The usage of a most often cryptic name – Beekeeping backups – I latterly defined why I assumed 3 colonies equipped a novice with the leeway to get issues fallacious, extra alternatives to get issues proper and, importantly, to be told extra and quicker within the procedure.
Now not 3 from the ‘get pass’.
Do not pass purchasing 3 of the overwintered nucs I noticed marketed nowadays at an eye-watering £300 each and every 😱. If you happen to’ve additionally purchased the essential hives, protecting equipment, gear and smoker, at the side of the entire different needless pieces marketed within the catalogues, you’ll be able to be each heartbroken and broke if all of them swarm early, after which it rains for the remainder of the summer season.
However 3 colonies by way of the top of your 2d yr is a cheap goal, and one that may be accomplished by way of splitting one colony and/or environment out a few bait hives.
However what occurs to your 3rd yr, or your fourth or 5th? Are you going to permit hive numbers to extend additional, or is there some extent the place you suppose “Sufficient!”
Through which case, how do you prevent increasing your hive numbers?
Despite the fact that some inexperienced persons would possibly suppose it is a mixture of witchcraft and outrageous excellent fortune, it does not take all that a few years of enjoy so that you can rear so much extra bees, nearly with out effort.
The candy spot
All of us lead busy lives {{1}} and beekeeping will have to be a excitement, now not a chore.
💡
It is intended to be an entertaining diversion that gives a couple of jars of honey for gifting or sale, at the side of the excitement of operating with the bees to provide it.
In fact, diversions can also be of various sizes, and ‘few’ is a relative, now not absolute, time period. When compared to a few beekeepers, I produce slightly small quantities of honey, however I nonetheless appear to get thru a pallet-load of jars temporarily.
For honey manufacturing, queen rearing, hobby and ‘dabbling’ with beekeeping strategies, I have discovered that ~20 colonies is a superb quantity for me. Greater than that and I battle to maintain. Fewer, and I would possibly lament now not having the ability to make up some additional nucs, or examine another queen rearing approach in our all-too-short summers.
However, for others, 3, or 13, or 1300 colonies is probably the most they would like. What do they do as soon as they have got reached the ‘candy spot’ and don’t need their interest turning into a chore?
I am not going to put in writing the rest about getting, managing or maintaining 1300 colonies. I am inspired with the willpower and difficult paintings of those who do, and I will be able to’t call to mind a quicker method to wreck my delight in bees and beekeeping … or my again.
The early years
No less than a few of what follows is in part autobiographical, however it additionally comes from watching numerous new beekeepers coaching with associations and taking their first tentative steps to turning into unbiased.
Many beekeepers get started with the perfect of intentions, make investments closely – each money and time – however then undergo sadness after sadness.
Their first colony swarms, takes ages to requeen, is going into the wintry weather susceptible and succumbs all through a chilly spell in February.
On the other hand, the colony is going into the wintry weather having a look robust however, on account of mistimed miticide programs, the wintry weather bees die off speedy and, by way of early January, the entire beekeeper has are fading recollections and an empty hive.
Or in all probability the elements is simply relentlessly garbage.
They are pouring syrup into the hives once they will have to be harvesting kilograms of golden honey. After which the fall equinoctial gales arrive and it is in every single place for every other yr.
That used to be the 2023 summer season for me … even though I had the repayment of an ideal spring crop and a few fabulous heather honey from my bees at the West Coast.
If a novice is unfortunate sufficient to undergo a mixture of those disappointments, then beekeeping can appear much more hassle than it is price.
Many quietly surrender.
There is a very top ‘churn’ of amateur beekeepers; they educate all through the wintry weather, have one or two deficient seasons after which soak up one thing it sounds as if much less difficult, like fixing the black hollow data paradox.
However it is not at all times like that
If their inevitable clumsiness, the elements gods and the myriad of different issues that can pass fallacious, don’t conspire to smash issues, then issues can be very other.
