My first ten nucs should be here in 4 or 5 weeks. Been thinking about all the comb that needs to be drawn (I have zero drawn frames). Anyhow, I need to get some beeswax to supplement that which comes with the plastic frames I bought. So one thought leads to another and it occurred to me that there might be some efficiency in providing these new colonies with blocks (or shaved or something) of beeswax - maybe in the top feeders. The idea is that the bees would not have to expend so much energy drawing comb of the wax were provided to them.
Any thoughts? Does anyone do this? Am I "out to lunch"? I will start with the 40 drawn frames that come with the nucs, which means I need (hopefully) another 160 frames drawn out in fairly short order. My objective in year one is growing bees rather than producing any more honey than needed to winter on.
Bees may reuse a little wax on occasion but as a general rule the answer would be no.
You can add wax to your plastic foundation but adding block or shaved wax is pointless IMO.
Just so. What wolfer said. If you are indeed a wolfer, you have lots of work in Montana. We need rid of a lot of them.
They will only draw out comb as they need it, they do not build comb just to be doing it. If you will watch them, in the spring when the flow starts they will build comb rapidly, and as the flow slows down so will the comb building. It takes lots of resources to produce wax and build combs.
They will pick through old wax and propolis but not like you are thinking.
I've tried just putting the wax in the hives, they seem to just stick the blocks down and chew or build the hexagon shapes on the outside. It never gets any further than that, of course I take the blocks out before they build the comb down to it.
Wax strips just get chewed up and I wonder if they're reusing it, or throwing it out.
When you get your bees, if you don't have a good flow, feed them good and they will build comb quickly. Good luck
Joe
Thanks for the input folks. I have ended up with some new ideas to experiment with.
I will feeding any time the bees will take it (syrup and/or pollen) whether there is a flow on or not from day 1 through until the bees pack it in for the Winter. Part of the reason for that is that I have no idea how good the foraging is around here - it should be quite good but I don't know that for certain and I am a firm believer in risk management. If I do not know with some certainty, I want a backup plan in place.
Another reason is, as I mentioned earlier, that my objective is raising bees this year as opposed to producing honey. My tentative plan is (perhaps optimistically) to turn 10 nucs into 10 double 10 frame deeps which, in turn, would be turned into 40 five frame nucs for over-wintering. I will not know what this part of the plan will be until it has been executed due to unknown variables. If we have weather this year as it was last, I may be lucky to end up with 10 decent single deeps.
Quote from: Vance G on April 05, 2014, 02:21:22 PM
Just so. What wolfer said. If you are indeed a wolfer, you have lots of work in Montana. We need rid of a lot of them.
I'm an avid coyote hunter. Thank goodness we don't have wolves here. The first forum I joined ( cast boolits) the name woody was already taken. I've always thought I would have been a good wolfer on a western ranch. Their job wasn't just problem wolves. No ranch owner want to feed his hands beef that could be sold while there was deer, elk, etc available. Hence the wolfer's job was to keep the ranch supplied in meat.
Sounds like a pretty good job to me.
Woody Roberts
Quote from: DMLinton on April 06, 2014, 01:24:04 AM
Thanks for the input folks. I have ended up with some new ideas to experiment with.
I will feeding any time the bees will take it (syrup and/or pollen) whether there is a flow on or not from day 1 through until the bees pack it in for the Winter. Part of the reason for that is that I have no idea how good the foraging is around here - it should be quite good but I don't know that for certain and I am a firm believer in risk management. If I do not know with some certainty, I want a backup plan in place.
That isn't as much risk management as you think. They will back fill the comb with the sugar water, the queen will have no where to lay and they'll swarm or their numbers will diminish quickly. Pace your feeding I wouldn't leave it on 24/7 all summer.
[/quote]
That isn't as much risk management as you think. They will back fill the comb with the sugar water, the queen will have no where to lay and they'll swarm or their numbers will diminish quickly. Pace your feeding I wouldn't leave it on 24/7 all summer.
[/quote]
Over feeding was one of my biggest mistakes last year. Every colony that I lost my first year had plenty of feed o them. I believe that they didn't have enough bees to keep themselves warm.
I agree. Among newbies that I know personally I feel feeding is where they make the most mistakes. Either too much or not enough.
It's difficult to explain how much is just right. Many variables here, size of hives, bee race, time of year etc.
Only experience will tell you how much.
In the summer what I look for is plenty of space for the queen to lay. I want a decent honey band circling over the top of the brood but I don't want it coming half way or more down the frame. I want some stores in the two outside frames.
If I do an inspection and I don't see this then I feed. If half of every frame is full of necter or syrup then I don't feed.
Stores above the brood nest are great. Love to see that. In the fall I lay the feed to them. I want them to backfill most of the brood nest after the last brood of the season has been born.
Hope this makes sense.
Woody Roberts