What did you do in the Apiary today?

pargyle · Mar 12, 2017

Well ... a lovely day when they were all flying yesterday - and I saw lots of new bees as well - which is a good sign so there must have been brood to replace the winter bees. Still a bit early to be opening up and poking around - not sure there is any real benefit yet. Much as I would like to be playing with them I'm going to leave mine until there's some prospect of more consistent good weather. It chucked it down with rain overnight, air temp was down to 6 degrees in the apiary last night at 10.00pm and it's raining this morning.

One of my plum trees in blossom already - nearly two weeks earlier than last year. The fruit trees seem to be getting earlier and earlier to blossom - but it's not good if there aren't the opportunities for them to be pollinated.

Fritillary · Mar 12, 2017

Haven't opened up anything yet, except under lids to check on fondant.
Found a big healthy looking mouse, nestled inside its cosy top bar roof-space winter home - surprisingly big for the space it must have been squeezing through to get in and out! - and quite a few wasp queens here and there.

And watched a few drones flying from one front door, alongside workers, and looking nice and big and fat. Hmmm.

Brian Bush · Mar 12, 2017

manek said:
Just watched clouds of my bees bringing in orange pollen - daffodils? No full inspection yet but with temps around 13 degrees, the first opening can't be far off.

Should not be daffodil pollen as it is poisonous to bees and they avoid it.

Saffabee · Mar 12, 2017

Not in the apiary but the shed made a push in tray for my vaporiser I only have M poly hives now so thought I could make a tray that would fit below and slide in where the correx tray goes.

Now just got to get some time to try it out.

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madasafish · Mar 12, 2017

Lovely day yesterday 13C and sunny. Not quite so nice today. Watched bees bringing in yellow pollen (crocus?).

No inspections for at least another 4 weeks... Clear crown boards give me all I need to look at..

B+. · Mar 12, 2017

Barbarian said:
Winter Aconite

The apiary aconites are flowering at the base of shrubs and brambles. I suspect my problem of foliage eating is ...pigeons.

It sounds like you need a gas gun. They do a pretty good job in the farmers fields around here.....although, they probably won't go down very well with your neighbours.

Karsal · Mar 12, 2017

Will the metal tray it rests on short not out the vaporizer circuit?

chrisb · Mar 12, 2017

should not do, the outer of the vap is negative ( earth ) anyway

Saffabee · Mar 12, 2017

Karsal said:
Will the metal tray it rests on short not out the vaporizer circuit?

Mmm hadn't thought of that I have a ceramic plate I can insert rather that shouldn't short it?

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Saffabee · Mar 12, 2017

Thanks Chrisb might put heat resistant ceramic or some other non conductive heat resistant material in between just in case.

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colinc · Mar 12, 2017

colinc said:
One of the three colonies was on a warning at the end of last year. Opened the hive twice this year. Had them pinging my veil, following and had a couple of stings cos guards were unnoticed on the back of my suit fanning in the attack.

They are in my garden and I was planning on moving a hive on but that didn't work out so needed action for the sake of my kids.

So as I don't have a nuc handy I have given Katherine the boot, literally. newspaper merged her colony onto our other buckfast x local daughter.

hive seems quiet after this interference tonight.

heres hoping.....

Out in the garden today warm and sunny 15 degrees approximately. Bees bringing pollen baskets in the size of basketballs. Angry colony that has been merged is now chilled and pleasant. won't open again till April but I wandered into our bee area and not a single follower no interest paid by the guards. I know it was early to open when I did but for the sake of my kids and my neighbours I am thinking that I made the right call.

for once..... :winner1st:

victor meldrew · Mar 12, 2017

Saffabee said:
Not in the apiary but the shed made a push in tray for my vaporiser I only have M poly hives now so thought I could make a tray that would fit below and slide in where the correx tray goes.

Now just got to get some time to try it out.

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I used to vape under the mesh but found the vapour condensed on the mesh !
I now vape over the mesh but I guess it's horses for courses!

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Erichalfbee · Mar 12, 2017

Saffabee said:
Not in the apiary but the shed made a push in tray for my vaporiser I only have M poly hives now so thought I could make a tray that would fit below and slide in where the correx tray goes.

Now just got to get some time to try it out.

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Nice.

Plenty of honey · Mar 12, 2017

Saffabee said:
Not in the apiary but the shed made a push in tray for my vaporiser I only have M poly hives now so thought I could make a tray that would fit below and slide in where the correx tray goes.

Now just got to get some time to try it out.