Sure, colonies are misplaced within the first wintry weather or two (1w, 2w) as they become familiar with the timing and coverings essential to keep watch over mites and viruses within the colonies.
However, within the excellent – or a minimum of cheap {{2}} – summer season (2s) they temporarily get the grasp of exploiting the will for swarm keep watch over to make up those losses.
And there may be luck – developing in equivalent quantities of amazement and pleasure – with a bait hive. They even need to borrow part a dozen supers from their mentor all through the summer season nectar bonanza.
Within the 3rd yr issues pass somewhat loopy.
Once more there may be summer season luck (3s) with a bait hive or two, however some queen cells are ignored, ensuing within the lack of a swarm and a few casts, all of that are ultimately recaptured within the skep they were given for Christmas. Hive numbers ‘develop like Topsy’ {{3}} and planter trays are being pressed into carrier as hive roofs, with stacked supers as brood packing containers.
This beekeeping lark is simple.
However the next wintry weather (3w) is carnage. A mixture of ignored Varroa therapies because of paintings commitments, poorly mated queens and too many undersized colonies imply many hives are misplaced.
It is the most important and sobering lesson.
In beekeeping, as in more uncomplicated occupations like developmental psychology, astronomy and engineering, the Goldilocks theory applies … there’s a ‘correct quantity’ of one thing (in our case, colonies). The quantity will range between beekeepers, and may additionally range for the identical beekeeper as they grow older, or have extra time, or get extra/much less .
Years 4, 5 and 6 and many others.
That roller-coaster experience within the first few years of beekeeping, the once a year growth and bust, now not simplest taught you (or me, because it used to be vaguely autobiographical) what number of colonies may just very easily and successfully controlled … it additionally taught the strategies that have been had to arrange them.
Through comparability, those later years at the moment are extra sedate (even though, once more, these items are relative).
Colony losses overwinter are negligible and in large part because of components outdoor your keep watch over – like a poorly mated queen, or a falling tree. The growth of colony numbers in the summertime is tempered by way of the want to stay robust colonies in combination to maximize the honey crop and save you losses from robbing.
There may be nonetheless numerous paintings to do, however – in all probability rather then the heavy lifting all through the honey harvest – you’ll be able to do it very easily and successfully. You’ll increase colony numbers kind of as wanted, and you understand how to minimise your losses.
Not more growth and bust.
And, importantly, it is nonetheless relaxing.
In reality, if the rest, it is extra relaxing 😃.
Staying in that candy spot
Regardless of the quantity, keeping up colony numbers comes to a mix of:
- minimising avoidable losses, and
- lowering needless enlargement
I’m going to care for them in that order.
I intentionally use the phrases avoidable and needless.
Some losses are unavoidable. They may not occur yearly, but if they do, you’ll be able to want to increase colony numbers to make amends for the loss.
In reality, it is smart to get ready for a small percentage of losses by way of having spares already to be had. You need to imagine this as essential enlargement.
An insurance coverage.
As well as, as a result of robust colonies – that are precisely what you will have to be aiming to stay – will almost definitely attempt to increase themselves (i.e. reproduce/swarm) within the Spring or Summer time, there it is going to be some essential brief enlargement to deal with this, moderately than dropping swarms.
Losses
Losses can happen at any time of the season however predominantly happen overwinter.
If you happen to take a look at the COLOSS wintry weather surveys, they widely fall into 3 classes; illness, queen failure and herbal failures.
Avoidable losses
Of those, the primary (illness) is in large part avoidable with rational Varroa keep watch over. I have written broadly about this matter in this web page, and so do not intend to rehash issues right here. Now not simplest would I in large part be repeating myself, however additionally it is now not in point of fact an acceptable time of the season to be discussing issues that are maximum related in overdue summer season and early wintry weather.
Alternatively, despite the fact that Varroa keep watch over would possibly predominantly be wanted within the latter portions of the season {{4}}, Varroa vigilance is wanted at all times.
Observe mite drop periodically, test phoretic mite ranges {{5}} and stay an in depth lookout for bees displaying deformed wing virus signs.
