Peaches Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 We're just about to tuck up our bees for winter. Going to fit the mouse guard tomorrow, put kingspan over the crown board, and take some decision about when/if to stop feeding them. Where are you all up to? Ready for winter yet? Fiona Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 got to put the last varroa treatment on in the next few days, depending on weather (I know, I know, a bit late but I wasn't quite ready) - thanks for the reminder, I need to find the mouseguard and put it in place. I was really pleased last time I looked (two weeks ago) to see that they'd started building stores right to the end frames, started off with a 5-frame nuc so they have now got about 9 or 10 frames of stores. I put another big feed on then, so I'm hoping that will be the last one they need. Forgive my ignorance, what's 'kingspan'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted October 3, 2009 Share Posted October 3, 2009 Forgive my ignorance, what's 'kingspan'? Not ignorance Olly, inexperience...I'd like to know too please I put my second Apiguard on on Thursday, so that's done, just need DH to sort out my homemade mouse guard as he thinks it would be better than a metal one...he needs to make a new entrance block anyway...one that fits would be good rather than stuffing the gaps with draught excluder Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somerford Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Kingspan is a commercial type of insulation that is semi regid so can be cut to shapes (of a hive roof) A word of warning - you can over insulate. The key thing is to make sure your hive has a 'through-flow'of air at all times. air that cannot circulate causes dampness and this can destroy a colony over the winter. While my old mentor always left a fabric quilt on top of the wooden crown board each winter, I have never done so. This winter is my first where I am leaving the open mesh floors in place rather than replacing with a standard floor. Mouseguards are essential on wooden hives. ON the beehaus, leave it on 'wasp' setting. regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 4, 2009 Share Posted October 4, 2009 Ah, thanks for that Somerford! I haven't been given any advice about insulation, I did wonder whether the hive should be covered or something. It's in a fairly sheltered position, not exposed to a lot of wind or anything. I've only got an open-mesh floor, although there's a 'slide' that goes underneath, again I don't think my lessons mentioned replacing the floor, but I can always ring my mentor to check. We've got our first 'winter' meeting in a couple of weeks and no doubt this will come up then. As it's such a nice day here today, I'm going to open up this afternoon and put in the second tray of Apiguard and check the feed. I never expected bees to be such a worry! I expect it's like chickens, after the first year you get more relaxed about things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted October 4, 2009 Author Share Posted October 4, 2009 Yes, Kingspan is what we have left over from insulating our roof! I hope we won't over- insulate as we're up on a hill in windy North Yorkshire and have a mesh floor too. We did 2 lots of Apiguard, but the bees put in loads of brace comb where we had inserted the eke (the extra bit of wood that gives you space for the apiguard). Lovely day here to and we are (okay, OH is) painting the new hive OH constructed this summer. Found some porous paint and it's going to be blue and cream stripes. Nice and cheery, I thought! Fi Hey, beehaus has "settings" how posh is that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 I've finished my Apiguard and the bees are still foraging when the day warms up a bit, but I am noticing they are going out later and coming home earlier. I am still feeding continuously. We were advised to do so, by my local BKA, until the bees stop taking the feed. I have had my mouseguard on for some time as it helped against the wasps too. I will be leaving my mesh floor open and not insulating, again as advised by my BKA. My hive is in a sheltered place in my garden, so fingers crossed they will be ventilated but not too cold. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Well I put the second Apiguard on tonight, rather delayed due to a combination of weather/ill health. They hadn't consumed everything in the first tray of Apiguard, does that matter? The feeder that I put on last time, is still half full - that's the first time they haven't emptied it totally. All the frames except the outside faces of the end ones have got capped stores on. They'd also built an enormous amount of brace comb between the eke and the crown board - I left it for now, as I've put the second tray of Apiguard on, but I'll have to remove it when I close them up finally for winter, or the crownboard won't fit. I assume that as they've stopped feeding, they must think they have enough stores, even though there is still room for a bit more in the brood box. Let's hope they know waht they are doing, and have got enough to get them through the winter. It was my BKAs first winter meeting tonight, but I've been ill and didn't feel like going out so I missed it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted October 15, 2009 Share Posted October 15, 2009 Olly, I have no idea about any of your queries, but you've reminded me the 2nd Apiguard has been on 2 weeks today, so I need to see if it's finished or needs leaving for a while longer...hopefully tomorrow will be good enough weatherwise to check Hope you are feeling better soon Olly, the bugs at the moment seem to be hanging on for far longer than is strictly necessary ...I thought I'd missed our October meeting, but it's next week.........so I have a dilemma, do I excuse myself from my DH's Camera Club dinner (having already attended one on Tuesday and possibly Monday too ) & go to BKA or go along to the camera do & be bored rigid again about focal lengths & bellows.............. Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kermit Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Quick Q... Mouseguard with or without entrance block? