BBKA Forum

Patrick wrote: ↑

04 Aug 2020, 15:47

because stored full supers attract unwelcome surprises like a factory friday TR7.

Cross tensioned cylinder block causing coolant loss, unreliable headlight raisers - don't remind me.... too horrible for words.

It was a Classic in many senses of the word!

I preferred the elegance of a Simca van to a TR7. I suspect the rust got both in a similarly quick way.

I am currently clearing any remaining supers - part-filled or not - so I can start varroa treatment.

Just getting out the clearer boards. Because it's going to be a very hot weekend I am not going to try and put them on until after the weekend - 3 reasons:
1. I can hear that they are still working on them.
2. I do not want to crowd them when it is very hot
3. With hot nights they won't clear down anyway
Most have 4-5 supers on so I thought I'd clear the top two first then the rest - down to the super that I am leaving them with. Gives me a chance to sort through and swap frames around.
Then the super left on will go under the brood box (nadired) and I'll put the varroa treatment on - if not by next Friday, the weekend after.

Won't be treating for varroa until Mid-September after the bees get back from the heather which has just started to flower in earnest.

NigelP wrote: ↑

07 Aug 2020, 14:05

Won't be treating for varroa until Mid-September after the bees get back from the heather which has just started to flower in earnest.

x2 Varroa wise if not a week or two later..

Advice please - I may have to delay taking off supers next week or even the week after.
The varroa treatment should still be in time for the winter brood rearing if it goes on before end of August but do you get an immediate phoretic mite drop with ApiVar the same as you do with Apistan?????
I have never left supers on until the last week of August - any implications you can think of in leaving it that late?

AndrewLD wrote: ↑

09 Aug 2020, 10:28

Advice please - I may have to delay taking off supers next week or even the week after.
The varroa treatment should still be in time for the winter brood rearing if it goes on before end of August but do you get an immediate phoretic mite drop with ApiVar the same as you do with Apistan?????
I have never left supers on until the last week of August - any implications you can think of in leaving it that late?

I remove super end of August in Yorkshire. There is nothing in there that will crystalize

You might need to feed more sugar depending on how much honey you remove as they'll have less time to build back up honey stores.

Don't know about mite drop with apivar

AndrewLD wrote: ↑

09 Aug 2020, 10:28

I have never left supers on until the last week of August - any implications you can think of in leaving it that late?

Yes...no worries. Mid/late September is varroa treatment time in North York's due to heather honey harvest (hopeful).

I thought the flow had stopped pretty much during July down here but the last several days has seen very good forage coming in on four of my DB colonies not only in the supers but now seeing good brood stores now as well as the queens laying reduces. Forage isn't HB but have seen bees on the Hibiscus, Echinops, Persicaria 'red bistort' to name but three. I will have to wait until extraction in a week or two as I have had honey dew from the local pine woodlands late on before, this weather is ideal for aphids.