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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #12577  by RDGBEES
 08 Apr 2022, 14:55
Hi All,

Unfortunately I was unable to benefit from the warm weather last week so couldn't carry out my first hive inspection of the year.

Should I be worried?
I feel like it's a bit cold to inspect at the minute.
 #12578  by Cable_Fairy
 08 Apr 2022, 16:13
I had a quick look last weekend but as you say its cold. The forecast looks good from Sunday with warm nights.
 #12579  by AdamD
 08 Apr 2022, 16:16
If you have not inspected them yet, you can heft them to check whether they have enough stores. However sometimes you do need to check them when the weather is not perfect. You could have 8 frames of brood in there and the need for a super already. A quick check to ensure there enough food and space and that the queen is laying worker eggs should be enough. A check for pearly white larvae is also good too.
 #12580  by Patrick
 08 Apr 2022, 21:17
It’s difficult to definitely answer depending on your geography, location and local forage availability. If you heft and they are very light they may need feeding, if you heft and they are quite heavy they may be congested with either unused stores or nectar they are bringing in. Or they can be heavy because they are queenless and on the slide.

Once upon a time it was thought only safe to wait until you could first leisurely inspect with rolled up shirt sleeves, your favourite pipe clenched resolutely between firm jaws and no more protection than a slick of Brylcreem, but things like early crops of mustard or OSR, modern mild winters and highly fecund queens can all catch you out and either frustrate early build up or lead to premature swarming attempts.

Personally in the South, I would say by mid April I would expect to have had a quick look at least once of a few middle frames to check laying queens and available space even in really cold weather. Presence or absence of stores would be known without opening by a quick heft. Around here I would stick on at least one early super by now in case they find a good nectar source.

Once you have cracked open the crown board, quickly fishing out three or four middle frames may tell you all you need to know and it’s closed up again within a couple of minutes tops. No harm done whatever the weather.
 #12581  by MickBBKA
 10 Apr 2022, 01:57
Had no choice but to visit an apiary at 8c I haven't been to for 2 weeks and found 4 colonies into a brood break, no pollen. 2 weeks of East and Northerly winds of death have them stalled. Colonies 5 minutes drive away have been piling pollen in and are double brood. This area is nuts. No wonder the BBKA don't dare consider us. So thank god for pollen sub as I piled it on today. We go from Winter to Summer with no Spring here so hopefully I got it on in time to make a difference but looking at the brood I am at least a week too late.
I have colonies from double brood with 16 frames of brood to colonies with just 2 frames of brood all within 15 mins drive of each other and overnight temps from 4c+ to 4c-...........BBKA haven't a clue about national bee keeping they represent.
 #12582  by Alfred
 10 Apr 2022, 15:35
Ditto
I had to make use of a break in the weather today and opened up at 10degrees
I had to remove stores as they're bracecombing it -too mild a winter and they just haven't used it- don't need that stuff in the super.
The best hive had some big lads strutting around -things are warming for swarming.
 #12583  by MickBBKA
 11 Apr 2022, 05:15
Yes its very difficult this year to get sorted. Colonies have lots of stores that need using up but I have put boxes of foundation on the strongest and they have ignored it although they were building comb for fun under the crown boards, night time temps very low. We have another 2 weeks of winds of death forecast ( wind from the East....... No good to man nor beast ) so once again its a matter of mitigating weather until it finally breaks. Hope to move 5 colonies to my inland apiary later this week which was an absolute eye opener last year. You think your bees are not very good or you are not a good bee keeper in this area but you have no idea how easy it is away from the tees valley funnel of freezing air from the North Sea between March and May. At least after 10 years I now have an understanding of what is going on. Interesting to see the solar farm that got destroyed is being removed, should have asked the local bee keeper...LOL
 #12584  by JoJo36
 11 Apr 2022, 06:51
Was just going to check mine for food but decided to open up 'the apple tree hive no 4} good job I did as it had several loaded swarm cells and the hive was jam packed with brood, eggs and food inc pollen!! Even the super which was empty a few weeks back was more than half full of honey which I've left there!
Decided to make a split to reduce numbers so fingers crossed this will possibly work! Another hive couldn't see queen but a queen cell with bottom taken off and polished cells so will leave it for a week and if nothing there will place a frame of eggs and brood as I couldn't see any eggs at all! Another one looked okay so back to 4 hives if the split works!
I've decided this year that I'm not going to keep looking in hives more than once a week!!!!!! :)
 #12589  by JoJo36
 11 Apr 2022, 18:52
Today has been around 14 swith mostly cloud and a little sun so not exactly cold but okay I would say and yesterday was a bit warmer in the sun although the wind is chilly still!
Even today there are loads of bees flying in and out so at least they are still alive!! :)