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 17, 2009 Share Posted October 17, 2009 Mouseguard with or without entrance block? With an OMF - does it really matter? You need ventilation without draughts. Personally I have OMFs so use one mouse guard, cut up, for about 4 hives, but I do check the entrances regularly throughout the winter if the bees are likely to be flying - just in case the exit has been blocked by dead bees or other detritus. Regards, RAB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Olly, my understanding (as a newbie myself) is that they tend not to feed when the first Apiguard is on as the Thymol smell distracts them from the feed. I only put on feed with my second Apiguard, once they were used to the smell of Thymol, and they are now taking it voraciously. If your bees still have areas of uncapped comb, they may still fill it before winter. It doesn't matter that the bees haven't finished the first Apiguard. Just keep both trays in there. At the end of the 6 week period, s"Ooops, word censored!"e any remaining Apiguard on top of the frames and remove the trays. My friend also had a problem with brace comb in her eke. She was going to remove it then found it had eggs in it. She asked 3 experienced beeks at our apiary and was given 3 different answers .....1 - Leave the eke on over winter so the eggs could hatch but remember to remove it before the queen starts laying again in spring. 2 - Remove the brace comb and eke after Apiguard treatment and leave the bits of brace comb above the crown board for the bees to clean out before removing from the hive. 3 - If there was space in the hive - wire the bits of bracecomb onto a frame and insert it in the hive. She chose option 1 as it was the least disruptive. It goes to shows that there are no absolute rights and wrongs in beekeeping, just what works best for you and your bees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Ah, thanks Medusa - I didn't spot any eggs in this, but it's possible there could be some. As usual, the smoker had been puffing away furiously until I got my beesuit on, and then it ran out so I was in a hurry to get on with things. I honestly think that keeping the smoker alight is the hardest part of bee-keeping! I may just leave the eke on till spring. Thanks for the tip about the Apigurad affecting feeding, as well - I hadn't thought of that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Olly or anybody - did you find out whether we're meant to leave the slide in over winter? I found plenty of dead varroa mite on it after the first Apiguard treatment, but none after the 2nd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somerford Posted October 20, 2009 Share Posted October 20, 2009 Daphne I'd leave the slide in as it will help you check on the hive over winter without nhaving to open it. If/When you treat with oxalic acid say end December, you should see a big varroa mite drop onto it if the colony has a big population living on the bees at that point - the board helps with this. If you have a BeeHaus, there is a fix coming out to make the inspection board stronger and less likely to bend/fall out. regards Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Thanks Steve - plain old national for me, with 14x12 brood box! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peaches Posted October 31, 2009 Author Share Posted October 31, 2009 Thought I'd add that our bees are showing no signs of being tucked up for the winter - they are out buzzing around in the sun today. I think I got ahead of myself a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 Ours are still active as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daphne Posted October 31, 2009 Share Posted October 31, 2009 yes and ours! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 Mine too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 A word of warning - you can over insulate. The key thing is to make sure your hive has a 'through-flow'of air at all times. air that cannot circulate causes dampness and this can destroy a colony over the winter. I beg to differ. The most important thing in winter is for the bees to be dry - in the sense of not having condensation dripping onto the cluster. The only way you can fully protect against this is to provide top insulation, to ensure that the inside surface above the cluster is warm enough to prevent condensation forming. If you think of bees clustered in a hollow tree, they will typically have a large mass of excellent insulation (wood) above them, with some ventilation (an entrance hole) below. Ventilation should be provided at floor level and never at the top, as this allows the precious warm air to escape, which means in turn that the bees need to convert more honey into heat energy in order to replace it. This can lead to a rapid depletion of their stores and late winter/ early spring starvation. My advice FWIW: don't stint on the insulation, and allow damp air to escape through the floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chook n Boo Mum Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 My mentor has said keep the glass quilt on over winter, others have said change it for a crown board................thoughts please? Sha x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted November 2, 2009 Share Posted November 2, 2009 A glass quilt, without insulation above it, will guarantee condensation, inevitably followed by mould. Some beekeepers in colder and drier climates than ours find that leaving a glass quilt (an odd phrase, when you think about it) gives the bees a useful source of water during the winter. I would not recommend this in the UK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Well my bees clearly know what they're doing, even if I don't - I went up to peek at the hive yesterday, and there are several dead bees lying around the entrance, so I assume that they have thrown the drones out and are settling down for winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 8, 2009 Share Posted November 8, 2009 Ours were throwing drones out yesterday as well! I've got Mahonia in flower at the moment and some of the bees were busy amongst the flowers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
