Whisper it.......winter preps !

[greengumbo]

It seems a shame that on a lovely sunny day on the 2nd of August I'm thinking of winter. Maybe last years has made me paranoid !

What's everyones rough timetable for harvesting / treating / feeding ?

My guess is this month harvest (if not going to heather), treat end of August till mid-sept depending on treatment, then feed ?

What do people do with nucs they want to winter - any special preparations ?

[beejazz]

I wish there was some heather to take them to in the London area! I suspect there isn't...I have taken most of my honey off, and I will wait until I hear from my local BKA when to treat, (I have been told it is best if most/all beekeepers treat with apiguard at the same time?) and then feed.
I managed to take a 3 frame nuc (poly), made up in Sept, through last winter. Fed directly onto the topbars when light. Insulated the top, and in the prolonged cold snap, put 50mm insulation board at the sides, bricks holding them in place. If the nuc had 5/6 frames probably only top insulation needed.

[lindsay s]

I usually clear my supers about the 21st of August but if the weathers good I might leave it for another 7 to 10 days, there’s no heather near my apiary. Then I feed syrup until they stop taking it. No varroa treatment needed up here yet.:) The bees are grumpy about harvest time but their mood usually improves by mid-September.
I've got 2 nucs that I going to unite together and the spare queen is going to another colony. I’ve got a nuc that the queen has just started to lay in and I’m going to add sealed brood and stores from my other colonies to build it up to at least 8 frames before winter. I don’t like going into winter with weak colonies and I‘ll quite happily unite them if I have to.

[gavin]

No heather perhaps beejazz but you may have ....

Himalayan balsam
Japanese knotweed
Ivy

They can all yield well in balmy southern climes - just depends what's near enough to your bees. Ivy in particular.

I wouldn't worry about coordinated Varroa treatments - just do it when your bees are quiet. They may have a quiet spell now then pick up again later.

[beejazz]

Himalayan balsam :), some
Japanese knotweed :(, eradicated
Ivy :D lots