will I or won't I open on great weather

[irishguy]

I'm due an inspection tomorrow on both hives which is well and good for the bees but I'm due an inspection tomorrow and seeing as our great weather doesn't last to long here on the west coast of Ireland, would it be best to put the inspection off while the bees are making the most of this sunny spell instead of disturbing the hives.

 

[Ivor Kemp]

Catch 22 question and only one you can really answer.

Most important question is how essential is an inspection. What was the state of play last time you looked?

We all get a bit too obsessed IMO about weekly inspections. If you saw plenty of room last time you looked sometimes, as you say, it is better to let them work.

 

[jd101k2000]

Only open them up if there is a reason. Checking for swarm cells and sufficient room for honey production/brood would seem like good reasons... you may have more.

 

[enrico]

It is a risk you may be prepared to take. Will a swarm that disappears over the Irish hills be the end of the world for you! If so you must check for queen cells and be prepared to act if you find any. If you are prepared to allow the odd swarm! At least you will hopefully get a new queen! That decision has to be yours. Sometimes I miss an inspection and cross my fingers, other times I disturb them, do an inspection and they still swarm! They can be very clever hiding the cells!
Good luck whatever you decide
E

 

[burren]

Hi Irishguy. If you want to hold on to what you have, I'd check.

 

[drstitson]

as per others - all inspections should serve a purpose.

BUT when bees are out foraging strongly is good time to inspect - less bees in hive.

 

[steve56616]

I left it yesterday so did my inspections today (8 days). Good job as they were just about to swarm even after last week all looked ok and adding more room.
Yet another AS done!! Knocked down about 10 swarm cells and left two.
These through swarm cells up as soon as I leave I m sure grrrr!!!
Even my newly hived nuc had swarm cells.

 

[Fatbee]

An experienced beek that I know reckons every inspection puts the bees a day to put right - over a season this could be a super of honey.
Always tricky to know but due to the early swarming and having new queens from a/s I'm taking the view that during this current flow swarming risk is lower. Once lime is over I may start weekly inspections again because I wouldn't be surprised if we get some secondary swarming in July.
It's a funny old year and can't remember everything flowering so early so I expect some further twists yet!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

during this current flow swarming risk is lower.

hmff - this week - lost one swarm caught one yeah, right, really slowing down

 

[Fatbee]

Think it depends on your situation and location. Mine went berserk all at the same time at the end of April but not a q/c since and I may live to regret saying this but I expect it to kick off at the end of this flow again but currently they're piling in so not going to disturb them this week.

When did you get your first swarms this year in Carmarthenshire?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

One swarmed with me first week of May. Collected one the week after one turned up in the hedge at my apiary 16th May one in the apiary bait hive last week (possibly Saturday)

 

[REDWOOD]

I think in this nice weather it is important to inspect every 7 days (unclipped), possibly five if play cups are found as you want to keep unsealed queen cells not capped

 

[irishguy]

Catch 22 question and only one you can really answer.

Most important question is how essential is an inspection. What was the state of play last time you looked?

We all get a bit too obsessed IMO about weekly inspections. If you saw plenty of room last time you looked sometimes, as you say, it is better to let them work.

With this being my first year and don't really have a mentor, I'm just going by what I read on the internet. I did join the asocation in my county but there's no beekeepers in my area to show me the ropes(well there's 1 but when I asked him would he be able to pop down sometimes to give look after me, sadly he's to busy )

I have 2 overwintered nucs that have filled out nearly all the frames in the hives they where put in. The queens are last years and the wings have been clipped. One of the hives is stronger than the other and 2 weeks ago I put a super on top of the stronger hive, thou they hadn't drew anything out on any of the frames when I checked last week. I did notice a few queen cups in the stronger hive thou and just over half a frame of drone brood in the weaker hive. When inspecting this hive, I didn't locate the queen but seen plenty of eggs. I haven't been near the hives until today since my last inspection because my misses was in hospital having our baby however I did notice lots of activity from both hives when I had a look from a distance just after I made this thread.

I might just leave the inspection to the weekend seeing as were in for a few high 20s the next few days. I've also to strim the high grass all around the hives seeing as its getting out of control. Would it be best to do during the rest of the week or leave it to when I'm doing my inspection.

 

[jd101k2000]

Think it depends on your situation and location. Mine went berserk all at the same time at the end of April but not a q/c since and I may live to regret saying this but I expect it to kick off at the end of this flow again but currently they're piling in so not going to disturb them this week.

When did you get your first swarms this year in Carmarthenshire?

Had first swarms in early May (and swarm cells in the hive in mid to late April). The big flow started nearly a week ago.
My biggest hive swarmed yesterday!

 

[witchcraft]

After the "inspection" I just tried to do on a windy grey day (see my ouch, ouch... thread) I sometimes thing we don't need to inspect as regularly as we do.

 

[Fatbee]

Had first swarms in early May (and swarm cells in the hive in mid to late April). The big flow started nearly a week ago.
My biggest hive swarmed yesterday!

How old was the queen that swarmed from your big hive? I think given that Irishguy has overwintered queens in hives yet to produce QCs he probably should continue weekly inspections; but there is something wrong if a 2014 queen about 2 weeks in to laying tries to re-swarm so soon hence my reason for not messing them about too much at the start of the flow. Doesn't mean I won't have to watch them in a month or so. Plus the 2013 queens I have in smaller colonies as insurance.

 

[ellypatt]

Congrats on the baby, hope all went well.

 

[Tdf]

With this being my first year and don't really have a mentor, I'm just going by what I read on the internet. I did join the asocation in my county but there's no beekeepers in my area to show me the ropes(well there's 1 but when I asked him would he be able to pop down sometimes to give look after me, sadly he's to busy )

I have 2 overwintered nucs that have filled out nearly all the frames in the hives they where put in. The queens are last years and the wings have been clipped. One of the hives is stronger than the other and 2 weeks ago I put a super on top of the stronger hive, thou they hadn't drew anything out on any of the frames when I checked last week. I did notice a few queen cups in the stronger hive thou and just over half a frame of drone brood in the weaker hive. When inspecting this hive, I didn't locate the queen but seen plenty of eggs. I haven't been near the hives until today since my last inspection because my misses was in hospital having our baby however I did notice lots of activity from both hives when I had a look from a distance just after I made this thread.

I might just leave the inspection to the weekend seeing as were in for a few high 20s the next few days. I've also to strim the high grass all around the hives seeing as its getting out of control. Would it be best to do during the rest of the week or leave it to when I'm doing my inspection.

I'd check if I was you had a good few hives building cells here after the wet weather