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Warm Enough to Rotate Hive Bodies?

5K views 7 replies 8 participants last post by  Jesse 
#1 ·
It's going to be about 50 degrees today, and we are probably 3-4 weeks from the first dandelion blooms...

I'm itching to get out and clean stuff up, probably rotate my hive bodies, etc.. Am I pushing my luck? I was reading Bee Culture last night, they were recommending waiting till the first bloom - that seems a little late for me..
:s
 
#3 ·
I was told to rotate before the flow, but everytime I open the brood boxes there is burr comb between them with brood broken open all over. Should I just keep it as it is? I want a strong hive before the flow.
 
#4 ·
That's usually drone brood and often some honey. Won't weaken your hive to damage that comb, but it is disruptive to the colony, since they have to clean up the mess. And, they will most likely rebuild their 'ladders' between boxes.

Bill
 
#6 ·
You are talking about the Ross Conrad article. I didn't like what he said about it. His reasoning for doing it late was because of the cold killing bees when the brood nest got broken up. As Mr. Bush stated, "...it's never warm enough for that."

If you want to flip them around now go ahead, just make sure the brood area is entirely within one hive body. Don't waste a lot of time checking the brood area. You don't want the brood chilled.

I like most of Ross Conrad's ideas, but I am not thrilled with much of his presentation. He makes scientific claims that are not backed up. More like he uses that type of terminology when it doesn't apply.

Bee Culture could use some fact checking. I find it troublesome when a well cited article appears next to one that is merely a story.
 
#7 ·
I was reading Bee Culture last night, they were recommending waiting till the first bloom - that seems a little late for me..
:s
That's when I reverse. I used to reverse in late April, getting the bees ready for the orchard. Reversing to me is a swarm prevention manipulation. I found that early reversing did nothing to slow swarming. The early reversed cluster moved back up into the top brood chamber, and re-established their broodnest there. Then, when Dandelion nectar rolled in, swarming proceeded as if the colony hadn't been reversed.

My new management plan...10 years at it now...seems to be more effective.

The first week in May, I add 2 medium extracting supers above the broodnest...no excluders. That actually acts as a reversal...the bees move up. When there is empty comb space above the active broodnest, and the bees can move up, the pressure is taken off. Then, when the Dandelions bloom a week or two later, I reverse. Once again you are placing empty comb above the active broodnest. After that, proper supering will almost eliminate swaring.

Of course, I said almost. Some will persist, but the vast majority will give up swarming and make honey.

So, I would wait.
 
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