Spring has Sprung!

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thedeaddiplomat

House Bee
Joined
Jul 25, 2009
Messages
498
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Location
cornwall
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
sadly, no more!
I think Spring has sprung - here at least! :party:

My girls are enjoying the balmy 12 degrees. They are out flying with enthusiasm and vigour (I'm sure I have just seen one doing one of those combined barrel roll/looping the loops that the old flying circuses used to offer)!

If the hives are still here after the force 10/11 storms promised for tomorrow, I may actually have to consider a quick check and a little syrup (for the bees that is). :party::party:
 
5 degrees here and brrr............drizzle and cold.

PH
 
Six or seven degrees in the We(s)t Midlands. The girls aren't impressed and some have been seen nailing up shutters against the gales to come.
 
Just been to check food situation.
Gave all hives an extra bit of fondant and added wooden blocks to all hive roofs ready for the storm on Sunday.
Temp around 7-8c.

Noticed little dollops of fresh Hazel pollen on the landing boards were the back legs have hit the mouseguards on the way in so they must of been collecting at some point this morning.

Just finished and rather than spitting then raining the heavens opened big time!!

I jumped back in the car and drove home in bee suit and wellies.

Sat at home now looking outside and its brilliant sunshine,although the wind is really starting to pick up :(
 
well both hives I checked on at 4pm today were flying VERY strongly at 8.5 degrees in full sunlight. Quite exciting being able to crouch down around 1.5m from the entrance amidst the bees - they weren't at all bothered by me, although I did approach nice and slowly in a roundabout way.

happy days indeed.

regards

S
 
Six or seven degrees in the We(s)t Midlands. The girls aren't impressed and some have been seen nailing up shutters against the gales to come.

Interesting here too, some of mine got out and about today in the sun yet others did nothing. I suspect smaller colonies stayed indoors as it was still cold in the shade.
 
And the gritter just passed me walking the dogs at 9-55pm.

Sprung? Not yet....

PH
 
And the gritter just passed me walking the dogs at 9-55pm.

Sprung? Not yet....

PH

Piers Corbyns summary

March 2010 – Essential Summary forecast (for Free circulation):


“The worst type of March possible for farming &
gardening. Generally cold wet windy and often wintry
with snow and hail and frosts in places but one brief
very warm even hotspell in parts lasting about 5 days.
The warm spell will bring forth an amazing burst of bounteous Spring
green shoots which will then be largely zapped by a prolonged return
to generally cold rather wintry weather in many parts of Britain, Ireland
& Europe (with some stark contrasts through regions)”
Video of March Forecast & REPORT on the ground-breaking winter success

Met office summary
( two weeks)

Although a weakening band of rain and sleet with hill snow is expected to spread southwestwards across the UK on Saturday, much of the week is expected to be dominated by an area of high pressure. This will give predominantly dry and settled weather with often sunny days but cold and frosty nights. Some wintry showers at times near North Sea coasts, and across southeastern areas of England as well but amounts of snow are expected to be mainly small. Temperatures still rather cold with sharp overnight frosts


lets see who wins, corbyn is saying next week until 15th is warm and sunny and spring like, met offcie says its cold but sunny with some snow
 
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With the sun out and the temp at about 8c I went round to look at how my new hives were doing. All three had small splits in them late last year and I thought I had lost them just before Christmas but they seem to be doing OK. As I can look in the back to see how they are filling out, I'll leave them for a while before opening.

Mike.
 
5 deg C, sunny, blue skies. First pollen of the year seen on the bees,

Three distinct types, near white, beige/brown and orange
 
Hi DulwichGnome
Nice photos I did notice that your bees are very yellow or orange looking what queen have you got is it Italian? For me the colour has to bee dark as possible and any light coloured bees then the queen is on a possible hit list. It s not really her fault because if the more dominant strain of characteristics comes from the drone then not much can bee done about the situation, for my type of bees. Each to there own.

Regards;
 
Hi m100, same here t'uther side of the Pennines but no white pollen maybe Lancashire bees are waiting for the horse chestnut and some red pollen!!:laughing-smiley-004.Ainsie
 
I'm assuming the beige brown is willow, the orange crocus or snowdrop. Not sure what the white stuff is, the pocket guide implies Hazel or Alder but that doesn't tie in with what Kirk / Hodges says. All the pollen loads I observed were quite small.


P.S.
Us :boxing_smiley: Them

Ainsie
Can I remind you that although you won the last battle, after 17 battles, the Yorkists are in front having won 10, there was a draw in one and that funny lot over your side of the hill have only won 6.
 
5 deg C, sunny, blue skies. First pollen of the year seen on the bees,

Three distinct types, near white, beige/brown and orange

just noticed your on 14x12, you are 1 of 2 ppl in Yorkshire with bees on those size frames :)
 
Hi DulwichGnome
Nice photos I did notice that your bees are very yellow or orange looking what queen have you got is it Italian? For me the colour has to bee dark as possible and any light coloured bees then the queen is on a possible hit list. It s not really her fault because if the more dominant strain of characteristics comes from the drone then not much can bee done about the situation, for my type of bees. Each to there own.

Regards;

Hi Bcrazy..,i find in the london micro climate then "2nd generation " italians fit better than black bees..yes i keep black bees but outside the M25 as all the blacks i have had,didnt like my neighbours :) or was it the otherway around

wherease i can keep italians nucs on my patio in muswell hill London N10and still sunbath...and get vtwice as much honey...and no OSR

1st generation italian queens though are problem, i have found they fail in winter...need a bit of black mongrel in them
 
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Hi DulwichGnome
Nice photos I did notice that your bees are very yellow or orange looking what queen have you got is it Italian? For me the colour has to bee dark as possible and any light coloured bees then the queen is on a possible hit list. It s not really her fault because if the more dominant strain of characteristics comes from the drone then not much can bee done about the situation, for my type of bees. Each to there own.

Regards;

Hi Bcrazy, these are requeened splits, from my 'kamikaze' colony of last year, with Bickerstaffs BuckfastxCecropia Queens. I'm glad they got thou the winter as they are my 'insurance' in case my other hives failed. I will let them build up to double BB and be very happy to get any honey from them this year.

I will try and remember to post a photo of the bees I had in my first year of beekeeping, they were also yellow so I thought that was the norm!!

Mike
 
checked mine over the last two days and all is well, i decided to wear my suit and i was glad, i were their target :svengo: :puke:, so the suit has had two washes in two days lol
 
Jedz, I know of at least another two locally on 14x12's so that makes four :)
 
just noticed your on 14x12, you are 1 of 2 ppl in Yorkshire with bees on those size frames :)

is that due to climate in yorkshire, or that yorkshire men are just too mean to buy their bees a bigger box :)

i have diffuculty i nlondon keeping them in a 14x12 and am considering 14x12+super..or though as weather poor thinking of splitting late april two nuc and 14x12
 

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