When to put supers on?

[linoleum bonypart]

In deepest darkest east Yorkshire ive just today moved all supers to hives ready so less effort when the time comes... Osr is near just need temperatures to rise... Ive heard its going to be a cool year from long range forecast so fingers crossed they are wrong

 

[Antipodes]

I know very well, that honey flow is dependent on weather temperature.

One thing is that foraging needs over 20 C temps, that bees can work effectively.

If the day temp is 18C, it means that bees have only 2-3 working hours, and a good flow needs at least 8 hours warm.

Of course bees can fly at 10C, but you do not get that way 100 kg honey per hive.

Apparently, leatherwood trees produce nectar independent of the temperature in the cool temperate rainforest, accumulating the nectar on cold days when the insects are not active. The nectar stays in the flower to be gathered when the bees become active. Anther opening, on the other hand, is reduced when it is less than 10C. Very neatly adapted!

 

[Finman]

Apparently, leatherwood trees produce nectar independent of the temperature in the cool temperate rainforest, accumulating the nectar on cold days when the insects are not active. The nectar stays in the flower to be gathered when the bees become active. Anther opening, on the other hand, is reduced when it is less than 10C. Very neatly adapted!

It is very different thing, when the plant makes nectar and when bees can cather it effectively.

Bees are active and bees gather effectively, are very different things.

Then I invented a term Bees Working Hours, when I had beehive on the balance.

The hive got 5 kg honey one day, when day temp was 25C and next day it got 7 kg when day temp was 29C.... It was 40% more than yesterday. ... WHY?

I would imagine that 29C is worse day because it is so hot.

Then I noticed that bees stopped foraging totally in the evening when temp reached 18C .
In 29C day 18C was reached several hours later than in 25C day.

We can see too that after cold night it takes much more time that the morning warms up, it dries nectar and bees start to forage. And how strong nectar they bring home, it has a big difference.

That week, when I followed what is happening on the hive, bees got 50 kg honey in 7 days. The hive brought in that summer 170 kg honey. Its nect door hive brought as many boxes.

The secret of the good honey flow is not the the minimum things, what plants and bees do. It is better to look maximum limits.

 

[Finman]

Raspberry flower can store too nectar over rainy day, becauce the flower is like a bell. The raspberry makes too nectar into the old flowers, which are already fertilized. That is why hives can got over 10 kg weight in the next day after rain .

Bees prefer raspberry over rape field. I had huge rape field blooming but bees went to woods for raspberry nectar.

 

[Arfermo]

the next question for me is when do people remove entrance blocks

just seen a strong colony with quite a cloud of bees queuing to get in, currently it has a reduced entrance of a couple of inches wide

This as much as it ever needs to be the whole year round. Removing the complete entrance block is a bad idea. End of.

 

[Curly green finger's]

This as much as it ever needs to be the whole year round. Removing the complete entrance block is a bad idea. End of.

That's a matter of opinion.

 

[Arfermo]

That's a matter of opinion.

Your opinion ?

 

[Murox]

This as much as it ever needs to be the whole year round. Removing the complete entrance block is a bad idea. End of.

Interesting, so why would anyone create a beehive where the designed (I use the word loosely) entrance spans most of the hive and is tall enough to allow small mammals to enter, and then invent a device to make the entrance smaller again, who would do that ?????? Mind you I don't use that sort of entrance.

 

[ericbeaumont]

Your opinion ?

The opinion of bees, in my experience.

I ran many for years on reduced entrances (100x8mm) and now have quite a collection of chewed box bases - poly and wood - that told me bees make their own decisions.

 

[Mint Bee]

An entrance block is another tool for beekeepers to use when appropriate. Anyone who keeps this in or leaves it out permanently is simply losing any advantage it brings when used as necessary.

 

[tonyofarr]

There is no way I am ever going to leave in an entrance block on a large colony when they are trying to bring in all that white clover nectar.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Your opinion ?

No this beeks observation.

 

[BoStor]

If you get a Nuc in July, will you stick with a brood box or add a super?

 

[ericbeaumont]

If you get a Nuc in July, will you stick with a brood box or add a super?

July is irrelevant.

Will it be a new queen in a strong nuc bursting out of the box, or a tiddler starting out on three frames?
Will there be a strong lime flow or a drought bringing in zero?
Will you fill the rest of the brood box and super with comb or foundation?
Would you prefer the colony to go into winter chock full of bees and honey, or struggle to put a few drops into a super?

 

[BoStor]

July is irrelevant.

Will it be a new queen in a strong nuc bursting out of the box, or a tiddler starting out on three frames?
Will there be a strong lime flow or a drought bringing in zero?
Will you fill the rest of the brood box and super with comb or foundation?
Would you prefer the colony to go into winter chock full of bees and honey, or struggle to put a few drops into a super?

Am promised a new queen with 4 frames. Plan to add 2/3 frames with foundation and fill rest with dummy board.
Want to go into Winter with a maximum strong colony so assume that I would have one super to keep either on top of brood or
nadired.
Correct if wrong as am a learner still to get 1st bees.

 

[Swarm]

Concentrate on the brood box and getting maximum frames drawn only when they have a full complement of combs do you need to consider a super. I'm assuming this would be foundation as well, which is really expecting a lot from this young colony. The full brood box should be ample for them to winter in.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Your opinion ?

My hives operate with a maximum aperture of 10mm x 90mm, less if wasps take an interest.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My underfloor entrances stay full width Summer or winter

 

[pargyle]

My underfloor entrances stay full width Summer or winter

U/F entrances are a bit different in their response to wasp attack and robbing though - they appear to be a natural deterrent.

I run my Paynes polys with the entrance block in and with the standard 100mm entrance all the year round;. I've never seen this width of entrance causing any serious traffic jams but ( don't get the massive flows from OSR or heather or fields of white clover and I suspect when there is a bit flow from that type of forage that a bigger entrance may be necessary. I do think that with the entrance block fully out on a Paynes Poly hive it would be overkill ... and very susceptible to attack from robbing, wasps and even possibly rodents ... it 's a very larhe entrance block and I think it stems mainly from the hive design.

It is possible to vary the entrance with a standard entrance block by pulling it out at and angle - it does not have to be an all or nothing situation - vary the entrance to suit the volume of bees using it.

 

[ericbeaumont]

so assume that I would have one super to keep either on top of brood or
nadired.

Not really: as Steve said, a BB heavy with stores is usually enough, but how bees get enough on board is the great unknown. Your window of opportunity to develop the colony is from receipt until wasps begin sweet feeding in late summer and into autumn, so if no flow is on you'll have to feed syrup to keep the queen laying.

Beekeeping is a long game so focus on getting the BB rammed with brood, bees and stores, and think about honey in 2022. Of course, July and August may turn out to be the season of all seasons and honey may pour in; if so, add a super.

To get the hang of beekeeping you must adapt and synthesise three factors: the life cycle of bees, an ability to use your kit effectively, and knowledge of your local natural environment.

A text book is a useful starter but your management decisions must be led by the state of play in front of you at any given time, and not by the calendar.

Where do you live?