Good news :)

[kazmcc]

I've just had an email from Paul, and he said our bees, which will be arriving tomorrow, are very industrious and are bursting from the box I hope this is a sign that they will be ok over winter. Good girls

If it rains a little will we still be able to put the bees on? Can you hold an umbrella over them? Daft question I know, but if you really need to inspect a hive, say at swarming time when qc are being made, can't you get a someone to hold a big umbrella so you can do a quick check? If not, why not?

 

[YorkshireBees]

I would say yes. If needs be have someone hold an umbrella.

Commercial beekeepers inspect in the rain if they have to, so if it is necessary to inpect and the weather is not blowing the rain sideways then do it.
Ofc the bees will not be their friendliest in bad weather.

 

[kazmcc]

Thank you, after reading the posts about the weather stopping people getting to inspect their hives, I wondered why they didn't get an umbrella lol.....so it wasn't a daft question

 

[snoop]

Would you want somebody top lift the roof off your house if its pouring rain?

 

[kazmcc]

good point lol, I've just had my roof done and I was NOT too happy, but what I mean is, if you need to check for qc's, from what I've read here they mature very quickly, and if the weather is wet, would it be better to let them hatch, or use an umbrella and cover cloths so you can intervene.

The weather here has brightened up lovely, and in the park, the bumbles are out foraging in the clover. I think the weather will hold for tomorrow, fingers crossed

 

[madasafish]

I thought about using an umbrella.
All mine are BLACK.

Bad idea so gave that a miss..

 

[MuswellMetro]

good point lol, I've just had my roof done and I was NOT too happy, but what I mean is, if you need to check for qc's, from what I've read here they mature very quickly, and if the weather is wet, would it be better to let them hatch, or use an umbrella and cover cloths so you can intervene.

The weather here has brightened up lovely, and in the park, the bumbles are out foraging in the clover. I think the weather will hold for tomorrow, fingers crossed

it not quite ad easy as that...i have 14x12 and they hold 60-70,000 bees. when you inspect normally 30,000-40,000 are out foraging

opening up a full hive of 70,000 instead of just 30,000 at night or in the rain, can be like trying to open a pressure cooker...As the lid comes off whoomph, they all come out to see what happening...and they wont got back down

 

[Blue Spinnaker]

Hope the weather holds for you kaz, it's so disappointing when you have been waiting! The forecast for here is terrible tomorrow and I need to get a frame with a queen cell into my hive asap

 

[susbees]

Three Keilers with newly mated queens stuck away. Weather yuck for at least the next few days. Full check of three hives today in the strong breeze. Limits for no smoke really...too many lazy foragers at home!

Hope you get them in ok.

 

[wightbees]

weather wise from what i have seen, it looks pretty bad from Devon to manchester tomorrow.

 

[MuswellMetro]

weather wise from what i have seen, it looks pretty bad from Devon to manchester tomorrow.

stop glotting ,just becuase you live in sunny IOW and the forcast is 25c and sunny tomorrow

really hot here in london today 30c and mainly sunny today

 

[kazmcc]

It was supposed to be pouring all day today here, but half of the time it was glorious

I didn't think about the fact that ALL the bees will be at home in the rain, and they will be bored and in the mood for mischeif. Probably better not to both lol, just one of those daft solutions that pop into my brain

Do bees not like black? I often wondered why bee keepers wear those awful white wellies lol.

Just checked the bbc for the weather tomorrow, sunny until about 1 - 2pm, then thunder storms. Will that affect them? Putting them in at about 9:30 am. Will a couple of hours being able to sniff their new surroundings be ok for them? I do worry about them, and I haven't even met them yet! lol

 

[freckledbeck]

Im sure Ive read somewhere that bees dont like thunder, makes em tetchy?

 

[freckledbeck]

Think if you are getting them in the morning they will be fine, didn't mean to worry you!

 

[kazmcc]

You know me so well lol, wonder if they can sense thunder storms...I used to have nose bleeds before a storm when I was a kid....great barometer for my mum lol.

I'm sure Paul knows whether it will be ok or not, he doesn't want one of his main carers freaking out lol. Just wondering if they will be able to settle well. Going for another snoop around the weather forcast to see if they will get any sun soon.

 

[winmag270]

Im sure Ive read somewhere that bees dont like thunder, makes em tetchy?

try inspecting a hive with a storm front coming up behind you, that you hadn't noticed......

not sure what the dictionary reference for tetchy is, unless it's listed under "evil, spawn of satan"....

 

[freckledbeck]

try inspecting a hive with a storm front coming up behind you, that you hadn't noticed......

not sure what the dictionary reference for tetchy is, unless it's listed under "evil, spawn of satan"....

Hmmmmmmmmm not fun then? Lol

 

[winmag270]

Hmmmmmmmmm not fun then? Lol

bee stings 11 - index finger 0

 

[freckledbeck]

bee stings 11 - index finger 0

No, definately not fun! Note to self: Avoid manipulations if thunder is pending..........

 

[kazmcc]

something to look forward to then

Mmmm, maybe Paul can deal with them then if they become the devils spawn, might see what mood they are in