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A really neat job, well done. one question. If the vaporiser is fixed in to the tray?, was just wondering how you can cool it easily?
Just been helping my friend use his Thrones vaporiser this afternoon , same as yours i believe? Good value for money i must say, but the only issue i have with them, is there is no stabilisation plate. What you've done looks a good idea. The cable isn't as soft as the Varrox cable, so if you accidentally twist the more rigid cable (and its generally cold so the cable is stiff when you use it) it can flip over and empty out the contents on to the floor of the hive. The Varrox has a plate either side of the shaft that significantly helps against this. Anyone else noticed this.

nantmoel · Mar 12, 2017

Finished cutting down three rather large 'Silver Birch' trees in a new apiary, with help from a good mate. These trees are notorious of just falling over! So before they could fall onto the hives we cut them down. Nice pile of logs for next winter.

Saffabee · Mar 13, 2017

Plenty of honey said:
A really neat job, well done. one question. If the vaporiser is fixed in to the tray?, was just wondering how you can cool it easily?
Just been helping my friend use his Thrones vaporiser this afternoon , same as yours i believe? Good value for money i must say, but the only issue i have with them, is there is no stabilisation plate. What you've done looks a good idea. The cable isn't as soft as the Varrox cable, so if you accidentally twist the more rigid cable (and its generally cold so the cable is stiff when you use it) it can flip over and empty out the contents on to the floor of the hive. The Varrox has a plate either side of the shaft that significantly helps against this. Anyone else noticed this.

Hi Plenty of honey. Thank you and I thought about that I am going to have a spray bottle of water to cool it down, also thought about using tin foil to stop the Apibioxal mess but don't know if that is going to work. It is all trail and error at the moment. I have marked the handle with the words flat so I know when the plate is lying flat will watch that cause I don't need the contents falling out.

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Plenty of honey · Mar 13, 2017

Saffabee said:
Hi Plenty of honey. Thank you and I thought about that I am going to have a spray bottle of water to cool it down, also thought about using tin foil to stop the Apibioxal mess but don't know if that is going to work. It is all trail and error at the moment. I have marked the handle with the words flat so I know when the plate is lying flat will watch that cause I don't need the contents falling out.

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My mate drew a line down the handle when the machine was flat and in the correct position so he would know it he had accidentally turned the plate over.

Be careful spraying on water. It may take a fair bit of spraying to cool that down, I would say may be better off with a small squirt bottle of water so you can literally pour it over fairly quickly, so you can cool it down quicker.
I have a Varrox myself and its been thrashed last year and this. Its a hell of a job when youve got a few hives, however you can never underestimate the bonus of having clean bees ! i cant sing the praises of Oxalic acid treatment enough.
Api Bioxal is also available over here and many say it leaves a heavy residue in the evaporator pan. I buy plain oxalic acid crystals, in a pot, for wood bleaching. never an issue. always evaporates perfectly!This is an issue that wont go away! Its fast becoming the treatment of choice.

Robbo8916 · Mar 13, 2017

Was hoping to get down and check the bees but it is a bit chilly here in Manchesterland today!

Off down to the new orchard apiary this afternoon to set hive stands. Managed to negotiate a 50% discount off occasional jackets/veils with Thornes so that potentially in the future or during the summer some of the service users of the sensory farm can have a look at the bees. The farm is run for people with Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia (very close to my heart) so I am looking forward to that side of the experience.

Just trying to decide when is the best time to move the nuc down ready to be transferred into their full sized hive. I am pretty certain they are going to explode in numbers in the fairly near future. When Greg and I closed them up for winter we were both of the opinion that with a new and rather prolific queen they are going to be a big colony this year!

Rock_Chick · Mar 13, 2017

!st inspection of the year yesterday ( Sunday ) changed all floors brood boxes, all bees are now on 1 Brood box, taken off any surplus boxes that had been left on for winter, plenty of stores left in brood boxes. with room for queen to lay, 2 hives had 3 frames of brood, 1 nuc had 1 frame of brood. lost 2 hives over winter, one I think it was due to rain getting in somehow, when I opened yesterday all frames were fully of stores but everything was wet though, and a lot of mouldy dead bees on the floor. a very small cluster of bees in a supper.
would anyone use varroa treatment at this time of year and what would you use ? still getting a few dropping on the board.
I'll not go in again now till April unless I put a treatment in.

Erichalfbee · Mar 13, 2017

capri1600l said:
!st inspection of the year yesterday ( Sunday ) changed all floors brood boxes, all bees are now on 1 Brood box, taken off any surplus boxes that had been left on for winter, plenty of stores left in brood boxes. with room for queen to lay, 2 hives had 3 frames of brood, 1 nuc had 1 frame of brood. lost 2 hives over winter, one I think it was due to rain getting in somehow, when I opened yesterday all frames were fully of stores but everything was wet though, and a lot of mouldy dead bees on the floor. a very small cluster of bees in a supper.
would anyone use varroa treatment at this time of year and what would you use ? still getting a few dropping on the board.
I'll not go in again now till April unless I put a treatment in.

OAV would be my choice at this time of year as it won't stop the queen laying but only if it's needed. What's your mite drop at present?

What did you do in the Apiary today?

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