If mite ranges are top, deploy some suitable midseason mite control, or imagine combining a shook swarm with miticide remedy. Each can also be extraordinarily efficient.
All the way through the summer season, colonies is also misplaced because of robbing by way of wasps or different bees. Those losses are almost definitely all avoidable for those who care for robust colonies {{6}}.
If you happen to minimise avoidable losses you cut back the want to therefore increase colony numbers, so damping down the growth and bust fluctuations.
Unavoidable losses
Queen disasters and herbal failures aren’t essentially unavoidable. If the queen is getting on, say 2-3+ years, she’s much more likely to fail. In a similar way, siting your hives in a space vulnerable to flooding is a recipe for crisis.
I do not understand how to identify poorly mated queens (sooner than the most obvious absence of brood, or clustered drone brood in employee cells), however would possibly suspect issues if the queens have been mated very overdue within the season, or all through a duration of very deficient climate.
However, basically, these items are outdoor your keep watch over.
As they are saying, stuff occurs.
Enlargement to switch misplaced colonies
When you have any losses, it is important to change them in case your total colony numbers are to stay the similar {{7}}.
You’ll do that retrospectively, the next season, by way of splitting a colony and/or now not reuniting colonies after swarm keep watch over.
On the other hand, and in all probability higher, you’ll be able to prospectively overwinter a nucleus colony which can also be promoted to a complete hive if wanted.
If it is wanted, it is able to make use of smartly sooner than you’ll be able to be doing any swarm keep watch over or splits. You could even get a crop of honey from it.
And, if you don’t want it, anyone else will (see beneath).
The United Kingdom and US reasonable overwinter colony loss is reportedly within the 20-30% area. With well timed and suitable Varroa keep watch over, it will have to be not more than 5-10%.
However, since you can’t lose 10% of a unmarried hive overwinter {{8}} it is smart to arrange a nuc ‘simply in case’.
I at all times attempt to overwinter a couple of nucs (~20% this yr), and they’re at all times helpful.
If you happen to’ve now not watched Michael Palmer’s Sustainable Apiary then I extremely suggest it.
Enlargement all through the season
All the way through the spring and summer time, for those who’ve reached the ‘candy spot’ and do not need to make building up, the growth of colony numbers is all to do with swarming.
Swarm keep watch over
Nearly all of swarm keep watch over strategies contain isolating the queen (with enough bees to care for her) from the younger bees, open brood and creating queen cells. As soon as there’s a new laying queen the 2 portions of the unique colony can also be reunited once more (after doing away with the previous queen first!). You find yourself with a unmarried, robust, colony able for the summer season nectar glide.
The Pagden approach, vertical break up and nucleus approach can all be used like this, with the colonies therefore reunited. Of those, the Pagden and vertical break up have the benefit of being in suitable packing containers, with the vertical break up having the further benefit of already being beneath the similar roof.
Alternatively, as with maximum issues in beekeeping, there may be a couple of method to do it.
As an alternative choice to the box-juggling enthusiastic about doing those types of swarm keep watch over, it is advisable to ‘merely’ requeen the colony. This in fact will depend on you having spare queens to be had, which to a few turns out the rest however easy. Hooper describes the method in his Information to Bees and Honey e book.
Necessarily you establish a colony intent on swarming, take away the previous queen, make up a nuc from it to which you upload a brand new queen, after which – as soon as the brand new queen is authorised – re-unite the nuc with the colony {{9}}.
The colony will get a tender pheromone-laden queen, the swarming impulse is suppressed and all will have to be excellent till the next yr.
Swarm prevention
You could possibly grasp a colony again and save you swarming by way of the use of the Demaree approach, with out growing hive numbers. That is variously described as a swarm prevention or swarm keep watch over approach.
Ahead of the onset of queen cellular manufacturing (even though it can be implemented after they’re began, even though – pedantically – this isn’t a real Demaree) the colony is divided, with the queen and a body or two of sealed brood beneath an excluder, above which the entire open brood is positioned.
