Thursday 29 August 2013

Decisions to be made

Now QB is planning what actions to take to prepare the colonies for the winter
and also for next year.
A quick look into each hive gives some 'food for thought'.  QB does a lot of thinking!
Next Sunday's full inspection will finalise plans, but at the moment:
Blue hive (white Q 2011) has super almost ready to take off.
Red hive (blue Q 2010) has the top super full and starting to cap.
Miniblue hive has a new Q (not marked yet), 4 combs of brood (various stages) and
eggs. They are putting winter stores in the super.
Silver hive has new Q (marked red) with 5 combs brood etc. They are licking honey
from comb which has been extracted. Filling other super with winter stores.
Yellow hive is still on the heather moors. They  have drawn all the frames of full sheet
and half sheet very thin foundation and have almost filled them with honey.

What to think about?
When to take last supers of honey.
Whether/or not to treat against varroa mites.
How much syrup to feed each colony (final stores should weigh at least 25kg)
Whether to combine any hive which may look weaker or has an ageing Q.
QB zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz thinking.

No comments:

Post a Comment