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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #6478  by AdamD
 16 Apr 2020, 09:11
I think most of my queens are clipped but I do need to check a couple of colonies, just in case.
Yesterday dsitributed a few more supers around and I also did some grafts which I put into a queenless colony.
 #6482  by NigelP
 16 Apr 2020, 16:38
First really full inspections yesterday and today, most are going like the clappers and needed to go to double brood, which I did. Nectar being stored in most supers.
As I expected my now 4 year old Island Mated Buckfast queen is being superseded. Only 2 queen cells. I moved her into 1 nuc and one cell into another and left the last cell in the hive. Hopefully she will continue to lay so I can breed a few more daughters from her. I have one or two hives that are getting a bit too feisty for my liking and need some nice gentle queens.
 #6483  by Japey Edge
 16 Apr 2020, 17:49
That's pretty interesting Nigel. I like the approach - let us know how you get on as I will probably be looking to raise queens from my GM queen too.

Yesterday I looked through the clear crown board into the super of the biggest hive. They're really growing. Bees in every seam. Couldn't see any caps and we're approaching 3 weeks of the super being on. There were a couple of frames with foundation or just starter strip so I'll try to get a good look there and see if they have drawn that out at least.

Also looked through the crown board of the colony with the GM queen - they're living in the back half of the hive. The front 4 or 5 frames only have a handful of bees on. Curious to see whether they'll build or whether they need sticking in a nuc...
 #6484  by AdamD
 16 Apr 2020, 17:57
NigelP wrote:
16 Apr 2020, 16:38
As I expected my now 4 year old Island Mated Buckfast queen is being superseded. Only 2 queen cells. I moved her into 1 nuc and one cell into another and left the last cell in the hive. Hopefully she will continue to lay so I can breed a few more daughters from her. I have one or two hives that are getting a bit too feisty for my liking and need some nice gentle queens.
She should be OK in a nuc for a little while - what seems to happen with old girls is that you can harvest a few supercedure cells over a few weeks and then she claps out altogether. Or that's what happens to my old queens - however it's usually at 3 years and not 4.
 #6485  by AdamD
 16 Apr 2020, 18:02
Had the SBI in today. Looking for SHB and Tropilelaps. (I am a sentinel apiary as I am close to the port of Great Yarmouth where nasties could come in). Nothing found and no EFB. Hive debris was taken away for analysis. Next inspection will probably be June.

Lots of letters:-
SBI= Seasonal Bee Inspector
SHB= Small Hive Beetle
EFB= European Foul Brood.
 #6486  by Japey Edge
 16 Apr 2020, 18:08
AdamD wrote:
16 Apr 2020, 18:02
Had the SBI in today. Looking for SHB and Tropilelaps. (I am a sentinel apiary as I am close to the port of Great Yarmouth where nasties could come in). Nothing found and no EFB. Hive debris was taken away for analysis. Next inspection will probably be June.

Lots of letters:-
SBI= Seasonal Bee Inspector
SHB= Small Hive Beetle
EFB= European Foul Brood.
Was the SBI looking for SHB because they suspect they have arrived? Or was it a "just in case" visit? Are you monitoring for AH as well then Adam?
 #6492  by NigelP
 16 Apr 2020, 19:48
AdamD wrote:
16 Apr 2020, 17:57

She should be OK in a nuc for a little while - what seems to happen with old girls is that you can harvest a few supercedure cells over a few weeks and then she claps out altogether. Or that's what happens to my old queens - however it's usually at 3 years and not 4.
Yup, my notes for this year...check if original queen or supersedure last autumn....Pleasantly surprised to find the old girl there. One of the best queens I've ever had in many ways. She still has a reasonable brood pattern, but i reckon is now running out of sperm as higher proportion of drone cells in her brood then one would expect....Hopefully if she can just lay one more frame of eggs in the nuc....
But it's damn early for queen rearing these parts....but no choice....just have to go with the flow and see with what happens.
Sod the books.
 #6498  by AdamD
 16 Apr 2020, 20:10
Japey Edge wrote:
16 Apr 2020, 18:08
AdamD wrote:
16 Apr 2020, 18:02
Had the SBI in today. Looking for SHB and Tropilelaps. (I am a sentinel apiary as I am close to the port of Great Yarmouth where nasties could come in). Nothing found and no EFB. Hive debris was taken away for analysis. Next inspection will probably be June.

Lots of letters:-
SBI= Seasonal Bee Inspector
SHB= Small Hive Beetle
EFB= European Foul Brood.
Was the SBI looking for SHB because they suspect they have arrived? Or was it a "just in case" visit? Are you monitoring for AH as well then Adam?
A "just in case" visit - they'll be monitoring around the country near ports and airports. And I have traps in some hives. Nothing specific about the Asian Hornet which is the most likely threat - just use monitoring traps.
 #6501  by nealh
 16 Apr 2020, 21:05
Checked the three I needed today and all looking good, pretty strong all round with 16 frames of brood on B&H, demereed the BB and left queen with a mix of drawn and foundation plus the comb she was on.
Good stores in all and one in a village locale really needed a third super as they are steaming the nectar in.
 #6505  by Chrisbarlow
 16 Apr 2020, 21:19
Want to try a Commercial box this year, so I've made one up and filled it with frames today.
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