Over Wintering Bees. Nick Lambert Sept 2016

Transcription

1 Over Wintering Bees Nick Lambert Sept 2016

2 Annual Bee Population

3 Winter Bees Life expectancy up to 6 months Bees cluster to keep warm Metabolic rate low when clustered Pollen converted into vitellogenin and stored in abdominal fat bodies Brood Food Glands Plump ready to feed spring brood Rectum can expand to 40% volume of abdomen avoiding the need to leave the hive to defecate Heater bees

4 Ideally we want healthy bees headed by a proven young queen Avoid robbing Treat for varroa Unite weak colonies together and cull worst queen or put weak colonies in nuc boxes Feed bees remember that feeding can stimulate laying

5 As well as protecting your bees from being robbed make sure you bees are not robbing. A weak varroa infested colony makes an attractive target and if it gets robbed by your healthy bees they will bring the varroa home too!

6 Feeding Liquid feed 2 part white sugar 1 part water Ambrosia bee feed Avoid drowning bees! Avoid causing robbing Avoid feeding when too cold Avoid feeding too late we don t want to knacker our winter bees Dry feed Candy ambrosia fondant Bakers fondant Bag of sugar with hole in side

7 How much to feed? Depends on the stain of bee Depends on the weather Depends on the size of the brood nest Feed until they wont take anymore Feed until brood box weighs Lbs You can always add more later (fondant) Some beekeepers also leave the first honey super as stores

8 Remove QX avoids separation of queen Put a honey super under brood box If multi way floor put into deep mode More space for debris Open screen bottom board until brood rearing starts end of Jan Fit mouse guard or reduce to one bee space entrance Fit entrance block up right way- gap at top Organise brood nest to one end of box Ensure hive leans towards the entrance to expel water

9 Avoid condensation dripping on brood Wet and Cold is not good Moist warm air rises Poor ventilation promotes chalk brood Some folks like top entrances - good in snowy conditions. Some folks prop up crown board on match sticks to aid ventilation (solid floors & closed feed holes)

10 Shared heat. Build towers of colonies Build blocks of colonies Save heat reduces stores consumption Use a quilt Also cuts down condensation Don t feed syrup if cold use candy instead Don t over feed - the bees need spare cells in which to form their cluster

11 Ivy A good source of pollen in the autumn Honey tends to granulate rock hard Water Mix with feed Feed first so brood nest is not filled with ivy Bees need a near by water source in order to use granulated stores Water collection is a very dangerous job for bees

12 Protect against green wood pecker Wrap hive in chicken wire Use CD s on a string as bird scares Protect against weather Add a brick to weight down the lid Add a hive strap to keep hive together should it get knocked over by wind or animals Use wind breaks

13 Oxalic acid varroa treatment in Dec/Jan Trickle method Vaporiser method If bees are right up on top of frames feed candy directly on top of frames

14 Avoid disturbing the bees in the winter if you make them break their cluster it wastes energy. Use the screen bottom board to check the bees progress through the brood. Check that the entrance doesn t become blocked Check the outside of hive for dysentery could be a sign of Nosema Check the bees are flying on bright sunny days

15 Feed pollen is spring? Even if pollen about weather might not allow collection Save some in freezer Pollen traps Pollen patties Pollen substitutes

16 Spring Feeding? Can be used to stimulate queen into laying early Take care as once the colony builds up it will need to be fed until there is enough forage around to sustain it.