Why do 7-day inspections work - when they do?

[Amari]

7 day inspections work well for me. Not lost a swarm for several years, but I do employ a fair bit of swarm prevention ( plenty of room, swapping positions of double BB, Demaree)

Crikey Drex, wish I could claim the same..... Problem this spring re 7-day inspections was the cold wet weather in mid-April = many posts on the forum advising too cold to open the hives, then a sudden honey flow (200 lbs from five hives taken off 4th week May) so boxes too heavy to lift off and back on every seven days, so apart from double BB I failed to deploy pre-emptive swarm control eg Demaree. Two hives swarmed and three weakened by reactive swarm control (nucking the Q and reducing Q cells to one) - which didn't always work.

 

[Antipodes]

Crikey Drex, wish I could claim the same..... Problem this spring re 7-day inspections was the cold wet weather in mid-April = many posts on the forum advising too cold to open the hives, then a sudden honey flow (200 lbs from five hives taken off 4th week May) so boxes too heavy to lift off and back on every seven days, so apart from double BB I failed to deploy pre-emptive swarm control eg Demaree. Two hives swarmed and three weakened by reactive swarm control (nucking the Q and reducing Q cells to one) - which didn't always work.

Amari, I was thinking about your honey collecting and the weight of your honey when I watched this. Ewan shows Gordon how to take the honey off without a clearer board.

 

[jarmo henttu]

If that's not the case, what is the rationale behind 7-day inspections?

A swarm can leave hive when ever, if the hive is full of honey. The queen may lay eggs into cups and swarm may leave.

But it helps when you clip the queen's wing. The swarm will come back in 20 minutes.

WHY 7 DAYS

I have lived 55 years in the Capital City of Helsinki and I have tavelled every week to my summer cottage to nurse my bees. I have been at the work 100 miles away. 2 hours drive to one directin.

Saturday is 6th day and Sunday is 7th day. Then I inspect my hive. If one day is rainy, I can inspect all my 20 hives in a day.
9. or 10 days is not proper, because I am in my job or I have studied in the University.

All you others, you can inspect hives when ever , but I cannot se any reason to inspect every 5th day. Ot helps nothing.

 

[jarmo henttu]

You’re right though that you won’t spot an emergency cell at day one though but you should be checking all queen cups for contents in the swarming season.

Quickest emergengy cell will emerge in 10 days.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Quickest emergengy cell will emerge in 10 days.

Yes

 

[Amari]

Amari, I was thinking about your honey collecting and the weight of your honey when I watched this. Ewan shows Gordon how to take the honey off without a clearer board.

Thanks Antipodes - very useful, though when I try shaking I'm not as successful as Gordon Ramsay in shaking off nearly every bee - my super comb is unwired so there's the risk of shaking off the comb as well!
My problem in post 21 is rather different: to perform 7-day inspections from mid April to late May (when I took the supers off for extracting) would have meant lifting off the supers (2-4 per hive) then lifting them back on again. Being past the first flush of youth, lifting 15kg to shoulder height has become difficult. However, time for me to stop moaning.

 

[Amari]

Amari, I was thinking about your honey collecting and the weight of your honey when I watched this. Ewan shows Gordon how to take the honey off without a clearer board.

I was interested to hear on the vid that your honey flow in Tas lasts only 4-5 weeks each year - very different from our season April to the end of July (+ August on the heather moors).

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks Antipodes - very useful, though when I try shaking I'm not as successful as Gordon Ramsay in shaking off nearly every bee - my super comb is unwired so there's the risk of shaking off the comb as well!
My problem in post 21 is rather different: to perform 7-day inspections from mid April to late May (when I took the supers off for extracting) would have meant lifting off the supers (2-4 per hive) then lifting them back on again. Being past the first flush of youth, lifting 15kg to shoulder height has become difficult. However, time for me to stop moaning.

Yes, I thought he was excellent!

Yes, a real effort for sure to lift those supers off and on every seven days! ( 200lbs seems an excellent spring harvest BTW )

 

[Antipodes]

I was interested to hear on the vid that your honey flow in Tas lasts only 4-5 weeks each year - very different from our season April to the end of July (+ August on the heather moors).

Yes, that was interesting. I can count five distinct honey crops last season, from October to May, but that was an unusual year for me.

