Recent content by coatesg

Yesterday, all my bees were rehomed with a local beekeeper that's taken on my colonies, boxes, kit, etc. (! had a severe systemic reaction end of last season, still awaiting venom clinic appt, so sadly needed to be done). :-( Glorious day today (unlike the rain yesterday) - hopefully they are...

Can probably add another 3 zeros on the end of the number of years there...

Thanks both - I'm going to speak with my GP, and take it from there. If I can get referred, and possibly look into desensitisation, I hope I can carry on in the future. Depends how long it takes though. I've never had such an intense reaction before - usually some localised swelling, but this...

Yesterday evening setup a newspaper merge between colonies. Subsequently had a systemic allergic reaction to a couple of stings on my ankle (rash, hives, itchyness all over body) - very possible that I'm done with my beekeeping now :(

I sold honey at the village market for the first time and met many ex-beeks who live round and abouts. Also met another current beek who lives at the other end of the village who I hadn't met before. Very pleasant, and good tea and cake as well.

Quick go through the hives to find the one that decided to swarm yesterday - completely stuffed full of honey and nectar of it's own accord, no open brood, a bit of sealed brood and three QCs, one torn down, one part built and one open (looked like an emergency as it was built out from the frame...

Got them on a false floor and QX on what I think is the parent hive just as the heavens opened! Lots of brace comb at tops of frames below - wonder if they have just filled the box with ivy nectar - they have been v busy when weather hasn't been throwing it down. I'll pop a feeder on them later...

Managed to grab them and letting them get themselves in the box - Q definitely in. Will need to go and peak in the boxes tomorrow. The weather has been lousy the last few days - they've picked the only couple of hours without rain to do so. I'll pop then on a snelgrove board on top of another...

Just had one of my hives swarm this afternoon - gaah! Suicidal time to swarm, just hope I can catch them from the hedge they are in and box them up.

Went to feed a couple of my colonies that were getting short of stores last weekend. Beaten to it by the ivy that appears to have started up a flow - I'll leave them to it before starting syrup feeding! Forecast is good the next few days so hopefully they'll get a lot of winter stores packed...

Started with one overwintered colony that produced 61lbs of honey during the year which was great (42lbs of it spring, the rest summer). Now up to three colonies. Survived the wasp onslaught in July/Aug, but had an introduced queen killed off in a Nuc. The bees were good at raising queens...

Is it necessary to leave the super on when feeding? Feed them and let them backfill the brood area before winter.

Useful stuff - many thanks. Have had a lot of GWM issues with stored frames the past year, again with good fitting boxes, so likewise thing that the eggs are laid close and they crawl in...

Oh absolutely no reflection at all - the queen looked absolutely super! I had expected them to try to supercede, but absolutely no brood at all in the Nuc. And no signs of issues with her - had removed attendents, workers were in no way showing any aggression, had fed to simulate a flow, and...

Did inspection yesterday - like Angry_mob, looks like my Nuc haven't accepted a new Q from Exmoor either - no sign of aggression before releasing her (she was caged in there before opening the tab). No brood to be seen anywhere, no supercedure cells, and no queen :-/