When to stop

[Essexgary]

Hi all, probably been asked a million times before...

This is the first full year where I have had supers get filled, replaced, filled etc (up to now, lousy beekeeping and or weather has prevented success)

I have been taking off a full super at a time as we have had really late OSR and fear that the honey would set in the frames. Extracted again yesterday and put the empty super back (the other hive i have is doing well but slower).

My plan was (depending on weather from now-on) to give them until about 15th August, then call it a day, remove any honey treat for varroa then feed, which should take me to mid-end Sept. Does that sound right? lack of honey in previous years has meant that the decision when to start winter prep was a lot easier!

Thanks
Gary

 

[VEG]

Only feed if you have to there may still be a lot of forage around for the bees.

 

[clv101]

What is one to do if, come the end of summer a colony has a super full of uncapped nectar/honey?

The water content will be too high to extract but I wouldn't want to start feeding and have sugar syrup in the super. Should it just be left with the colony over winter? I'm using 14x12 boxes so there should be enough room for stores in the brood box for overwintering without leaving a super with them. Also, I'd like to avoid the large volume of super + 14x12 box.

 

[Arfermo]

Only feed if you have to there may still be a lot of forage around for the bees.

After treating for varroa last week of August with Apiguard, just give them back the extracted supers/frames to clean up and take down any residues and then remove supers for the winter. If any cells are crystallised, rinse the frames with warmish water, shake off surplus and let the bees enjoy storing or eating the resulting weaker syrup. If you are using the new MAQS varroa strips insread of Apiguard or similar, no need to worry about contamination of brood or honey - so they say?

 

[VEG]

Forgot to say it can also depend on where you live. I have loads of balsam so I don't treat until October usually as the bees are still bringing in nectar.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

you can't just stop because you've reached a date ringed in red on the calendar - the bees will stop collecting when they want to. Wait until the flow stops before treating, if that means leaving some uncapped honey on so be it - leave it on for winter stores, it'll be gone come spring

 

[Firefly]

if that means leaving some uncapped honey on so be it - leave it on for winter stores, it'll be gone come spring

JBM - in those circumstances, would you remove the QX between the BB and uncapped super for the winter

 

[VEG]

Never leave an excluder on over winter

 

[Firefly]

Never leave an excluder on over winter

True; but then you have to be pretty nifty getting it off in the spring, or you find you have committed yourself to brood and a half

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Never leave an excluder on over winter

but then you have to be pretty nifty getting it off in the spring, or you find you have committed yourself to brood and a half

Just put the super under the BB in the spring, leave the queen go up into the BB, once brood has emerged from the super - put it back on top of the QX

 

[Firefly]

All v helpful - thanks

 

[Essexgary]

All v helpful - thanks

Yes thanks alot, hoping they still fill another super before lights-out though!

 

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