Late evening

[Poly Hive]

This was some 9-40pm last night. 4th June, temp was about 21 C. Hive on the rape which is just going over and there was no audible fanning.

PH

 

[RoofTops]

I saw mine hanging around the entrance yesterday evening. The rape is almost over which may be a connection. Previously they have been working quite late into the evening but perhaps there isn't much for them to do now. Redundant foragers perhaps? Swarming may be still on their minds I fear.

 

[VEG]

I went to have a look at my bees at about 7am today. There were loads clustered at the entrance. Three supers on the hive. I sat and watched the hives for about 2 hours and the bees slowly made off on foraging duties. I think its just down to warm weather and the amount of bees in the hive.

 

[Mike a]

As I'm near OSR which is mostly gone now for the year I removed 3 supers in total from 2 hives today and one national brood frame as some of the nectar shows signs of starting to crystallize and very little to none fell out on flick test. In the excitement of the first batch of honey of 2010 I forgot to weigh the supers and just got on with uncapping and extracting. Tomorrow once its had a chance to pass through 3 filters I'll bottle some of it for friends, the rest I'll leave in a bucket to settle and rest until I get a chance to make into soft set. The cappings and the remains in the extractor and buckets will be rinsed off and made into mead.

Not exactly sure of the capacity of the bucket I used as its not marked but I think its about 30 litres and it was almost full. (its the large bucket on the right of this picture.)

 

[VEG]

I think that is a 30lb bucket

 

[Mike a]

Thanks Veg

 

[tkwinston4]

PH do you not put your hives on stands? If not why? Do we just put them on stands for ease of use or is there another reason?

 

[susbees]

Reduced predation. Temperature control if on stone/concrete. Humidity control especially in the winter. Cut the grass less often ...