I suppose that logic would have it that young bees raised earlier and with not a great deal to do would last for longer. However last winter, with the bountiful supply of young bees from a warm autumn, seemed to leave colonies very vigorous for the spring.
Does this lack of brood mean that we could/should be doing the oxalic acid treatment now? I seem to remember that some countries (Denmark?) do their oxalic treatment in October.
I was thinking the same thing about the Oxalic but it seems odd having only finished the Apiguard a couple of weeks ago.
Most of my colonies have a frame or two of brood though and it makes sense to treat all at the same time as a colony could pick up mites again from an untreated neighbour.
Ah well, if some still have brood it ain't the right time. I had a quick look through one of mine and it was broodless but don't fancy disturbing them all. They have been flying again and with the ivy out (and feed still on) a wee spot of brood raising is on the cards.
That's the bit I am curious about. Will the broodless colonies decide to make 3 or 4 frames of brood given the availablility of ivy pollen? Should find out shortly....a wee spot of brood raising is on the cards.
I looked through 7 of mine last weekend and only one had brood and that was a small patch of open larvae. I too considered doing the oxalic treatment but decided to leave them to their winter preparations without more disturbance. I usually do mine late November or early December bur have often thought that a month earlier might be more suitable for mine as they always go broodless early.
We have had the coolest and wettest September for at least 5 years and the ivy has started 3 weeks late so mine have likely taken their cue from the weather.
Steve, some of yours are in an apiary several hundred feet above sea level, aren't they? Do these ones stop making brood earlier?
My apiaries range in elevation from 450ft to 1000ft. I don't carry out regular inspections at this time of year but I don't notice much difference between them all. In fact the higher ones are on a slope and away from any frost pockets and dampness. This year they have produced better than any of the other sites and although I have not carried out any full inspections recently on them they are currently stronger than any other colony. The 7 I recently inspected properly had just returned from heather at 1300 ft. They had not produced a surplus while on the heather but had managed to pack the brood boxes. They also had plenty of bees and were happy enough for me to inspect without gloves at 9 degrees C.
I was over at the association apiary again this morning and a nuc I had fed a bit at the start of September was right out of stores again. The queen was present and there were a couple of frames with brood.
I will definitely have to keep a close eye on some of these.
Need to find some cheap sugar.
It is hard to keep up with them all as I am running (biking) between 3 apiaries including the association one and colony numbers are up from 17 to 37 since April in this neonicotinoid drenched environment our bees inhabit.
The 12 colonies at the association apiary are all headed by my queens or their daughters.
Them neonics are turning them into rabbits!
The further west you are the better your bees survive apparently unless you are really really far west and are in the US. Something to do with neonic treated oil seed rape allegedly. It's Armageddon I tell ye. Actually it will be if I don't get cheap sugar.
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