I know its early but....

[OursonAnglaise]

I am thinking that if the weather holds as good as it has been for the last few weeks, that I might crack open my hive for a little look.

The temperature was mid teens again on Saturday afternoon. This last weekend pollen was being bought in thick and fast. The cherry plum trees are in full bloom, and the ornimental cherry trees will be in flower by the end of this week.

I am going away (coming back to the UK) the following weekend and my bees will be left to their own devices for 3 weeks. I am a bit worried that with all this pollen and nectar available they might start to run out of space and will therefore need a super.

My bees are currently in a single brood Langstroth for overwintering & have fondant which they are taking down.

Is this too early?

I am coming to the end of my first year of beekeeping, and I am trying to convince myself that I'm over-reacting!

Your thoughts please.

 

[Tom Bick]

Only you can make that call and your part of France may be in advance of most parts of the UK. For what it's worth I like to see 16*c and then it all comes down to the day with shade and wind making the final call. For me it's usually mid March when conditions are right but with this very mild winter and who knows what the next few weeks are going to be it may be earlier or later.

 

[Plenty of honey]

You can look, but if their taking down fondant fairly rapidly, with lots of bees on the fondant, then you should be fine. Your much further south than me so you may have better temperatures? Tom Bick is spot on!!
Just bear in mind if you squish that queen, you have a dead hive on your hands!!
Historically in Brittany, we generally expect to have a look in hives the first week of March. however 3 years ago i did than, then a week later we had snow on the ground for 4 days!! Daffodils in bloom etc!! be warned and keep an eye on long range temp charts!!

Its not a guarantee but its a help.

http://www.weatheronline.co.uk/cgi-...tx&CONT=frfr&LAND=__&ZEIT=201201280741&LOOP=1

 

[snelgrove]

Other than lifting the cover board I wait until April before an inspection, when I find clip and mark the queen. To early and you run the risk of the bees balling the queen.

 

[dpearce4]

If concerned about space how about placing the super or if you have it a drawn out spare brood under the existing brood. That way if they do need space they can work down into it without affecting the warmth of the brood above and if they haven't used it when u get back just take it off.

 

[Millet]

Other than lifting the cover board I wait until April before an inspection, when I find clip and mark the queen. To early and you run the risk of the bees balling the queen.

And killing her no doubt ,

 

[OursonAnglaise]

Thanks for your responses.

I think, I will go with the supering below to provide a bit of space - I had not thought of that & it is definitely what I was after, as it allows me to keep feeding without disruption, should we get a cold snap. Belt and braces...my kind of solution.

 

[Tom Bick]

If it is early swarming that is a worry for you then you should really get an idea how much stores they have now and then rethink continuous feeding.

 

[For want of a better word]

Originally Posted by snelgrove View Post
Other than lifting the cover board I wait until April before an inspection, when I find clip and mark the queen. To early and you run the risk of the bees balling the queen.

And killing her no doubt

,

WHY?

End of April OK if there are some drones about ?

SORRY perhaps you meant April 1st????


Mytten da

 

[Millet]

Originally Posted by snelgrove View Post
Other than lifting the cover board I wait until April before an inspection, when I find clip and mark the queen. To early and you run the risk of the bees balling the queen.



WHY?

End of April OK if there are some drones about ?

SORRY perhaps you meant April 1st????


Mytten da

I have read some where that there is a risk of the bees killing the queen if you start poking about too early.

 

[alldigging]

I have read some where that there is a risk of the bees killing the queen if you start poking about too early.

I think the risk of killing the queen has to be considered in the context of 'how will they replace her at this time of year, without lots of drones and good flying weather for mating.'

Anyone who'd 'cracked' open that coverboard has also undone all that work they did sealing it down.

 

[ugcheleuce]

I am a bit worried that with all this pollen and nectar available they might start to run out of space and will therefore need a super.

I'm no expert at this, but if you're concerned about them running out of space, why not nadir a super (or a brood box, even)? That way, you don't disturb the nest, but if they really, really need more space, then they have it.

 

[REDWOOD]

When they start making comb in fondant boxes they are looking for more room either for somewhere to put the fondant or for brood, have you hefted your hive to see how much stores they have.

 

[Poly Hive]

I rather think this is a "legend" that gets repeated.

I used to have all my queens clipped and marked by the end of March and this in Aberdeenshire.

There was over wintering research done at Craibstone in the 50's sadly the Agri college in their wisdom has dumped all the bee related material in the library. Though to be fair the Librarian was very embarrassed, I don't think they knew what they had in there.

Anyway I digress, the colonies were opened regularly through out the winter and measurements taken and there was no report of damage to queens. So...

PH

 

[BeeJayBee]

When they start making comb in fondant boxes they are looking for more room either for somewhere to put the fondant or for brood ....

I rather think this is a "legend" that gets repeated.

It's something I've found to be true with the bees in my apiaries. If I think it's too cool to give them more space directly I add a super above a feeder board - that's a crown board with a hole in it.

 

[Poly Hive]

There was a post appeared whilst I was typing, the legend I referred to was the balling of the queen in cool weather.

PH

 

[OursonAnglaise]

Thanks all for your replies on this. In the end I have resisted temptation to interfere despite another wonderfully warm weekend. From talking to neighbours the weeks have not been so great (we had snow one day) and we are due a period of colder weather too.

I will await the middle of march to take a look, by then I think they will be able to tolerate me having apeep to see what they're up to.

It looks (from my sejourns at the hive entrance) that all is going well inside. Plenty of pollen being taken in and the girls look fit and healthy.

I have left them with some fondant. So should things take a turn for the worse weather wise they will have something to keep them going.