Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: threehives on June 16, 2017, 03:06:01 am
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Hi All
Just checked a few of my hives around my area (wagga NSW) and I have noticed a lot of yellow box starting to flower and my hives seem very heavy to lift-(too cold to open). Ive packed them down to 8 frame single boxes but am now wondering if I could add a super in winter to accommodate a honey flow?? or is this asking for trouble?
Cheers Phill
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Can you wait a few weeks. As the days start to get longer in early July. Bees are photo sensitive, that is once the days start to lengthen they should start to brood up again.
Is there any pollen coming in? As yellow box has no pollen of any value to bees.
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Does yellow box flower this time of year around the southwest slopes area?.
Thought they flowered more September to February.
Don't grey box flower February to August.
I live in Temora district on a farm with yellow box and no flowers on them as yet.
I no very little about native trees, finding more about them since getting bees, but I tell the box trees by the seed capsule and a lot of yellow box trees with seed capsules around here but no flowers as yet
Len
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I'm in a similar situation with bees really active on the (Canberran equivalent of) warm days bringing in nectar from red ironbark street trees and the occasional bit of pollen.
I had already packed them down for winter so they don't have a lot of space and there seems to be a bit of burr/brace comb going in.
Last weekend I added a super of manly depth frames to one, shuffled a few other frames around so they all had a frame or two spare and will wait to see what happens.
I'm also trying some dry pollen substitute from custom bee feed to see if that helps to make up for the lack of pollen (though the one hive that I opened up enough very briefly had considerably more brood than I expected considering our -5 mornings)
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They were bringing in some pollen not sure what from. I have been trying to learn to identify all the different eucalyptus trees in this area and I'm pretty sure it's yellow box. I'll wait till solstice and then put some supers on I think.
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Hi Phill.
I would be cautious about putting another super on especially uf it's getting cold, more space for the bees to try and keep warm. Look at population, if they are cramped, then maybe. Are there still drones. If not they may be reducing population and I would wait for a couple of weeks.
If just pollen then thats good as come spring they will need it, protein for the building of young.
Regards,
Aaron.
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ThreeHives, Im in the same boat my Bee's are busy as as the Iron bark is flowering well. I still have drones and i can smell the nectar in the hives every afternoon. They are bringing in heaps of pollen too. I think though I will just leave them alone for about a month. As it is definitely going to get colder.
Cheers
Steve
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I have this happen every year here in north Florida. I feel the weight of the hive. If it feels real heavy, like the hive is really full, remove a frame of capped honey, freeze it in case they need it in the springs and let them build and fill one empty frame. If the hive is light, leave them bee. They probably have room to store the honey.
Jim