First year at the Oilseed rape

Well this is going to be my first year at the oilseed rape (wish me luck) lol....

Went up last night and locked the bees in their hives ready for the move this morning to the new home on the farm, its a really nice place that I have been given to keep the bees on while there at the rapeseed but that's not all the farmer has said that I can keep bees there all the time from now on. "YES" but that's not all his son who has a farm about 20 miles away has offered me the same over on his farm. So things are looking up... just need more bee's now as got another 10 hives all ready to be filled up.


Anyway the move went well and no dramas apart from a few houdini bees (there seem to come out of nowhere). the wife came with me just for moral support and to see where the bees were going. I hope to keep this thread upto date with how things are going and if I come a cropper on the way.
A few pic's the wife took of me letting them out at there new home @ 7:30 this morning

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As you can tell from the pictures they are surrounded by logs, keeps them out of the wind plus what you cant see is that they can just walk across the road and there in the rapeseed, 4 really big fields within walking distance (for me that is)

4 hives moved this morning a few more to join them soon I hope, got one at the house that will go there next week and another that needs requeening (bad tempered) ladies...

Comments had advice as always will be welcome.

My tip is watch them like a hawk because rape is a very early crop and a bonanza for bees
So it suits them down to the ground for swarming purposes

They build up very fast and need a lot of space

Even if the huge amount of forage doesn't set them off then the second issue with rape is that it often all starts to disappear at the same time
When they start to lose their unlimited food source that can trigger swarming as well

You need to take the honey off before it is fully capped
A densitometer can tell you the moisture level in case its too early (and will ferment)

let your honey set in buckets then cream it
If you put it straight in jars it sets brick hard

You can get a lot of wax drawn on rape which will be a really valuable thing to have later

Yes, all of what DR said, plus I have a few other suggestions:

- they can build in to tall stacks quite quickly on the rape, once they've filled out the bottom brood box stay well ahead of them on space. Also, I find it easier to have them closer to the ground for stability.

- to get the most crop plus filling up your empty hives, let them build on multiple brood boxes, aiming to harvest honey from brood sized frames and split the hives down at petal fall (once petal fall has started dont hang about, rarely will you get much more osr honey even if large patches of the fields still look to be in flower, also, be prepared for the bees to be a bit tetchy, the sudden stop of flow can leave a lot of bees grouchy)

This is my plan anyway, good luck :)

I meant refractometer :)
A densitometer is something else
I used to use one a lot (brain fade )

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Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger

let your honey set in buckets then cream it
If you put it straight in jars it sets brick hard

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Or let it set rock hard in buckets and then deal with it in a quieter time of the year. I make creamed (er, soft set) honey when it's cooler* as crystallisation is optimal around 12C I think.

As long as you follow DR's advice and don't let it set in the comb, and ensure it's got a low enough water content, it will be perfectly OK in buckets for a few months ... or more.

* these things are relative

Hi Guys,
Thats for all the suggestions and advice, I will take them all into account and will keep you posted on my adventure. I heard somewhere that you can keep OSR in a liquid for for longer if you heat it and then cool it rapidly? can anyone confirm this and how this is done correctly...

Dont know if your interested in reading this http://cereals.ahdb.org.uk/media/176...lseed-rape.pdf
So you will have to keep an eye on farmers spraying their crops.

Once OSR has set in buckets and has been re-heated, it tends to stay liquid well-enough.
The biggest problem is getting out out of the comb before it sets hard but ensuring the water content is low enough so the honey doesn't ferment.
As has been said, OSR yields well and bees do well on it - with or without neonics it seems - so honey comes in very rapidly so you can find that the brood-nest is full of honey where the queen should be laying and the super(s) are full in a matter of days. If you are then thinking of putting on a super, put on two!

Hi everyone, just a small update on the bees at the OSR. Well I have added their second brood box last week and they have draw out the foundation nicely BUT they seem to be filling in with nectar! I have added a super to each hive.

My question is this will they move the nectar up into the super? as I don't want nectar filled brood frames...

Move some brood up in the centre to encourage them up.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by alclosier

Move some brood up in the centre to encourage them up.

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Hi thanks for the reply. I had moved one frame up when I added the brood box, I will check next week again when I do my 7 day inspection. Im sure I read somewhere that putting the second brood box under the main one will get them to move down and encourage the moving of the nectar into the super is this correct ????

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gwizzie

Hi everyone, just a small update on the bees at the OSR. Well I have added their second brood box last week and they have draw out the foundation nicely BUT they seem to be filling in with nectar! I have added a super to each hive.

My question is this will they move the nectar up into the super? as I don't want nectar filled brood frames...

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by alclosier

Move some brood up in the centre to encourage them up.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

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That they've drawn out and started to fill the second brood is enough, personally I'd leave them to move up when they're ready, they surely will when the time is right for them. Once she's up they'll whoosh through the super and push on when the slabs of brood in the second box gets sealed, this seams to be happening with my bees anyway.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gwizzie

Hi thanks for the reply. I had moved one frame up when I added the brood box, I will check next week again when I do my 7 day inspection. Im sure I read somewhere that putting the second brood box under the main one will get them to move down and encourage the moving of the nectar into the super is this correct ????

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No that's wrong bees move up

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As mbc says, don't try to over-manage. They'll move into a super and relocate stores upwards in time - if they have the oomff to build well into the second brood box.

Yes, bees work upwards when you give them space up there. Once they have accepted the space as useful. Then as they fill it with stores (at this time of year) they work out the way and down. Their aim is to have stores over their heads and elsewhere where there is space not needed for other purposes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mbc

That they've drawn out and started to fill the second brood is enough, personally I'd leave them to move up when they're ready, they surely will when the time is right for them. Once she's up they'll whoosh through the super and push on when the slabs of brood in the second box gets sealed, this seams to be happening with my bees anyway.

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Hi mbc, thanks for the reply, I have had a quick check today as I was out that way and decided to have a quick look to see how they were doing and to my delight 2 of the hives have started filling the second brood box with brood and there are bees in the super. So all looking good going to move another 3 hives to the OSR on fri/Sat weather permitting.

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Originally Posted by The Drone Ranger

No that's wrong bees move up

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Yep your right typing error on my part LOL:o fingers and brain not in gear....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gavin

As mbc says, don't try to over-manage. They'll move into a super and relocate stores upwards in time - if they have the oomff to build well into the second brood box.

Yes, bees work upwards when you give them space up there. Once they have accepted the space as useful. Then as they fill it with stores (at this time of year) they work out the way and down. Their aim is to have stores over their heads and elsewhere where there is space not needed for other purposes.

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Hi Gav, thanks for the input and yes I know they move up and around utilizing their space, moving one or two frames up does encourage the bees to move into the second box quicker and it works or should I say it has for me this time lol...

When I go to double brood, I usually split the brood to have half in the top box above the remainder below. This gives them space to expand sideways as they wish.

I've never tried splitting 50:50 but instead just encourage them with one frame in the middle perhaps. If all is well they'll move up fast enough. Once the top box is bulging with brood there should be space appearing down below, so I often then switch the boxes ...

... which is about where I am now so I've just dusted off the Cloake board ... brace yourselves ladies :)