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Waking up in the sun.

Having had some pleasantly warm days of late the hives have shown activity with bees out foraging. I've had a look through the clear crownboards and hefted. The clusters are spreading out but the hives are too light for comfort so I've added trays of fondant over the feed holes. I'll keep the weight of the hives under review in case the present weather turns back to cold and the expanding colonies use up their stores before foraging becomes sustainable.
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Agreeing a suitable site

Well, dear reader, I must apologise for two blogs in two days but after a tough week it was lightened today by shaking hands with a new apiary site owner. Through local contacts I was approached by a recently relocated couple who, one week into their new abode - a fine old school house with loads of potential, as the agents say, with 7 acres to play with too - wanted bees to go with their plans. After a good walk around the land with the owner, an independent travel leader of some repute, we agreed on a fine location at the top of a field with no obstructions to flight paths and space for 12 hives which was fabulous. Easy gated access off the farm driveway and no neighbours to bother either - just come and go as you please was the...
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January blues

Well written in the week of the 'blue Monday' the darkest day of the year, and yes I survived it. When one isn't busy with the bees ones thoughts always turn to the season ahead and what it might bring. Annoyingly, the day job has just got a lot more difficult with a big project on and a business relocation on the cards so I have to try and juggle everything to get that reopened on time, and have my boys far more than anticipated over the coming weekends (no bad thing) try and work a plan to do either the spring convention or Tradex, can't do both, and keep things ticking along at the apiaries ready for the new season. I was disturbed to find a large fence down at one of my main apiaries. A quick check ensured nothing was amiss but...
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in post

After having planned to stand this Autumn as vice-chairman in our county association the night came around and I discovered I was the only one standing for the position, and more worryingly, the chairman was standing down due to time and wanting to concentrate on another role in the association. After a lot of deliberation in the room I agreed to stand for the chair for a reduced period (1 rather than 3 years). I was heartened by the support in the room to assist me in the role. I asked for help as I had planned to 'learn the role' as Vice - Chair for a couple of years first but instead face a baptism of fire. It's really good to know the other beeks there were so vocal in their offer to support me and I am really looking forward to...
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Winter arrives

The cold days seem to have arrived. Most hives are heavy and the bees have stopped draining the feeders. I took the feeders off and closed the holes in the crownboard then applied kingspan insulation to the crownboards. Apart from lifting the insulation a few times for glances through the polycarbonate crownboard the bees will be largely undisturbed until spring comes around.
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Abelo problem

I have had my Abelo hive for a year now and generally pleased, especially over-wintering. Trying to take off honey from the one super I have on it, but the deep roof is propolised onto the super and will not move. Any ideas how to proceed without destroying the roof - or the super? Hive tool no use on the deep roof.
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An interesting afternoon

A really interesting afternoon. Started off with a beekeeping session at the association training Apiary. Went smoothly so had an early finish En route for home I called in to see friends in Bishopwood. They had 3 abandoned hives in their garden and commented one of the hives seemed to have bees going in and out. I put my bee gear on again and took a look inside. Lo and behold the hive was choked with debris, rotten frames and the remnants of old comb. Amongst this devastation there was an elliptical ball of new comb with eggs, larvae and sealed brood. The comb was built in random shapes and moving the decay from around it caused pieces to fall off. Cutting a long story short I used elastic bands to secure the new bits of comb into...
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Relocating a feral colony from a School in Selby

I joined in with relocating a feral colony that had been living outdoors in a Hawthorn tree in the grounds of a primary school on Thursday morning in Selby. My friend Chriss had been called in to see them before the school term ended. The site was earmarked for building in the near future. Rather than risk pupils getting stung the relocation was scheduled for during the summer holidays. Everything went smoothly and Chriss filmed the process. (I'm the bloke in the Abelo bee jacket) https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=650469262003970&id=479568035760761
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New Bee

Hi I am Sanquest Bees 🐝 and I am just starting out, so yes you guest it a raft of questions. I have joined the Bee keeping society and hopefully going on a course this autumn. I am interested in getting Bees early next year so will be needing over wintered Bees, has any one any suggestions as to where to get the nooks from. I have a hive ( national) and some of the gear ! Is it best to let the hive over winter out side or keep it under cover. Thank you for reading this. Sanquest Bees 🐝
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Only a year has passed....

....since I wrote this note. Sorry to paraphrase an old Sting song from The Police ! Where do I start ? Been a very very busy 12 months. Planned expansion off the back of a frenzy of hive and frame building over the winter almost came to nought with the cold wet spring, but sunshine prevailed and the bees, kept alive on fondant and a spring feed, have shone though to produce the largest spring honey crop I’ve ever had. Overall, winter losses were just under 20% which is my worst in 28 seasons, but lessons learned and it shows what varroa medicine works and what doesn’t IMHO. Almost finished extracting the spring crop. Then got to render a load of winter loss frames, and fit foundation to a couple of hundred brood frames for the...
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Year 2 just started .... help!

Floor clean - check Stores - not much, total of less than a frame I’d have thought (though next door has nearly a full super). OSR now well under way plus blackthorn, bluebells and the first cherry blossom ( we are, luckily, surrounded by a real mix of woods, arable land, apple and cherry orchards, vineyards and hop gardens as well as a couple of acres of bramble on the doorstep).
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