Not Excited
19/02/12 08:47
I’M NOT GETTING EXCITED
Nothing very exciting happening at the apiary but it does seem as though things are progressing, even if
only slowly.
The main thing is that the stocks that are left after the death off the three I reported in the last diary entry, seem to be making some progress, even if it is only slowly. The progress I THINK I see is looking at the droppings on the varroa inserts. I would not care to open the hives and go into the bees properly yet. However, all look to have activity, some more than others, as you would expect.
We are now coming in to the time of the year when the bees need the food they have stored throughout last year. Up until now all they have needed was just enough to keep themselves alive, but the queen will
begin to lay eggs shortly and that will mean grubs to be fed. That is the time when lots of food really is needed. It is then up to the beekeeper to make certain there is food for them. Heft the hives and if you are not sure there is sufficient food, feed them with candy or better still fondant.
One thing I have done (and it should have been done before now), is to move all the hives that need to be moved to a different part of the apiary.
In my case I have six hives that I intend to unite around April when they start working, so I have put them close together now. This means they will reorientate themselves more easily, as they have not been flying for weeks.
The idea is to unite the weak stocks together, selecting the queens that I prefer and killing the others, in the hope that they will build up more quickly and perhaps be able to get some honey from the Dandelions and trees which, in my neck of the woods, always seem to come into bloom before my bees are up and running.
I shall be short of stocks but can make them up at swarm time.
Apparently this is how they do things in Russia, where they get the same situation me, that is to say an early nectar flow before the stocks are up to strength and with the ability to go out and gather it.
Don’t try uniting this way unless you feel competent to do it successfully.
Best of luck to you all.
Nothing very exciting happening at the apiary but it does seem as though things are progressing, even if
The main thing is that the stocks that are left after the death off the three I reported in the last diary entry, seem to be making some progress, even if it is only slowly. The progress I THINK I see is looking at the droppings on the varroa inserts. I would not care to open the hives and go into the bees properly yet. However, all look to have activity, some more than others, as you would expect.
We are now coming in to the time of the year when the bees need the food they have stored throughout last year. Up until now all they have needed was just enough to keep themselves alive, but the queen will
One thing I have done (and it should have been done before now), is to move all the hives that need to be moved to a different part of the apiary.
In my case I have six hives that I intend to unite around April when they start working, so I have put them close together now. This means they will reorientate themselves more easily, as they have not been flying for weeks.
The idea is to unite the weak stocks together, selecting the queens that I prefer and killing the others, in the hope that they will build up more quickly and perhaps be able to get some honey from the Dandelions and trees which, in my neck of the woods, always seem to come into bloom before my bees are up and running.
I shall be short of stocks but can make them up at swarm time.
Don’t try uniting this way unless you feel competent to do it successfully.
Best of luck to you all.
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