My first season draws to an end.

[Swarm]

Thanks for being supportive at times - it's a much more pleasant forum since some of the serial whingers have shut up/departed. I do believe both Mandy and Jackie still look in at times, so do try to keep your head down - or you will be reported!

Why not dredge things up again?

 

[oliver90owner]

Stop whinging? It does appear there are some still around.

 

[beeno]

Hi All,
I would like to say thank you to all the pros and all the newbies and everyone in between too. However, I cannot see my season coming to an end sometime soon. Funnily enough, I do consider that I have had a good season despite the fact that I have had no honey and still has to buy it from the supermarket! I have collected five swarms (turned down 3), marked one queen, united two swarms (one with an iffy queen), squished two Q cells with no consequences (that I know of yet), overwintering my nuc queen, overwintering two medium sized swarms which I will unite in spring, probably had CPBD, bald brood and starvation in one colony, made Hivemakers Thymol treatment, five beestings (three through my gloves, two being careless) and far too much syrup is probably still going into brood rather than stores due to weather - warm rain and thunder at the moment but bees out in force on Ivy during sunny spells. It is great to know you are all there when I need help particularly in an EMERGENCY and I expect a lot of work will go into next year when this lot will want to swarm. Thanks again.

 

[Outlander]

Hi Rab, to tell the truth I don't think you ever have been towards me. I do find a lot of your posts fun to read and your threads very interesting. I have also learnt to wait before asking stupid questions as someone else will be along shortly to ask it and if not then I'll ask Tony or PM you then I only look stupid to one person not the whole forum.

I have decided to unite and reasons are to give one a queen and the over would benefit from the stores. I have also inspected the robbing colony that is now residing at mine for the winter. They are full to the gunnels so have taken two frames of stores and taken over to VG and put in the robbed out colony. Now thinking that I should have taken three. Plenty of stores in all other colonies but they are 14x12s or would have borrowed from them. So fingers crossed.

Have Apistan on Church bees and a very large drop already. Will give these a few more days then will do the unite. Will have to rig something up as the only spears at present are 14x12 nuc.

Oh Beeno lets not think about dealing with our own swarms at least until after Christmas.

 

[REDWOOD]

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a merry Christmas and better weather next year while we are all so diplomatic and full of joy , but on a serious note beekeeping would not be the same without the forum and the people who spend so much time and effort to answer our questions and keep us on the right track.
PS don't forget my Christmas card this year postage to Wales is the same as the rest of the UK

 

[BKF Admin]

This forum is more of a community than many beekeeping associations!

Thank you,that's very kind words

 

[vermillion]

Aloha Vermillion, its nice to hear from a been from far off lands and as mentioned some pics would be nice to see. Oh and a create of your Hawaiian honey that would be good. I'v had honey from west Texas. Anyway happy keeping.

Are there any photos of your bee hives? I'd quite like some cheery sunny pictures to look at (It's black outside and still raining here in 'sunny' Oldham)

My beehive pics are mostly on my phone but once I get that sorted out how about if I start a thread for you all?

In the meantime here are some pictures of their forage range....these are my run-in sheds, looking east toward our large mountain, Mauna Kea...

And this is a rare sight out my bedroom window...

Snow way down the mountain combined with a clear day to see it! It was dawn and not well lit...but you get the idea!

And here I am with the Mister getting the bees into the top bar hive. This is in my garden, the langstroths are in a different spot. The weather looks ominous, but actually if I had turned the camera 180 degrees you would see blue sky and ocean...the mountaintop often looks like that and yet the rain stays at bay until evening...

I will start a thread soon....

Cheers and Aloha!!

 

[alldigging]

My beehive pics are mostly on my phone but once I get that sorted out how about if I start a thread for you all?

And here I am with the Mister getting the bees into the top bar hive. This is in my garden, the langstroths are in a different spot. The weather looks ominous, but actually if I had turned the camera 180 degrees you would see blue sky and ocean...the mountaintop often looks like that and yet the rain stays at bay until evening...

Cheers and Aloha!!

Thank you!

So is that a solid lump of bees out of that big container?

 

[alanf]

on a serious note beekeeping would not be the same without the forum

Agree entirely. Some of us are fortunate to have supportive local bkas but there's real value in reading the concerns and opinions from a wider area and learning from a broad mix of experences.

 

[acabee]

Great pics.
Can I just ask, why are you putting compost into the TBH?? Does this increase brood? I couldn't find that anywhere in my beekeeping books...

acabee

 

[vermillion]

Thank you!

So is that a solid lump of bees out of that big container?

Great pics.
Can I just ask, why are you putting compost into the TBH?? Does this increase brood? I couldn't find that anywhere in my beekeeping books...

acabee

That is indeed a huge swarm on a branch. My next door neighbors drove up my driveway and shouted "Your Bees GOT LOOSE" from their car.
They were walking distance, so the trash can was the quickest and easiest thing to drop them in and carry home.

Biggest swarm I have gotten to date. I had that one empty TBH handy (my only THB) and since I could not move brood into it from the Langs, I sprayed Honey Bee Healthy/ 1:1 in there and dropped them in.

They have filled that TBH 3/4 full since August, by the way.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a merry Christmas and better weather next year while we are all so diplomatic and full of joy , but on a serious note beekeeping would not be the same without the forum and the people who spend so much time and effort to answer our questions and keep us on the right track.
PS don't forget my Christmas card this year postage to Wales is the same as the rest of the UK

Always a pleasure logging on here - helps me relax and realise it's not just my bees that don't follow the rlues properly - now a daily forum fix seems essential to my (remaining) sanity.especially when i'm at sea Thanks to all who contribute to help others and make them smile. Also good cheer and a good winter to all you lurkers out there who prefer to sit back and watch the fireworks, we're all that makes this forum great

 

[PBee]

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all of you a merry Christmas and better weather next year while we are all so diplomatic and full of joy , but on a serious note beekeeping would not be the same without the forum and the people who spend so much time and effort to answer our questions and keep us on the right track.
PS don't forget my Christmas card this year postage to Wales is the same as the rest of the UK

Happy Christmas on the 18th October?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA[/ame]

 

[REDWOOD]

Happy Christmas on the 18th October?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A8KT365wlA

I take it all back if you play that song

 

[REDWOOD]

That is indeed a huge swarm on a branch. My next door neighbors drove up my driveway and shouted "Your Bees GOT LOOSE" from their car.
They were walking distance, so the trash can was the quickest and easiest thing to drop them in and carry home.

Biggest swarm I have gotten to date. I had that one empty TBH handy (my only THB) and since I could not move brood into it from the Langs, I sprayed Honey Bee Healthy/ 1:1 in there and dropped them in.

They have filled that TBH 3/4 full since August, by the way.

Love the pics and what dramatic skies

 

[PBee]

I take it all back if you play that song

I like it .... and Noddy Holders' burns demand respect.