picton farm
House Bee
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2010
- Messages
- 128
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- NORFOLK
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 70
I have a question but hope I wont be shot down in flames or considered very inexperienced for asking. I have been plodding along with my nationals on standard broods for a long time but each year they do not lay honey down in the centre of the first super in a number of the hives. I have always assumed that they need more brood space but responded by moving frames around in the super until they are all full. I dont really want to use two frame sizes for brood and so when they show signs of wanting to swarm i then create an artificial swarm and recombine them later to keep them strong through the winter.
.....However.....
This year I want to get as many onto double broods as possible so that I can start some nucs off by removing frames ones they are strong.
....My question is how early am i likely to be able to chose which ones to build up? Do i wait until they show me they want more space or do I get them on double brood early on and expect them to respond to the extra space? ( left to my own devices I would probably wait until they need it)
It is usually when they are working on the rape that they seem to need more space but I am wondering whether i can encourage an early build up by feeding and perhaps using pollen patties.
My reason for asking the forum is that i always blunder through and do ok but I have not changed what I do much since I started because all I have needed to do was stand still with the same no of hives. I watch the bees and try to respond and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt but overall the result is ok, I get enough honey and overwinter more or less the same no of hives each year which is all I have wanted to do. Each year the bees teach me more than I can imagine but they chose my lessons, not me!
This year it matters more that I can increase the number of hives than it does that I get a lot of honey.
I am quite nervous about putting this question out there so go easy on me you lot! I am not a total novice and do read around things as well as blundering ( I will always feel like a blunderer until the bees stop surprising me and as I expect that to NEVER happen I will therefore always be a blunderer). I would just like to know from people who have done something before I try something new.
Thanks in advance
.....However.....
This year I want to get as many onto double broods as possible so that I can start some nucs off by removing frames ones they are strong.
....My question is how early am i likely to be able to chose which ones to build up? Do i wait until they show me they want more space or do I get them on double brood early on and expect them to respond to the extra space? ( left to my own devices I would probably wait until they need it)
It is usually when they are working on the rape that they seem to need more space but I am wondering whether i can encourage an early build up by feeding and perhaps using pollen patties.
My reason for asking the forum is that i always blunder through and do ok but I have not changed what I do much since I started because all I have needed to do was stand still with the same no of hives. I watch the bees and try to respond and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt but overall the result is ok, I get enough honey and overwinter more or less the same no of hives each year which is all I have wanted to do. Each year the bees teach me more than I can imagine but they chose my lessons, not me!
This year it matters more that I can increase the number of hives than it does that I get a lot of honey.
I am quite nervous about putting this question out there so go easy on me you lot! I am not a total novice and do read around things as well as blundering ( I will always feel like a blunderer until the bees stop surprising me and as I expect that to NEVER happen I will therefore always be a blunderer). I would just like to know from people who have done something before I try something new.
Thanks in advance