Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie
Hi all,
Vanilla are planning an update to the site on April 24th (next Wednesday). It is a major PHP8 update which is expected to boost performance across the site. The site will be down from 7pm and it is expected to take about an hour to complete. We appreciate your patience during the update.
Thanks all.

Winter.

Options
  • 16-10-2019 2:44pm
    #1
    clooneen
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭


    Hello Folks,

    I am very new to this. A friend gave me a hive and a Nuc with a queen cell in each. They both hatched and are now laying. There is definitely not enough honey in either colony, and there are very few bees in the nuc, two full frames I'd say. Is there anything I should do beyond feeding them?

    Thanks in advance


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    victor8600
    Registered Users Posts: 1,606 ✭✭✭victor8600


    I would say it is going to be challenging to keep them alive through the winter. So don't be upset if one or both colonies do not make it through.

    Now that the expectations are set reasonably low, here is what I would do:
    1) Put the bees from the hive into another nuc or reduce the space in the hive (for example by a block of polystyrene wrapped in plastic film).
    2) Give each colony 3-4 full frames of stores (honey).

    Now since you are a new beekeeper you may not have spare frames of stores:
    - Do you have 6 fully drawn frames in each colony? If yes, then I would feed bees so they can store the thick 2:1 syrup in the drawn frames.
    - If you have frames that are undrawn foundation, it's a problem. Bees need to spend a lot of energy making wax and now is not the time to do it. In this case, you probably need to continue feeding with fondant all through the winter, checking each few weeks.


  • Options
    #3
    BillyBird
    Registered Users Posts: 143 ✭✭BillyBird


    I'd agree with what Victor said - set low expectations.


    Depending on where you are you might find a local beekeeper with some drawn frames and/or some frames with stores.



    I'd also consider getting rid on one queen and merging these colonies if they are both small.



    All that said it's a bit late in the year to be doing a lot of manipulations, you're at the mercy of good weather.


  • Options
    #4
    clooneen
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭clooneen


    Firstly, thank you both for taking the time to answer.

    Yeah, I think regular winter feeding is definitely on the cards. The hive might be ok, all the laying and honey is in the top of two boxes so |I might remove the bottom box and I think at that they will be ok. The Nuc looks like it wont't make it, there is two full frames of brood, so maybe there will be enough bees. I am not competent enough to attempt a merge so I'll just do my best to feed them.

    Thanks for the perspective!


  • Options
    #5
    victor8600
    Registered Users Posts: 1,606 ✭✭✭victor8600


    clooneen wrote: »
    ... The hive might be ok, all the laying and honey is in the top of two boxes so |I might remove the bottom box and I think at that they will be ok.....

    Sure, then you may have a full complement (10-11) of drawn frames? If so, you could rob the hive of one or two frames to replace undrawn frames in the nuc.


  • Options
    #6
    clooneen
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭clooneen


    victor8600 wrote: »
    Sure, then you may have a full complement (10-11) of drawn frames? If so, you could rob the hive of one or two frames to replace undrawn frames in the nuc.

    Yep, thanks! It's such a steep learning curve even the blatantly obvious escapses me!


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    Effects
    Registered Users Posts: 9,761 ✭✭✭Effects


    clooneen wrote: »
    Yeah, I think regular winter feeding is definitely on the cards. The hive might be ok, all the laying and honey is in the top of two boxes so |I might remove the bottom box and I think at that they will be ok.
    The Nuc looks like it wont't make it, there is two full frames of brood, so maybe there will be enough bees.

    You don't have to feed them regularly. Just a decent winter feeding and keep an eye on their weight in case you need to feed next year.
    There's a lot of ivy coming in at the moment so stores shouldn't be too bad, but you might not have enough workers to bring it in.

    Definitely reduce the hive to a single box. If they are weak, then it's harder on them to heat the bigger space.

    Two frames of brood in a nuc isn't too bad. I've brought apideas with less through the winter before. I presume it's a poly nuc?

    Where are you based?


  • Options
    #8
    clooneen
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭clooneen


    I'm in the northwest. No,its a Rose nuc, made from marine ply.


  • Options
    #9
    Effects
    Registered Users Posts: 9,761 ✭✭✭Effects


    I find nucs always do a lot better in poly over the winter.


  • Options
    #10
    Lefty Bicek
    Registered Users Posts: 1,625 ✭✭✭Lefty Bicek


    clooneen wrote: »
    I'm in the northwest. No,its a Rose nuc, made from marine ply.

    If you have a frame of capped brood, when it emerges it will cover well over two frames, so think positively !

    Some people make a 'cosy' of insulation and slip it over the hive body for winter. As a bare minimum, I would put 50mm of PIR insulation over the bees. This will make it the warmest spot, therefore condensation will not form there.

    I would not bother with syrup now, hard work on the bees to evaporate and cap it.

    Dummy down to the fewest number of frames you can.

    Fondant directly on the top bars, not the crown board, so make a little eke if you have to.

    Hope for the best.


Advertisement