It’s Emotional! First Opening Of The Hives In 2016
It’s been a full 6 months since I closed the hives up for winter. So when it comes to opening them up again I feel a wave of emotion. The nostalgia of previous summers keeping my bees, the delight of seeing my old friends and my big hopes for the 2016 season. And then the first time nerves of wondering if I will remember what to do, the fears of the improving beekeeper who knows his own lack of experience and knowledge, the fear of what I might find on this first opening of the hives.
The delight and hope far outweigh the fears as I make my way to the allotment hives.
Initial Observations
We had a short sunny spell today, so I was greeted by the sight of many bees flying in and out of both allotment hives with an abundance of bright yellow and bright orange pollen. Huge loads of it. This calmed my nerves. Despite the 400-3,000 varroa mites in each hive and having observed Deformed Wing Virus, they seemed to be doing alright at the this stage.
The first thing I found upon removing the Bee Cosies was lots of webs or cacoons. It might have been from spiders or from wax moth or something else. I’m not sure. Hopefully, any spiders have been eating wax moth larvae.
Objective: Apply MAQs
My objective was to quickly open up the two allotment hives and add MAQs to reduce the varroa mites.
I did not inspect. I could see from quick observation that they both had 7-9 frames of bees and I could see some stores. Hence, OK to use MAQs. I put on ekes, added MAQs strips to each, removed entrance narrowers and put the Bee Cosies back on. Job done in less than 15 minutes.
The forecast highs for the next week vary from 8-13C and the nightly lows from 0-6C. So temperatures are not ideal, but I am hoping the Bee Cosies will raise the temperature enough inside to make the formic acid work effectively. Grateful for any thoughts on this from readers.
I’ll start a varroa count drop after the treatment period.
Future Varroa Management
Having done some research I am now planning to buy an oxalic acid vaporiser to help with varroa management at least for the 2016 winter, if not before.
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Hi Rodger, I’m glad to Hear all is going well with you, I am starting out and this is my first year, I currently have no bees but I have got my name down for some swarms, probably not the best way to start out but I spent money on quality equipment and am abit strapped of cash for the bees, may be a bad call on my part but we will see!! I made a vaporiser for £10.50 which I have used with a bee keeper I know and it works well so I would save your self some money and make 1. I really like what you are doing and your site is very informative and help full, all the best Richard.
Thanks Richard. Great to hear from you.
Top tip: perhaps buy a swarm trap and pheromone lure. Could be an economic way to get some bees. Read my posts: swarm trap and swarm trap success.
I have done just that!! On the land I can put my hives there is a wild honey bee colony high up in an ash tree which some how managed it through the winter every year and has been there for years, I have put a swarm trap about 200 meters from it with some comb in an lure I got off the internet. Fingers crossed, the weather is foul here for the last 2 days really cold and non stop rain so don’t think I will get any swarms at the min.
It would be great to get a swarm off that.
Top tips: when you catch a swarm: (1) don’t feed for two day so they can use all their carried stores and reduce viruses, and (2) use the oxalic acid vaporiser straight away as there is no brood and it will be very effective. I have written more here in how-to guides: catching a swarm and hiving a swarm.
Good luck.
Please let us know if trap works and take some photos to share.
Thanks for the advise!! I will do just that for you if the traps work, just need the weather!!
Hi Rodger just a quick update, I’ve got the swarm traps out with the lure and bit of comb in, do I need to add more lure in time or will the vile I put in there last all season? Saw no bees round traps but I do think it is abit early yet with the cold weather we have had, looked at the wild colony I am hoping to get a swarm from today, it’s about 20 feet up an ash tree in a hole in a branch approx 18 inch round and there was 100s of bees going in and out and I could clearly see loads of pollen going in. This colony has been there years so how does it manage to survive without all the varroa treatments, feeding etc? The hole is defornatly big enough for a woodpecker to gain access during the winter? Any feed back welcome and advise appreciated. All the best.
It’s a bit cold for swarming at the moment. May should see some.
– Lure: my pheromone says it lasts 3 months, so no need for any more this season. I will put my traps up when it gets warmer. Probably early May this year.
– Wild colony surviving because: no one harvesting its winter stores, and perhaps the bees have some genetic quality to help remove varroa? Or just luck. Probably luck.
Hi Roger,
Is it okay to use the formic and also have the bee cosies on? I usually like to have venting.
Cheers,
Gordon
I have opened the front entrance to maximum and I have open mesh floors. I have two small top vents in the roof plus the Bee Cosy is breathable. I share your concerns but I think it will be alright. It was snowing this morning here in Gloucestershire! So I am glad of the Bee Cosies to improve efficiency of the MAQs.
Used MAQ’s for the first and last time in June last year on my 5 hives. Read all the literature and watched all the YouTube videos on how to use it.
Put 2 pads in between two 14×12 national brood boxes as per recommended dose, with Max outside temperature no higher than 20°C all week.
Came back 7 days later with 80% of my queens dead and no eggs for emergency cells. No honey harvest last year, as they only just recovered in time to survive the winter.
Will never use this product again and believe it should not be for sale.
Thanks for your advice. I have heard similar stories. The oxalic acid vaporiser technique seems to be the one that has most impact and causes least problem to the bees. Apiguard also seems to be more gentle and effective. Depending on temperatures and honey flows I would have preferred to use Apiguard but as it is a cold April MAQs seemed the best option. What’s your preferred method?
Hi Roger
Trying to use a combination of products to avoid resistance build up.
I have just done a spring treatment with ‘Hiveclean’ as a precautionary treatment. I will do a mite count in a weeks time using an alcohol wash and will then do an Oxalic vapourisier treatment if there is more than a 2-3% mite count.
I attended the BBKA spring convention this year and heard a very interesting talk on the use of Oxalic acid in combination with a rest in the brood cycle for 25 days.
The queen is caged in late June early July and the brood cycle is allowed to have a complete break before an Oxalic acid treatment on day 25. This then allows the winter bees to build up with little or no viral load, so they over winter better and get off to a better start the following spring.
Hi – just carried out a varroa check on my two hives – hardly any after a week’s fall. I carried out two oxalis vapour treatments in late Winter when one hive was suffering badly with a sudden explosion of varroa. I’m dead impressed with the results and it’s such a quick and easy treatment with little adverse affect on the bees. I intend to use Hiveclean through the Summer months and then the vapour treatment from September through the Winter as required. Good luck this year Roger – I hope you harvest more than your four jars this year ?
Hi Roger
New to beekeeping started 2015 and enjoying the bees,it is good to see someone else use bee cosies I bought one as well last year to protect my one and only hive to get it through the winter. I think it made all the difference. My cat has found the bee cosy lying on top of hive and sunning himself heat from above and below.
Some people seem to be sceptical about the Beecosy but to me it makes sense and likewise, I think it has made a difference to my success this winter. Perhaps your cat helps keep the bees warm too? Send us a photo!