A quick summary of how my bees are doing, to give you something to compare.
Location: edge of village - lots of big gardens and mature trees nearby. OSR in
nearby fields in late Spring, I don't think the later cereal crops were useful
for the bees.
Environment: First rain for 5 weeks 2 nights ago. Very few wasps.
Bees have all been continuously happy - they were unbothered by me mowing next
to them - and the larger colonies hum loudly at night, indicating they are
evaporating nectar into honey.
Six colonies, one is a small swarm I caught in June and put in a Warre. Its
development stalled at 6 combs (some just half size). Whereas its larger
neighbour, who I am about to add 4th boxes to, has capped honey visible through
windows, this one has no obvious stores. Conventional advice would be to panic
and merge with another colony.
But it is still bringing in pollen, and seems energetic and happy, so I think
it is gathering energy at the same rate it's losing it. I reckon it is in a
good position to capitalise on the late summer forage which is building up now.
In the past I've tried to help small late colonies like this by feeding and
made no difference to their numbers or state at the end of the year - but if
they get through the winter, they boom next year. Its monster neighbour was a
small cast last year. So I shall probably leave this one alone to get on with
things. My bees, particularly the ones in Warres, seem to overwinter on a
fraction of the reccommended stores so I won't worry if it seems light in
Autumn. My main worry is wasps due to its relatively low numbers: I have
reduced its entrance for now - but not too much as they need to ventilate the
hive in this heat.
In a normal year I would expect all the established colonies to swarm at least
once, so at least 5 swarms plus some casts. I've seen just 2 plus a cast. The
bees have remained in their hives and, with high numbers, have made lots of
honey. The large 3 box Warre colony that did swarm has far less traffic than
its 2 box neighbour, which is to be expected. Again, I've reduced the entrance.
I can see empty queen cells through a window. Although I don't see pollen going
in today, my notes say it was being collected on the16th, so no worries (i.e.
they probably have a mated queen).
So to summarise the Warres: the two established ones that didn't swarm have
entrances crowded with bees and traffic, and plenty of honey. The established
one that swarmed, and the new colony are light on bees. All seem happy.
But continuous laying should mean lots of varroa. One hive throws out a few
larvae every couple of weeks. There's no sign of deformed wings or crawling
bees at the entrances. Some of these colonies are 3 years or more old.
I see some drones, particularly at around 3:30PM which seem to be Mass Drone
Take-Off Time here.
I only check the TBHs at my out apiary intermittently, but one is heavy with
stores; the other was really heavy and absolutely full of bees, but recently
lost a lot of weight and bees so it has obviously swarmed. (That's the really
vigorous ones you gave me, Ann.) I included this in the total swarms above.
None of the above observations required opening hives.
Paul
In a normal year I would expec
