When to Demaree?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you have wet supers it is great way to get them cleared up ready for use and gives the bees a bit of food.

the OP is talking of supers that have been on all winter - wet supers after extraction are better off stored, err, wet

 

[Antipodes]

the OP is talking of supers that have been on all winter - wet supers after extraction are better off stored, err, wet

Why don't you ants over there eat the honey out of stored wet supers to turn them into dry supers?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why don't you ants over there eat the honey out of stored wet supers to turn them into dry supers?

Never had ants in mine.

 

[Bryang]

Why don't you ants over there eat the honey out of stored wet supers to turn them into dry supers?

The supers are stored over winter and in this neck of the woods ants are "dormant" through the cold/wet months

 

[Antipodes]

Never had ants in mine.

Do you have ants?
If you have ants, why don't they eat the honey?

 

[Antipodes]

The supers are stored over winter and in this neck of the woods ants are "dormant" through the cold/wet months

When do you extract?
When do you add them back on?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do you have ants?
If you have ants, why don't they eat the honey?

ants are a bit more civilised over here
Never had ants in the honey supers - even when I've a colony of ants using the crownboard as an incubator for their eggs

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When do you extract?

whenever there's enough full supers to need extraction

When do you add them back on?

When they're needed - usually the next season.

 

[Bryang]

When do you extract?
When do you add them back on?

I extract (usually) between /around July/August. The wet supers are wrapped in black plastic bags and stored over winter in a wooden shed. Put them back on the hives when they are requiered

 

[Mabee]

Wet supers in spring are even better on top where the bees will fill them.

lots of ways of doing things I guess, I learned this way from av experienced beekeeper and it gets them all cleaned out before the new crop goes in, not worth splitting hairs over really!

 

[Antipodes]

I think perhaps you don't really have ants in the way I mean having ants.
I think you may have seen a few ants occasionally.

 

[Antipodes]

The wet supers are wrapped in black plastic bags

A very tight closure on the bag and no holes in them would stop them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you have ants?
If you have ants, why don't they eat the honey?

Yes but not plagues of them. I do see them in the covered areas of vegetable garden, some pots and in between paving
I have never seen an ant anywhere near the bees even on an inspection tray. We are on clay here so I guess life is pretty tough for an ant
The supers are stacked in the shed after extraction with plastic sheeting between each three, topped with a roof and strapped tight till spring. So no access for ants

 

[Paulypaul]

I very much doubt it.
I have been using Demaree for 12 years now. I think about it when there is brood on most frames and there are drones flying.
I doubt that more spring bees are emerging than winter bees dying yet

Thanks. I've had bees for 9 months. All 7 of my colonies have so far survived winter. I'm planning for spring and didn't know the appropriate time to Demaree. Thanks.

 

[Antipodes]

Yes but not plagues of them. I do see them in the covered areas of vegetable garden, some pots and in between paving
I have never seen an ant anywhere near the bees even on an inspection tray. We are on clay here so I guess life is pretty tough for an ant
The supers are stacked in the shed after extraction with plastic sheeting between each three, topped with a roof and strapped tight till spring. So no access for ants

They sound like a pathetic excuse for an ant. They can't even work out how to get into a wet honey super. They are an embarrassment to the proper ants in the rest of the world. The audacity to even call themselves ants.

 

[Erichalfbee]

. The audacity to even call themselves ants.

Not like an All Black ant, then

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not like an All Black ant, then

no, ours aren't that adept at cheating

 

[hemo]

Ants over here seasonal in there numbers , Red or Black ants tend to show themselves during late spring into summer and early Autumn. They aren't a massive problem to be a real pest though the stores do well think with ant killing products as some folks get all scarry when they may have a small invasion in the house.
Hive wise one may find the odd one on a varroa board or sometimes they may make a small nest on top of the CB esp in polystyrene.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find they love the greenhouse - have two colonies in there every year, nothing seems to work to get rid, in fact last year, one colony took over one of the poly nucs I had stached against the greenhouse after cleaning.

Hive wise one may find the odd one on a varroa board or sometimes they may make a small nest on top of the CB

I always find a few colonies using the crown board as a nursery every year - they do no harm and are seldom seen in the hive itself.
earwigs like crownboards as well.

 

[hemo]

My back lawn is a haven for ants .