todays news

[Greengage]

Based on flowering times in a range of hedge and meadow species, we are about 2 weeks ahead of last year. Masses of willow, dandelion and Prunus-type (laurel?/plum?) pollen loads coming in. Hives bunged with bees, sealed brood and ivy stores (bees sucking water from damp leaves to dilute?). Early swarming year?

That's interesting the same here in Ireland lots in flower even lots of OSR about but all too far from me, I suspect while lots of plants are in flower the temp is low so maybe they are not all yielding nectar, it would be interesting to know what specific temps are required for different plants to yield nectar. I have read reports from other Beekeepers that have their bees on OSR that some are expanding and others are not as nectar is not yielding from the plants due to cold weather.

[lindsay s]

One hive was riddled with drone brood and there was no sign of the marked queen. I will sort it out and unite with an over wintered nuc as soon as the weather improves.

Cold here today 8-9c with no wind but I managed to get the job done with the help of Sue. We found the drone laying queen, dispatched her and then united the colony with the nuc. Then it was off to Sue’s apiary. In her 2nd colony we found a drone laying queen the result of a late supersedure and she too was dispatched and the bees united (déjà vu).The rest of her colonies were ok with the exception of one, it had 7 frames of brood and was given a super. This was the earliest I can ever recall a colony I’ve seen getting its first super up here. Despite the chilly weather the bees at my apiary were bringing in plenty of pollen.
A sight you don’t want to see in the spring.

[Adam]

Typical brood pattern of a DLQ rather than laying workers.

I had one marked DLQ this spring - well she was laying perhaps 80% drone brood - united the colony to another after removing her. Another colony had a virgin queen and no brood - they had decided to supercede the 3 year old after my last inspection last year - although the old girl had already been superceded in 2016 and I had whipped her out of her hive to safety and leaving her virgin daughter behind to mate. I still hate killing queens - even if they are duff ones!

[Feckless Drone]

This was the earliest I can ever recall a colony I’ve seen getting its first super up here.

Had to do swarm control on two colonies yesterday - this is between 1 - 2 weeks ahead of last year in this apiary, these are not particularly swarmy - the brood box and supers are really full of bees, and lots of sealed brood to emerge. I might have been better to go to double brood. Lots of drones flying and good level of stores in the supers which is just as well since they may need all of it to get through this week with snow and frost possible. I can only think that they have found a good source of sycamore and maple over the last week - pollen hints at that, but seems too early. Hawthorn not yet flowering in west Dundee and the cold snap might slow things up a bit. OSR fields seem variable in terms of how much is flowering, some fields really early. Don't know if this is due to more variety in types being planted.

I noted Ian Craig proposes leaving ALL worker bees access to the whole hive when he first does his split, lets them arrange through the excluder with flyers down to the Q and nurses up with the brood, and after 20 hrs then introduces a board. Does anyone else do that? It might give a better balance with the existing Q. For what its worth - i just do the splits and put Q below, cells above a Snelgrove board.

[Mellifera Crofter]

...
I noted Ian Craig proposes leaving ALL worker bees access to the whole hive when he first does his split, lets them arrange through the excluder with flyers down to the Q and nurses up with the brood, and after 20 hrs then introduces a board. Does anyone else do that? ...

Yes, sometimes - but my timing for keeping the colony like that isn't exact. Sometimes just an hour or so, on other occasions a day or more.

No beekeeping today. It's been snow and sunshine on my hill today - and quite fast and busy snowing too.
Kitta

[wee willy]

Had to do swarm control on two colonies yesterday - this is between 1 - 2 weeks ahead of last year in this apiary, these are not particularly swarmy - the brood box and supers are really full of bees, and lots of sealed brood to emerge. I might have been better to go to double brood. Lots of drones flying and good level of stores in the supers which is just as well since they may need all of it to get through this week with snow and frost possible. I can only think that they have found a good source of sycamore and maple over the last week - pollen hints at that, but seems too early. Hawthorn not yet flowering in west Dundee and the cold snap might slow things up a bit. OSR fields seem variable in terms of how much is flowering, some fields really early. Don't know if this is due to more variety in types being planted.

I noted Ian Craig proposes leaving ALL worker bees access to the whole hive when he first does his split, lets them arrange through the excluder with flyers down to the Q and nurses up with the brood, and after 20 hrs then introduces a board. Does anyone else do that? It might give a better balance with the existing Q. For what its worth - i just do the splits and put Q below, cells above a Snelgrove board.

All workers have access to the whole hive anyway or am I missing something here?


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[Feckless Drone]

All workers have access to the whole hive anyway or am I missing something here?

Maybe not explained well - The way I normally do it is to introduce a split board (Snelgrove) with entrance in a different direction. So, bees on top stay with brood or fly back downstairs but they cannot go through the board. In Ian's Craig's notes he rearranges the combs so just has a Q excluder separating top and bottom, that is old Q from brood (Q cells). Any bees on the frames below that want to go up to main brood nest do so, and the idea is that flyers keep foraging but stick down below with the Q. After 20 hours or so when the bees are where they choose he then puts in the split board to stop any bees swapping between top and bottom.

[fatshark]

I noted Ian Craig proposes leaving ALL worker bees access to the whole hive when he first does his split, lets them arrange through the excluder with flyers down to the Q and nurses up with the brood, and after 20 hrs then introduces a board. Does anyone else do that? It might give a better balance with the existing Q. For what its worth - i just do the splits and put Q below, cells above a Snelgrove board.

I do it as you describe but use a simpler single entrance solid/screened board to avoid confusing myself. I generally leave the foragers to exit the rear and enter the front. A week later I turn the lot through 180 degrees (horizontal plane!) to bleed off flyers from the QC's.

Going by the speed of colony development this side of the Tay I'll be doing this in late July ... 8-(

[Feckless Drone]

to avoid confusing myself.

I live in a state of confusion.
I'm surprised about your rate of buildup. My site where things are too good, is very well sheltered, south facing and in Dundee the spring pollen is plentiful, BUT maybe less nectar (in part due to competition) judging from my own experience and speaking with an old hand who keeps strong colonies near mine. On another site up high in the hills things are slower but even so this year they are well ahead of schedule compared to last year. In part maybe due to use of poly-hives, strong colonies with a heather boost going into winter, and more feed for and over winter with the 12.5 kg block of fondant approach that you have encouraged. In the past I have not been so good at making sure that I only take strong colonies into winter but seeing what the commercial guys do has guided me.

I say too good above because I would prefer to be doing splits about a month from now when a good spring crop is in and when you can be sure about the number of drones and of chances for good mating weather.

Is your Fife environment just a bit exposed, nearer the coast with the cool winds we've been having?

[fatshark]

Is your Fife environment just a bit exposed, nearer the coast with the cool winds we've been having?

I suspect I'm just a rubbish beekeeper.

In fairness, I've not enough experience up here (this is only my second Spring). Last year Spring was very late. This year it just feels cold and I've only looked at half my colonies - I'm hoping to get to the others next Thursday. The little time I've had available it's been too cold. I've also been travelling South a lot where it's a whole lot warmer. This makes me feel as though things should be further advanced than they actually are.

Most of my colonies went into the winter pretty strong. One I lost to viruses. Two more queens have failed/disappeared. One looks weak, but the rest are piling in the pollen and are probably OK, though less advanced than I'd hoped based upon my experience in the balmy South.

My bees are all in reasonably sheltered spots. All but those in the shed are in poly.