The bees have started flying again, we've just had 4 weeks of cold dry weather and the bees have reduced foraging to the extent that in over half my colonies the queen has stopped laying.
As soon as this happens I always try to feed all colonies firstly to stimulate laying for a supply of young wintering bees and a lack of laying can be a sign of starving bees.
Well I fed last week and this week I now have only 2 colonies not laying, one with a virgin who probably won't make it and the other looks OK and will probably start in the next few days. So things looking good so far on wintering the bees
2 comments:
I only have two hives but in both the queens were superseded about six to eight weeks ago. Both new queens appear to be laying but the colonies are small. Simon
Hi
When I have small colonies I put them in a nucleus box to give them less space to manage.
You will need make sure they have enough stores for the winter and have been treated for Nosema and Varroa.
Looks like you have a decent harvest for the year so they will probably have collected enough pollen and you have two new queens which provided they mated properly should get through the winter.
Winter is always the time of greatest risk but from what you say, sounds like you have a reasonable chance.
The final option I suppose is if you have very small colonies is to unite them removing the weakest queen and winter just the one colony but that would be an option of last resort. Good luck Phil
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