Unless you had AFB they should be fine to reuse as the acetic acid will have killed any pathogens present.
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Unless you had AFB they should be fine to reuse as the acetic acid will have killed any pathogens present.
Getting bees in mid-may ! I have my combs from last years hive that have capped honey and a bit of uncapped - they and the hive have been acetic acid fumigated. Should I just chuck em out or re-use ? Prob not worth the risk I thought.[/QUOTE]
They should be o.k. if they've been fumigated. Beware
unsealed honey tho'- could ferment and cause disentry.
Thanks for the link, Finno. I've now also learned about 'lazy beds' and watched a few videos of people making them using spades. The loy or chrom looks so much easier.
Kitta
Been interesting to see over the last few days the dramatic difference between colonies on the coast and those a few miles inland. A month between them at the moment.
Which part of the UK is that prakel?
Mine are at least 2 months behind where they were last year - brood rearing only really started in April.
I doubt if I will need to get out the supers until the end of May at the earliest.
I presume that you mean that the coastal ones are more advanced? There are signs here that those nearer the east coast wintered less well than those further inland - but if mine are anything to go by low-lying and sheltered means that they are off to a better spring than some others.
Jon, Dorset. Mine are still (on average) behind what we've come to expect for this time of year but I think that may be where some of the problem lies -we've become accustomed to the bees getting an undue head start from the amazing Springs that we've had over the last few years. The good colonies are probably well placed for a build up which is in tune with the local 'wild' forage. I've been pleasantly surprised this week (having seen the position of the others last week) with most having 5-8 md combs of brood, with drone rearing well advanced and showing very strong pollen collection.Quote:
Which part of the UK is that prakel?
Mine are at least 2 months behind where they were last year - brood rearing only really started in April.
I doubt if I will need to get out the supers until the end of May at the earliest.
Gavin, no! It's actually the inland colonies with perhaps a more stable climate (spared the constant sea wind) which are well ahead of the others. The colonies close to the sea have in most cases only started laying in the last two weeks. There's one (only the one) which hasn't even started yet even though the colony 'feels' right and the queen looks right. Not very scientific. I'm pretty sure that a little syrup will kickstart her....failing that I've got spare overwintered queens waiting for a new home.Quote:
I presume that you mean that the coastal ones are more advanced? There are signs here that those nearer the east coast wintered less well than those further inland - but if mine are anything to go by low-lying and sheltered means that they are off to a better spring than some others.
Not sure that mine are going to be that different to last year on the home apiary (650 feet). I don't stimulate with syrup, just add fondant anytime after Dec if needed. But getting into the bees at all would be good! Can see us torching boxes and scraping top bars, changing out combs, swarm collecting and (theoretically) queen rearing all at the same time at the rate of progress. Damson and cherry just breaking bud and blackthorn still sulking. Bit of movement on the sycamore and hawthorn leaves at last...
Hi, for clarity... I'm not normally into adding syrup at this time of year either but in this case it's an expediant to see if I can jump start what I still believe to be a good queen but if not then it's curtains.
The copious blackthorn on Portland is also just breaking bud but again, inland it's showing good flower. I reckon that the May should be out for June...
On the bright side of things, I notice that the willowherb is 6" tall now.
I've spent the last week or so driving backwards and forwards along and near the south coast, and visiting a few apiaries on the way. Those towards the south east are further ahead than those in the mid-south coast, those to the west of the Isle of Wight are slightly better again. Trees and hedges mark the difference too, hawthorn hedges were in leaf in Sussex a fortnight ago, still to get leaves near Southampton. Some oaks near Bournemouth getting leaves this week, none in Southampton. Further north they're much further ahead with poplars in leaf north of Winchester, and roadside apples coming into flower - after that I gave up looking and concentrated more on driving!
I don't know if the pattern follows soil type, with chalk doing better because it's better drained. There's a lot of clay around Southampton, the countryside still looks waterlogged.