Hmmm. You know you're a dyed in the wool beekeeper when you know instantly by the pitch of the wing beats that the insect buzzing near you is not a bee - but a wasp. A median queen wasp at that quite a large female too. She was out and about today in the mild weather which was quite sunny at one point.
Sadly she was too mobile for me to swat, but with cold weather on the way again I hope she succumbs to the cold.
This morning a chap arrived to take my larger apimelter away to get the lower tank re-welded up as it had split slightly. It was too windy for the gas to work properly outside so he said he'd effect the repair at his workshop and return it next week.
Another day painting poly nucs to protect them from the UV - not that I've noticed a problem with the ones that were unpainted last season apart from a fading of the yellow colour of the polystyrene to a more pale creamy white. I made a trip to B&Q ;ast year with a voucher I had and selected a nice army green shade of their Velspar masonry paint that goes on looking a bright yellowy green yet dries to a nice dark green which looks quite smart. Not too expensive either. They used to do a lighter green shade in the standard masonry paint but have discontinued it so it seems.
Then on to filling more cleaned frames with foundation which is quite a speedy job really, and continuing to build and fill national deep frames which are now stored in boxes of 36 for when the overwintered nucs and double nucs need re-filling in a month or so after I transfer them into full sized hives.
Oh and the trailer saga I don't think I'd shared here...
Last week I attempted to move the large Ifor trailer out to collect some second hand equipment I'd arranged to buy to find the hubs had seized and the movement made the trailer slip down the bank it was parked up beside - not even my hefty 110 could shift it as the ground was a bog...fast forward to yesterday when a kindly neighbour who has just purchased a rather nice JD Tractor for his fencing business came around and quickly dragged it out and onto the flat. A fair mess of the soft ground mind - I don't think I'll be playing cricket on the paddock this season - but at least the trailer is out. Next job is to jack it up and release the hubs by using a hammer to softly tap the hubs which will (hopefully) release them. I've done it before...maybe this is the trailer telling me it needs a service ?! Hopefully it'll be a relatively quick job then to pick up 25+ hives and 75 supers and travelling screens - all empty and scorched clean for me.
Lots to do but a sense of achievement after a busy day - that's why we do it !
KR
S
Sadly she was too mobile for me to swat, but with cold weather on the way again I hope she succumbs to the cold.
This morning a chap arrived to take my larger apimelter away to get the lower tank re-welded up as it had split slightly. It was too windy for the gas to work properly outside so he said he'd effect the repair at his workshop and return it next week.
Another day painting poly nucs to protect them from the UV - not that I've noticed a problem with the ones that were unpainted last season apart from a fading of the yellow colour of the polystyrene to a more pale creamy white. I made a trip to B&Q ;ast year with a voucher I had and selected a nice army green shade of their Velspar masonry paint that goes on looking a bright yellowy green yet dries to a nice dark green which looks quite smart. Not too expensive either. They used to do a lighter green shade in the standard masonry paint but have discontinued it so it seems.
Then on to filling more cleaned frames with foundation which is quite a speedy job really, and continuing to build and fill national deep frames which are now stored in boxes of 36 for when the overwintered nucs and double nucs need re-filling in a month or so after I transfer them into full sized hives.
Oh and the trailer saga I don't think I'd shared here...
Last week I attempted to move the large Ifor trailer out to collect some second hand equipment I'd arranged to buy to find the hubs had seized and the movement made the trailer slip down the bank it was parked up beside - not even my hefty 110 could shift it as the ground was a bog...fast forward to yesterday when a kindly neighbour who has just purchased a rather nice JD Tractor for his fencing business came around and quickly dragged it out and onto the flat. A fair mess of the soft ground mind - I don't think I'll be playing cricket on the paddock this season - but at least the trailer is out. Next job is to jack it up and release the hubs by using a hammer to softly tap the hubs which will (hopefully) release them. I've done it before...maybe this is the trailer telling me it needs a service ?! Hopefully it'll be a relatively quick job then to pick up 25+ hives and 75 supers and travelling screens - all empty and scorched clean for me.
Lots to do but a sense of achievement after a busy day - that's why we do it !
KR
S
) I wasn't that concerned when the offside wheel on the trailer was feeling a little warm when I got to Swansea, anyway, boats swapped over, trailer, Landrover and broken boat checked and prepared for the morning trip back to fort fumble. The following morning, I had only got as far as the 'off' sliproad at junction 35 (Pencoed) when I noticed something in the wing mirror, which then passed me, merrily bouncing down the carriageway 'looks like someone has lost a trailer wheel' I chuckled to meself, before the sudden realisation (and the rooster tail of sparks emanating fron the remaining stub of axle) that it was my tire!! the hub had totally seized!! It was when it was taken away to Bank Farm trailers for repair that we were informed about the mandatory annual inspections!!
