Best time for inspection

[pargyle]

I need to have a look in my hive (one swarm cell found) ... I am limited by my work hours) and I usually inspect them midday to early afternoon. At present I am limited to either early morning (ie 7.00 am) or after work ... About 4.30pm ... Which is best ?

My bees are generally good natured but its a big colony at present.

 

[alldigging]

I reckon more will be out at 4.30 than at 7am.

 

[enrico]

Whichever time you have most bees flying. Better tempered in the morning but not before they are awake! Bit like humans really!
E

 

[drstitson]

late afternoon is perfect - warm and flying.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

late afternoon is perfect - warm and flying.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Still too early for pre-work inspections for me. Last year in warmer summer months I often did inspections pre-work. Basically when it is warm enough and sunny watch for them to start flying and as soon as they do is when I started.
I also did post work inspections but again it was all weather / temperature dependant.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I need to have a look in my hive (one swarm cell found) ... I am limited by my work hours) and I usually inspect them midday to early afternoon. At present I am limited to either early morning (ie 7.00 am) or after work ... About 4.30pm ... Which is best ?

My bees are generally good natured but its a big colony at present.

ditto, I was going to ask the very same question, but when I was up and 6.00/7.00am this am, not a bee to be seen!

 

[BeeJayBee]

I need to have a look in my hive (one swarm cell found) ... I am limited by my work hours) and I usually inspect them midday to early afternoon. At present I am limited to either early morning (ie 7.00 am) or after work ... About 4.30pm ... Which is best ?

In the afternoon, but for a different reason than everybody else. It will mean you don't have to rush, and won't be worried about time-keeping. Bees aren't always friendly towards a stressed beekeeper.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks everyone ... Looks like afternoon is going to be best ... Just as well really.

A - I'm a bloke and not that organised in the morning ... Women seem to be so much more up and at it than me at the crack of sparrows kneecaps ! I get up early but I'm a slow starter !!!

B - Only a handful of my bees are out and about before the sun hits the hive which is usually about 8.00 am .... So there would be a lot left indoors !

C - Point about stress is very well taken. I wonder if mine were affected by me last time worrying about the weather that was clearly coming in ...

Phil

 

[alanf]

At present it's a lot warmer at 16:30 than 07:00 around here and there's more than 3 hours daylight still. Earlier in the year when a quick look see was needed, other things being equal I reasoned it was better to go in earlier than late. If the temperature is still rising and they have a couple of hours when it's 14C or thereabouts outside to reorganise that's likely to be less disruptive than delaying until the temperature and light level is falling.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

ditto, I was going to ask the very same question, but when I was up and 6.00/7.00am this am, not a bee to be seen!

Mine were still ligged 'i bed at 9.00 but by 10.00 the apiary was heaving.

 

[Cazza]

ditto, I was going to ask the very same question, but when I was up and 6.00/7.00am this am, not a bee to be seen!

Mine were just beginning to fly at 5.30a.m. when I went out to combine a hive this morning.
Cazza

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Wireless Secret Weapon

The worst behaviour I've seen from bees was at the Association apiary during an evening routine inspection event. Cloud cover came over, the wind got up and the last hive just exploded when the cover board was removed - three people were stung that night but we all learned something about suitable conditions for inspections!
About three months ago, Maplin had some wireless weather stations on sale for £29.99. Here's the link
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/professional-wireless-weather-centre-n25fr
I bought one. The great thing is, I know the temperature, wind speed, air pressure and relative humidity down beside the hive and it also gives a forecast based on the change in pressure whilst I sit comfortably indoors. I can also see what rain we've had if I've been out.
After two inspections of testing (!) I am aiming for wind < 5 mph and temperature > 14 degrees C.
Alternatively, Phil, you could just stick your head out of the back door and wave a wet finger in the air!

CVB

 

[einsteinagogo]

The worst behaviour I've seen from bees was at the Association apiary during an evening routine inspection event. Cloud cover came over, the wind got up and the last hive just exploded when the cover board was removed - three people were stung that night but we all learned something about suitable conditions for inspections!
About three months ago, Maplin had some wireless weather stations on sale for £29.99. Here's the link
http://www.maplin.co.uk/p/professional-wireless-weather-centre-n25fr
I bought one. The great thing is, I know the temperature, wind speed, air pressure and relative humidity down beside the hive and it also gives a forecast based on the change in pressure whilst I sit comfortably indoors. I can also see what rain we've had if I've been out.
After two inspections of testing (!) I am aiming for wind < 5 mph and temperature > 14 degrees C.
Alternatively, Phil, you could just stick your head out of the back door and wave a wet finger in the air!

CVB

Yes, I think that's been happening to me in the last two inspections! Off to Maplin!

 

[pargyle]

Alternatively, Phil, you could just stick your head out of the back door and wave a wet finger in the air!

CVB

Yehhhh ... that's been the trouble ... sun comes out, stick my dry finger out the back door, get the crate from the garage with everything I might need and some things I probably won't, set up the tripod and camera, start the smoker, get my kit on, check the dog hasn't got into the apiary, check the hens are not in the apiary, check 'er indoors is nowhere to be seen in or out of the apiary, open the hive and then ... the black clouds appear and the rain starts ....

Hence, after a month of being between jobs and I'm now back working .... At least they hadn't swarmed tonight ... had a peek through the clear CB and heaving with bees ... more swarm russian roulette until tomorrow night now !

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Someone up there must be watching you and having a laugh.

 

[Worldsend]

I spend some days watching the weather whilst I am work longing to be at home


Rushing home and have been known to shout to my offspring -Get your own tea I'm doing the bees!!

 

[pargyle]

Someone up there must be watching you and having a laugh.

Probably my Dad who used to do his inspections in shirt sleeves with a Bombay basher from his army days and a yard of net curtain under it as a veil ... somewhere there's a photo of him with his bees ... it was in the 1960's mind !

He will be laughing his hat off at me all dressed up like a Nuclear Power Station Dismantler ....

 

[charlievictorbravo]

It's stopped raining!

Here're a couple of photos that I took today of my mini weather station near the bees with a look at the indoor display.
If you spend a bit more money, you can buy the facility to load the data from the station so that you end up with it on your computer. You probably can't justify the cost in beekeeping terms but if you're a technophile, it's fun to see what has happened over time. Wish I'd spent the extra cash.

CVB

 

[einsteinagogo]

Here're a couple of photos that I took today of my mini weather station near the bees with a look at the indoor display.
If you spend a bit more money, you can buy the facility to load the data from the station so that you end up with it on your computer. You probably can't justify the cost in beekeeping terms but if you're a technophile, it's fun to see what has happened over time. Wish I'd spent the extra cash.

CVB

15.1 nice! 8 degrees C here!

foggy, wet, overcast....