 

[jarmo henttu]

Thanks Antipodes - very useful, though when I try shaking I'm not as successful as Gordon Ramsay in shaking off nearly every bee - my super comb is unwired so there's the risk of shaking off the comb as well!
My problem in post 21 is rather different: to perform 7-day inspections from mid April to late May (when I took the supers off for extracting) would have meant lifting off the supers (2-4 per hive) then lifting them back on again. Being past the first flush of youth, lifting 15kg to shoulder height has become difficult. However, time for me to stop moaning.

When you are going to shake bees, wait 15 minutes that outside the hive bees become nervous. They take themselves full of honey. Bees will drop from the comb like apples.

 

[SWEET]

They still swarm under 7 days (like Fin Man said) on uncapped cells, but 7 days generally works most of the time and is better than 8 or 9 etc etc.

You'll gain far more info from looking at the Queen and eggs than just Q-cells, the general state of the hive mind can also be a good indicator.

 

[jarmo henttu]

They still swarm under 7 days (like Fin Man said) on uncapped cells, but 7 days generally works most of the time and is better than 8 or 9 etc etc.

You'll gain far more info from looking at the Queen and eggs than just Q-cells, the general state of the hive mind can also be a good indicator.

Why you need to look eggs and the queen?

More I look the the total space to brood, pollen, honey and nectar. But these do not indiace swarming so, that I must do an artificial swarm.

 

[SWEET]

Why you need to look eggs and the queen?

Amount of eggs being laid, size of queen etc - generally if they stopped feeding her (she is slim) and there are less eggs they most likely about to fly away. This is off the back of finding cells, the amount and other factors (space/capped brood etc).

Often/sometimes when finding cells, if the queen is fat/laying you can get away with taking them out* and giving space. Slim/low eggs (no eggs), she gets removed (nucleus method (AS)) - it's the only method I use as works 100%, if you don't make mistakes.

Obv's need to find/look at Queen to do the above op

*sometimes they build more but it'll purchase you another week, if so just run above etc etc. I've seen Nuc's decide they want to swarm, move them into a full hive - they swarm anyway regardless of space, once they decide it's hard to stop (unless you take the Queen away).

It's a whole list of things I run over, general state etc - sounds like a ton of work but the process/checks takes seconds (or a few minutes) for me.

 

[philipm]

Very rarely if ever see the queens in my hives and don't bother making a point of finding her.If there is healthy brood in all stages and no queen cells then thats good enough for me.

 

[SWEET]

Very rarely if ever see the queens in my hives and don't bother making a point of finding her.If there is healthy brood in all stages and no queen cells then thats good enough for me.

Yeah, but this is around finding cells and acting on that

 

[jarmo henttu]

Amount of eggs being laid, size of queen etc - generally if they stopped feeding her (she is slim) and there are less eggs they most likely about to fly away. This is off the back of finding cells, the amount and other factors (space/capped brood etc).

Often/sometimes when finding cells, if the queen is fat/laying you can get away with taking them out* and giving space. Slim/low eggs (no eggs), she gets removed (nucleus method (AS)) - it's the only method I use as works 100%, if you don't make mistakes.

Obv's need to find/look at Queen to do the above op

*sometimes they build more but it'll purchase you another week, if so just run above etc etc. I've seen Nuc's decide they want to swarm, move them into a full hive - they swarm anyway regardless of space, once they decide it's hard to stop (unless you take the Queen away).

It's a whole list of things I run over, general state etc - sounds like a ton of work but the process/checks takes seconds (or a few minutes) for me.

Clip the wing. No change to fly away.

 

[jarmo henttu]

I
And yet 7-day inspections do seem to work.

Clip the queen's wing.
When you see the queen cells, do a padgen

Everything works, if you will

 

[jarmo henttu]

Yeah, but this is around finding cells and acting on that

To find a queen is very good skill.

If you use smoke when seaching, finding is difficult.

 

[SWEET]

Clip the wing. No change to fly away.

Yes agreed but want to do my best to save the queens I put a huge amount of work into breeding/rearing, currently 7 days work and only lost the odd swarm (due to error not process) - clipping is something I might consider.

 

[SWEET]

To find a queen is very good skill.

If you use smoke when seaching, finding is difficult.

Thanks, i've never had an issue finding them or virgins (but they can be tricky in strong hives).