It is nonetheless one colony, simply two times the peak it used to be sooner than 😉.
The queen continues laying, and the beekeeper intervenes to take away the emergency cells which might be nearly at all times produced within the peak field. After 7-10 days the excluder can also be got rid of, even though some repeat all of the procedure till the swarming impulse is over.
It is an interesting approach as it assists in keeping the employees in combination and so does now not interrupt the nectar assortment.
Alternatively, it does not permit substitute of the queen (with the advantages that brings with regards to doable inventory development and greater wintry weather bee manufacturing) and you’ll be able to finally end up with numerous (ceaselessly useless) drones above the excluder. For those causes, I am not a large fan of the Demaree approach.
You’ll reach one thing very identical the use of a Snelgrove board {{Which US beekeepers seem to name a ‘double screened board’, even though the ones I have bought in the United Kingdom appear to have just a unmarried piece of mesh centrally.}} which gives the benefit of permitting an higher front for the drones to fly from.
As may well be anticipated from the more than one ‘gates’ at the Snelgrove board, it is a very flexible piece of apparatus … so long as you stay excellent data and take into accout the order and timing of opening and shutting the gates.
And feature a greater reminiscence than me 😞.
Pick out one approach …
With any of those swarm prevention and keep watch over strategies, self belief and familiarity play a large phase in there a hit software.
If you happen to use a technique sufficient to grasp its foibles, strengths and weaknesses, you might be much more likely to make use of it effectively.
The other of divide and triumph over
If swarm keep watch over comes to a ‘divide and triumph over’ technique, the upkeep of by no means-increasing hive numbers will depend on right kind uniting of colonies.
If you do not, you are again in Topsy territory.
Uniting colonies is a handy guide a rough and easy bodily procedure, the luck of which will depend on the gradual intermixing of colonies which ‘scent’ otherwise because of their cuticular hydrocarbon (CHC) profiles.
Classically, the rate at which the 2 colonies are allowed to combine is managed by way of two sheets of the Monetary Instances (different high quality newspapers will do, however I’ve it on excellent authority that the Day by day Mail is wholly wrong {{10}}).
I do not believe it makes a distinction whether or not the higher or decrease field (of the colonies being united) comprises the brand new queen – so long as she’s the simplest queen provide – however I at all times position the moved field at the peak. I need the relocated bees to bear in mind that issues have modified by way of forcing them throughout the decrease hive to get to the doorway. I believe this leads to fewer foragers returning to the – now vacant – web page the moved field occupied.
You’ll unite a nuc and a complete sized hive in the similar means, having transferred the nuc to a spare brood field.
Air freshener
On the other hand, you’ll be able to make sure that the gradual blending of various CHC pongs by way of covering them with a squirt or two of an affordable and cheerful air freshener.
A snappy spray excessive bars of the decrease field, and the similar over the ground bars of the moved colony and, good day presto, you are performed.
I do know the advertisements do that with loads of hives. I have now not, however I have by no means had it fail with the ones I have used it for.
Take note, the CHC profile is colony-specific and considerably influenced by way of microorganisms within the intestine of the bee.
You’re what you consume
The science of identification – how guard bees recognise nestmates, why drifting bees are authorised into different hives and why robbers are simplest every now and then rejected.
How do bees recognise nest friends, and what has this to do with microbes?
If you happen to managed swarming by way of doing away with the previous queen (and any queen cells) after which requeened a nuc derived from the colony (see above), you’ll be able to merely upload this again to the queenless parental hive. Within the week or so the bees could have been separated, the CHC profile won’t have considerably altered – there may be now not but any new brood within the field from the offered queen – and the nuc will have to be authorised with out factor.
Alternative ways of now not growing colony numbers
While fighting colony losses and brief splits, coupled with instructed uniting, are the number one approach to stay inside of your Goldilocks zone, there are alternative ways of controlling the numbers of packing containers within the apiary.
