as i did in the run up to winter? Thanks.

 

[MartinL]

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I have a 5litre contact feeder, do I make enough syrup to fill this and then put it on top of the crown board as i did in the run up to winter? Thanks.

You could.
However, if you do it might be an idea to insulate around it.
You'd be leaving a large volume empty and above the volume they are trying to keep warm and it is still pretty chilly at night, even if the warm weather continues.

 

[enrico]

Should I be concerned if I saw some capped drone brood cells during my quick look yesterday? I only ask as there was no other capped worker brood but a few frames of newly laid eggs so I'm left wondering whether the queen is failing or not, they don't have the biggest number of bees compared to my other hive but have been flying well... I'm wondering whether to donate them a frame of capped brood from my much stronger colony which has plenty of bees which would if anything buy me some time to see what happens with the newly laid eggs... If queen is fine then an injection of new bees would not be a bad thing but if she's not then at least I can think about getting in a new queen.

Not wishing to sound rude but you should start another thread with this roola or it gets a bit complicated but..... I would check again in ten days weather permitting. I would be concerned that there is no worker brood but I have had queens lay the first few eggs which have been drones. Sometimes they drag these out when she starts laying properly. I would say give her a ten day chance!
E