winter set up of hives

[seven ash]

Hi I have recently purchased 5 hives, some not in the best state but bees all fine I have one which no honey has been taken it has 2 supers but the state of the boxes I cant take off the supers I can see there is a queen excluder dont really want to upset them this time of year will it be ok to leave in place until the spring?

 

[carrodale]

i would recommend you taking of the queen excluder because the queen is likely to get stranded tn the brood box when/if the rest of the cluster moves into your supers.

 

[itma]

Yes, the QX does need to come out.

Do you have any spare (shallow) boxes?
Are you in contact with your local Association?

 

[MikeT]

I would suggest you join your local association. You will members most helpful in advice and sourcing equipment and supplies.
I would remove the QE as a matter of urgency, and be prepared to treat with oxalic acid for varrowa control in Dec/Jan.
It would be also worthwhile giving the weaker hives some candy to help tide them over the winter. You may be able to buy this from your local baker as
12.5kg block of fondant icing, expect to pay between £11 and £15

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

i would recommend you taking of the queen excluder because the queen is likely to get stranded tn the brood box when/if the rest of the cluster moves into your supers.

or (as has happened before now) the whole colony dying of isolation starvation as they won't abandon the queen and move into the supers

 

[Dishmop]

12.5kg block of fondant icing, expect to pay between £11 and £15

When I started I enquired at my local bakers about supplying blocks of fondant,( because I thought I had to have it to keep my bees alive over the winter,) and he said that I didnt need to buy it in blocks.. I could have it in 1kg lumps if I wanted.

 

[Dishmop]

or (as has happened before now) the whole colony dying of isolation starvation as they won't abandon the queen and move into the supers

Watching my obs hive I sometimes wonder if they actually move from one side of a frame to the other in winter.

 

[beeno]

Watching my obs hive I sometimes wonder if they actually move from one side of a frame to the other in winter.

Hi all,
I have come to the conclusion regarding bee movement in winter, that if warm enough the bees move stores from outside frames into brood nest and if too cold for individual bee movement the cluster has to migrate. Be interesting to have it confirmed or dissed for that matter.

 

[Dishmop]

Brood nest? Winter?


Bit stupid to eat the stuff in the middle and then move other stuff to replace it. Too energy consuming.
I have opened hives in the spring and seen that they have eaten from the end of a few frames in a shallow box.

Very little of the stores gets eaten in the winter anyway.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

seven ash; if 5 colonies are your first foray into beekeeping, you'll have a steep learning curve and a busy time next year!