BBKA Forum

Many thanks for all your replies and advice. It has been very useful. When the weather warms up a little, I'll clean the feeder, change the syrup and carefully dribble some onto the frames. I have ordered some Thymol. I'll also get some fondant ready.

The colony was from a late swarm, so I think I'm up against it getting them through winter. But I'm learning.

DaveG wrote: ↑

29 Aug 2020, 18:47

The colony was from a late swarm, so I think I'm up against it getting them through winter. But I'm learning.

A suggestion...if they are not filling a full hive at the moment....reduce them to a nuc? Or surround the frames they occupy with insulated boards. I'm about to do this with a hive with (hopefully) a late mated queen. Stores and warmth for overwintering small colonies helps enormously.

DaveG wrote:The colony was from a late swarm, so I think I'm up against it getting them through winter. But I'm learning.

A really useful bit of extra info there Dave. There are a few practical differences between a made up nucleus and a very late swarm - quite possibly being a cast or secondary swarm. It is quite possibly a smaller number of bees than a standard nucleus would be expected to have. If you have or can borrow a nucleus box, I second the advice to change plans and aim to overwinter them in a smaller box. Even better if it is a poly one. It would be good to check and see if they have some open white brood in cells, which indicates they have a laying queen. Late swarms in nature have a very poor survival rate over winter but you have every chance if there is a laying queen and you can get them in a nucleus.

You may have to ignore a bit of the standard overwintering stuff you read as it will be referring to full hives and full colonies. I would definitely keep it ticking over with fondant. Fingers crossed mate

I have Nucs spare Patrick but i sometimes don't like pulling the brood nest apart to transfer a colony into a Nuc..what i have done instead is make a number of 2in celotex insulation dummy boards with all the exposed areas taped up to stop the bees chewing it up..i have also made some 1in dummy boards..that way i can dummy down a national hive to what ever frames are required...
Edited to add a picture of what i like to do..this is in a ceder brood box that i do not use all my boxes are Abelo poly hives..

Nice one Steve. Of course you are right there are several ways to achieve a similar end, I was just thinking in Dave’s case an existing option, if he already has one, is least confusing.

What you have there with your fat dummies is a Ben Harden Queen rearing box ready to go. Reminded by I think Chris last year, I used it again after several years gap this Spring with a high success rate and minimal fuss. Worth consideration if you want a sensible number of high quality queens and not disrupt your other colonies to make up dedicated commercial style Queen rearing set ups. Good use of kingspan / Celotex material too.

Patrick wrote: ↑

30 Aug 2020, 19:56

What you have there with your fat dummies is a Ben Harden Queen rearing box ready to go. Reminded by I think Chris last year, I used it again after several years gap this Spring with a high success rate and minimal fuss.

I did Indeed, glad it worked for you.

I like Steve's dummy boards. Much more versatile than large dummy boards

Just glanced at my original post and noticed it had autocorrected celotex to colorectal! I swiftly edited it back, as no one wants to see that used in a bee hive

Patrick wrote: ↑

30 Aug 2020, 22:30

Just glanced at my original post and noticed it had autocorrected celotex to colorectal! I swiftly edited it back, as no one wants to see that used in a bee hive

Certainly not!

Just checking out your celotex dummy idea again Steve after my autocorrection horror. I am assuming we are talking slabs cut to size, wrapped in tape to mimimise chewing and propolising and screws inserted as hangers (we like those). There are a couple of screws inserted in the top as well on one - was that a construction thing?

I am definitely going to knock up a few of those as they are just the job for occasional part filled boxes which often arise and can lead to foundation being ignored in favour of wild combs which are so annoying.

I am presuming the yellow and black tape is optional - unless it scares the bells out of wasps trying to rob and finding out Godzilla Wasp is already in residence?

Thank you all so much for the advice. It has been very useful.
I haven't been able to fully inspect the bees due to work and the weather, but I know there was a laying queen on 8th Aug.
I changed the sugar syrup and dribbled it onto the frames - it worked! The bees used 630mls in 2days, which I've since replaced. I've also added 1kg of ApiCandy, which they are enjoying.
I'll probably stop the sugar syrup in late September.

I really like the idea of replacing empty frames with insulation (I don't have a nuc). I assume other polystyrene/ polyurethane insulation would be ok as long as I tape it up?

Again many thanks for your help.