Still lots of pollen

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Biermann
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Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Biermann »

I am amazed with the amount of pollen the bees come home with. Big orange balls that they often loose at the entrance.

Also feeding syrup, 2:1 and the hive gobbled up 10kg of sugar in 6 days. This is the first syrup after I tool the honey supers off.

The are happy little campers it seems.

What now? I was going to feed once more 10kg and then see, but if the take this in as fast as the last, they are running out of things to do.

Bee happy, Joerg
Allen Dick
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Re: Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Generally, if you feed continuously, colonies will take very bit offered and plug right up. If you feed in batches, however, with a pause of a few days between, colonies will settle down when they have enough feed and show no interest in later batches.

Of course, when they stop taking feed, tipping or weighing the colonies to confirm adequate weight for winter is wise.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Thank's for the advise and I will hold off for a few days, particularly because we have nice sunshine now again, up to 24°C and higher. I still have some flowering crops and garden plants and will let the girls roam some more.

Enjoy your time at the coast, particularly Maple Bay, one of my preferred harbor.

Cheers, Joerg
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Colino
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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My girls are bringing in copious quantities of sow thistle pollen and there is enough of a nectar flow that they won't even look at the syrup I put out. I had removed my supers to put in Apivar because of high mite counts but a week later I had to put some junk supers above it because they were packing everything full of nectar. I was afraid they were going to crowd out the brood nest and effect my winter bees. I'll just use any honey they produce now for my spring splits. There is a fair amount of volunteer Canola in bloom east of me and a 1/2 mile south the ditches are full of blooming Alfalfa which is where I think this flow is coming from. I'm going to remove those supers this week as weather permits.
Narcissism is easy because it's me or I, Empathy is hard because it's they or them.-Colino
Allen Dick
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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It is late enough now that I would let them plug the brood chambers.
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Colino
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Allen Dick wrote:It is late enough now that I would let them plug the brood chambers.
Thanks, we're expecting 4 above 20 degree days this week starting Tuesday so I'll remove them then, 4 days should give the girls enough time to fix anything I screw up.
Narcissism is easy because it's me or I, Empathy is hard because it's they or them.-Colino
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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I lifted B2 slowly up from B1 on one short side and noticed honey dripping down from B2, some larva.

The bees took 10kg sugar, in six days when it was cool and rainy, no surprise. I hold of with more and weigh the hive tomorrow evening late when all bees are home and will do again after I return from holidays in mid October.

I will post the weight here.

Cheers, Joerg
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Weight today, two deep brood's: 132 lbs. Is that good?

Will weigh again mid October.

Joerg
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Re: Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Not knowing what your lids and floor weigh, I'd say that is good.
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Vance G
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Re: Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Vance G »

When I was weighing once a month, about eight pounds a month for the time the bees aren't bringing in anything and not raising brood. As Mr Dick said, unless your equipment is very different in weight you are pretty well on target for a double deep.
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Hello,

checked again last night when the girls were all cuddled-up inside the hive: still 132 pounds, no change from Sept. 23rd or three weeks ago. I decided to add a feeder again to give additional 10 lbs of sugar tonight. I assume that brood should be well done and most drones should be gone by now and the hive will have more storage space inside.?

I use a large digital trade scale and have to ask my oldest son to help and we rocked the hive a little, ten or so ladies came to the gate to see what all the commotion was about, but then went back inside.

The bees are still feeding late in the morning to about 18.00 on some late seeded phacelia that is still nicely blooming since we had no killing frost yet (very unusual for our area) and Saturday is to be 23°C!

Cheers, Joerg
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Re: Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Allen Dick »

Feeding thick syrup in the last weeks of October is a good practice in Alberta.

Doing so ensures that the feed nearest the bees and which will be consumed in the early part of winter is be liquid, not granulated, and low in ash content.
Allen Dick, RR#1 Swalwell, Alberta, Canada T0M 1Y0
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Hello all,

fed one more bucket with syrup from Friday to yesterday (10kg sugar + 5L water) and the bees were just hummingly happy.

Today they are still coming in at 17.00 with pollen:

how to do, did I know and already forgot?

Cheers, Joerg
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

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Here the photo for my previous post, but my editing period had elapsed. Joerg

[attachhttp://honeybeeworld.com/forum/download/file.php?mode=view&id=73ment=0]Oct 22-10-2015.jpg[/attachment]
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Biermann
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Re: Still lots of pollen

Unread post by Biermann »

Hello,

my hive is insulated now, with 2" EPS all four side and lid. Drilled a top hole, 3/4". No plastic cover yet, perhaps next weekend.

Thinking to use some dropped sealing tile, upside-down in the lid to collect some moisture later in the winter, should not hurt, or?

15°C today, light breeze and beautiful day. Today the bees are still fling from about 11.00 to 16.00 and come home with pollen from my phacelia. Will seed more next year, late August.

Forgot: snow for tomorrow, 5cm (2").

Cheers, Joerg
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