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hilda-and-evadne

Don't think DEFRA's latest advice is good

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I've had one of those e-mails about bees being at risk of starvation and suggesting that bee-keepers open their hives to check that the frames with stores on are where the bees can find them.

 

This was when the day-time temperature was -2 degrees C here. My bees have fondant which they don't seem to be eating very quickly, I have seen a few flying on warmer days not long ago, and maybe it will turn out that I have lost a lot but I am certain that if I opened the hive I would fatally chill any bees that are left.

 

I am resigned to having to buy in a new nucleus, if the bees haven't survived. I know that I have done everything that it was possible to do to enable them to survive the winter; if it hasn't worked, if the winter has been too long or there have been too many long cold periods, I will just have to accept that. But I'd feel REALLY bad if there was a viable number of bees when I opened the hive - if I followed DEFRA's advice - but as a result of opening the hive they all then died.

 

Edited to add: if the daytime temperature in the next few days rises to something like 9 degrees C or so, I might risk it to see if I should move any frames, but not otherwise.

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I haven't had the email, but I'd agree - a quick opening of the roof to put some fondant on is all I've done. They scoffed the first lot, so I've added some more but to be honest there's not much more you can do, bees can starve even though they have stores, just because they don't move to where the stores are. It's a hard start to the year after last year's difficult conditions. :(

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Well, you can do two things if your colony is in trouble. Something or nothing and I'd rather do something.

It is quite acceptable to whip off the crown board in freezing conditions to add food.Sometimes the winter cluster becomes isolated from stores in the outer frames and it is better to lift out an empty frame next to the cluster and move a full one next to them than to do nothing.Both manipulations can be done in less than a minute and if it is really cold the bees won't move while you do it.

My only gripe about the FERA advice is that it is far too late.

Sensible beeks should have been observing and acting most of the winter, especially after such a bad summer last year and a warm late autumn/early winter.

 

Edit with a PS

In extremis It is even possible to fill an empty frame with 2:1 syrup and place it next to the cluster.

Better that a few bees fall off to enable the rest to get at the food than to lose the lot.

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My cluster are quite happily munching away on the fondant as they have for the past three months! Again so cold here not a sign of any activity outside the hive. It snowed here this morning :shock: Sometimes I take a peek in at the top and they are doing ok. SO wish I was watching pollen going in though!

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All three hives have Nektapoll on but only two are taking it. They have been piling in pollen at every conceivable opportunity.I'm lucky enough to have a decent amount of willow very nearby and I've seen them on the hellebores in the garden. It's got up to 12˚at the apiary at times but the wind is bitter. I was up at six thirty for the new pup so let the hens out. The sun was up and not a cloud in the sky but now that wind has picked up :(

Yesterday I looked into the nearly dead hive(through the crown board) there must only be a hundred or so bees.....so sad. How can you get upset about a few insects shivering their last days away?

On a more upbeat note we have temperatures picking up mid April

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