2018 Late Summer – Autumn Apiary Tasks

Requeening, Disease Inspection and Overwintering Preparation

Hive type Hive code Queen condition (colour marking) Queen source Intro-duction date Action/Notes
Paradise nuc 2x6F N05 Eval (Y) AQBL Italian 12.10.2016 Use for observation hive/requeening
2Q 3 ½ x 8F J01A OK (Y) Malfroy Italian 13.10.2017 Remove supers and revert to single queen colony
2Q 3 ½ x 8F J01B RQ (Y) Supersedure queen 15.12.2017 Remove supers and revert to single queen colony
Langstroth 3x8F J02 Eval (Y) Denmar Italian 17.01.2017 Evaluate queen, remove super
2Q Technoset tower J03 OK (Y) x 2 Malfroy Italians x 2 31.10.2017 Revert 2Q colony to two single queen doubles
Paradise 3x10F J04 Eval (B) AQBL Italian 17.01.2017 Keep 1 box for apiary, remove stickies; leave super on hive with or without hive mat under to super
Langstroth 4x10F J05 Eval (B) AQBL Italian 17.01.2017 Remove honey and 2 supers; distribute some honey if not extracted
Temporary 3x8F colony with old queen J20 OK (Y) AQBL Italian 02.11.2017 Split colony to nucs mid Feb for requeening program
KTB J06 Eval (B) AQBL Italian 17.01.2017 Maybe leave on for winter stores, Prepare for late flow and overwintering
Horizontal Langstroth 27F J007# Eval (Y) AQBL Italian 11.10.2017  Bruce J19 colony** Frank reckons cranky Prepare for late flow and overwintering
Paradise 3x8F J08 Eval (B) AQBL Italian 17.01.2017 John Grubb reported very cranky. Exchange stickies for honey in brood box
Flow hive 1x6Fjumbo J09 RQ (Y) Emergency queen Malfroy  queen lost New Q seen 09.12.2017 Replace flow frames with 8 Langstroth frames for overwintering
Langstroth 3x8F J10 RQ(B) AQBL Italian 17.01.2017 Chalkbrood ridden. Requeen mid Feb and irradiate super/combs
Paradise nuc 2x6F N02 OK (Y) AQBL Caucasian 01.11.2017 Use new AQBL Caucasian Q to requeen J12: Split to 2 nucs for Feb requeening
Ulster observation hive 1x6F J* (J star) Establish temporary obs hive for BAACTI events; return to Paradise nuc for overwintering
Warrė 3x8F J11 RQ (W) Briggs Caucasian Late 2016? Leave stores for overwintering
Warrė 3x8F J12 Eval (W) Malfroy Italian 17.01.2017Old Bruce J20 Colony cranky.Crook combs removed
KTB 21F J13 RQ (W) Briggs Caucasian Late 2016? Organise for late flow and overwintering
KTB 24F J14 RQ (Y) Briggs Caucasian Late 2016? Organise for late flow and overwintering
Langstroth 4x8F J15 RQ (B) Denmar Italian 15.12.2016 Remove dry stickies from supers and reduce to 3x8F
Paradise 3x9F J16 Eval (B) Briggs Caucasian 04.02.2017 Put some stickies down in brood nest
Langstroth 2x8F J17 OK (Y) Malfroy Italian 11.10.2017 New queen, leave to overwinter
Langstroth 3x8F J18 OK (Y) Malfroy Italian 11.10.2017 New queen, build to overwinter, remove super

 

*Colony starved winter 2017.

 

All colonies (except Warre and Top Bar colonies to be concertina’d to single queen Langstroth double equivalents (queen excluders to be stored under lids). All colonies to be evaluated for absence/presence of AFB/EFB. Colony J10 chalkbrood must be requeened and gear removed irradiated.

 

Basic strategy is to consolidate brood and stores, check for disease prevalence, requeen failing colony queens and establish 6 nucs to allow late autumn evaluation of older queens with view to replace any poor performers. A few nucs with swapped out old queens may be kept overwinter in insulated and well stocked Paradise nucs to reduce overwintered supersedure colonies. Frames to be stored in Koji 52 L boxes after wax moth treatment to return to same hives in spring 2018. All poor and old frames to be rendered for wax recovery.

2 Comments

  1. Frank Derwent and I have got half a dozen old hands that I can text or email at the ‘drop of a hive tool’ to come and assist with heavy lifting, getting excess supers and frames off hives and into storage, making up nucs for requeening and shaking down bees from all brood boxes to do an early autumn disease check. Just email me if you know how to use a hive tool and are often free during the week and I’ll add you to my Hive Heavy Heavers list. Alan (Apiary Team) alanlybnewade@me.com 0417 775 886

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