Poly hive musings.

[SDM]

I go round the entrances of my kielers with car body filler, does the job nicely.
I remember William's website with the pictures of the "paynes" nuc and being quite excited about them. I use them unmodified and unpainted and have no complaints. I have about fifty.

How long have you used them unpainted ? I used my first like that but after 9mths it was looking pretty sorry for itself. Almost completely white and surely harder and more fragile from the UV damage.

[mbc]

The oldest ones I baught as soon as they were available(2-3 years ?). They do look sorry for themselves but nothing that spoils their functionality.

[Jon]

apidea-lids-fondant-small.jpg

You can feed fondant via the apidea lids as well

[The Drone Ranger]

For overwintering keilers you can put the second brood body unit under the main one
No frames and the bees draw out double length combs from the top bar
That seems to be big enough to get through Winter with some luck

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[Calluna4u]

You can feed fondant via the apidea lids as well

Yes, I agree but small amounts.

I have no intention of overwintering these units so for now ....Kielers and Apideas alike, will just use the feeder box.

Do not see the effort of overwintering these units to be cost effective. Bear in mind I operate to a different set of rules, and I cannot afford to do things that are too costly, or in this case, provide a last years queen at a time I don't really need them anyway.

I also like them to draw fresh wax each season, said by some of the big breeders to be the way to get the best and healthiest queens.

[busybeephilip]

Yes agree with the fresh wax thing... using new foundation in apideas or other mini nucs types is good practice with regard to nosema and possible foul brood contamination instead of using stored comb from previous years

[Jon]

Yes, I agree but small amounts.

Do not see the effort of overwintering these units to be cost effective. Bear in mind I operate to a different set of rules, and I cannot afford to do things that are too costly,

Appreciate that but it's handy to have a few extra queens to replace any drone layers found in the Spring.
Other than that combining is the only option after removal of the DLQ.
Mind you that is not a bad option either.

[Calluna4u]

Appreciate that but it's handy to have a few extra queens to replace any drone layers found in the Spring.
Other than that combining is the only option after removal of the DLQ.
Mind you that is not a bad option either.

We just shake them out in the grass a few metres away, and DONT return the DL box to the same spot, and make a fresh split into it when the other hives in the group are ready. Its maybe brutal, but the decent bees are admitted to other hives, and a spring drone layer is generally old bees, and has dwindled a lot (unless you add hatching brood) before the new queens brood hatches.

Spent too many years being too soft hearted with drone layers and queenlesses.

Occasionally still am.......

[Pete L]

Spent too many years being too soft hearted with drone layers and queenlesses.

Occasionally still am.......

I still am, but they have to be strong in numbers, otherwise the shake out, re queened two this week, one Monday and another today.

[SDM]

Do not see the effort of overwintering these units to be cost effective. Bear in mind I operate to a different set of rules, and I cannot afford to do things that are too costly, or in this case, provide a last years queen at a time I don't really need them anyway.

I also like them to draw fresh wax each season, said by some of the big breeders to be the way to get the best and healthiest queens.

Surely a good use for amfew overwintered queens is getting the new years foundation drawn out in your mating nucs.