Swarms
It is not extraordinary to be requested to get well bivouacked swarms, despite the fact that they – clearly! – don’t seem to be from your individual colonies {{11}}.
After a chronic duration of deficient overdue Spring climate, a few excellent days can lead to a swarmtastic time … or absolute hell, relying upon your point of view. If the swarms are small, and more likely to be casts (with an unmated queen), you’ll be able to simply unload all of them into the similar field and let the bees type the whole lot out.
The employees are predominantly younger so they’re going to combine smartly (see the ‘You’re what you consume’ reference above why that is the case) and you are going to finally end up with one better colony containing one queen. That is a much more good result than part a dozen packing containers all looking forward to queens to get mated … after which what? But extra bees chances are you’ll now not need.
Or it is advisable to simply refuse to assemble the bivvied swarm … even though doing so nearly surely seals its destiny.
Maximum swarms don’t continue to exist.
Promoting the excess
If you happen to overwinter nucs (and also you don’t want them as a result of your Varroa keep watch over is top-notch) there may be nearly at all times a marketplace for them the next Spring.
They’re to be had a minimum of a month sooner than new season nucs can be to be had (except those had been made up with a very a lot now not native queen from Greece), have already demonstrated their high quality by way of overwintering smartly, and will have to promote at a top class.
Although, in case you are promoting them in the community, as an example to inexperienced persons out of your affiliation’s Get started beekeeping route, then I might recommend now not asking £300. Some associations have set or beneficial costs – say £25-30 a body – and this makes all of the promoting and buying procedure a little bit more uncomplicated.
I do know some beekeepers promote swarms. In my view, I believe that is very deficient follow … the bees are necessarily an unknown amount. They may well be excellent, however sometimes they’re garbage; wholly wrong for an skilled beekeeper, let by myself a novice.
Call for for bees is top sooner than the swarming season and far decrease afterwards. That is every other compelling reason why to overwinter nucs (and rear queens out of your decided on inventory for next overwintering).
An inexact science
Some fluctuation in colony numbers is inevitable; stuff occurs, queens fail to get mated, your attempted and depended on ‘infallible’ swarm keep watch over fails, or your queen rearing is going a lot higher than anticipated.
However, by way of specializing in the fundamentals – minimising losses and needless enlargement – you’ll be able to most often keep inside of a slightly slim, and really manageable, vary of hive numbers round your selected ‘candy spot’.
I’m going to attempt to take into accout to re-read this sooner than overdue July after I (once more) run out of brood packing containers.
Do as I say, now not as I do.
Please make stronger additional articles by way of turning into a supporter or investment the caffeine that fuels my overdue evening writing …
Thanks
Notes
This matter used to be advised by way of Doug who has two colonies and an overwintered nuc, however is aiming for not more than 6 colonies. Thank you for the espresso Doug 👍.
{{1}}: Neatly, you do. Mine is so much much less busy than it was once.
{{2}}: Let’s stay this vaguely real looking.
{{3}}: To develop very speedy, specifically in an out of control means. Topsy used to be a personality within the 1851 novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin by way of Harriet Beecher Stowe.
{{4}}: With apologies for my readers within the Antipodes who’re simply coming near this era. With 75-80% of the readership within the Northern Hemisphere, I’ve to put in writing for almost all or issues prevent making sense. Or make even much less sense.
{{5}}: Which I’m going to quilt quickly after it is heat sufficient to in truth do any beekeeping.
{{6}}: I worry I could have to replace this paragraph if Asian hornet numbers proceed to extend in the United Kingdom.
{{7}}: ‘Obvs’ as my 7 yr previous daughter would have stated paradoxically with exaggerated rolling of her eyes.
{{8}}: Like you’ll be able to’t be somewhat bit pregnant.
{{9}}: Do not simply practice those temporary directions – learn Hooper for the main points.
{{10}}: On such a lot of ranges.
{{11}}: How may just they be? Your swarm keep watch over is infallible … and your queens are clipped.