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keithgrimes

Field Bee
Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
614
Reaction score
0
Location
Northumberland
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3
few degrees up today and bees flying after three or four days of no visible activity. Even a tiny amount of pollen coming in from the ivy. love 'em.:seeya:
 
We take bets at breakfast as to whether the girls will be flying, but unless it's raining...they are out. My son suggested leaving the bee book in the hive over winter so they can read up on what they are meant to do! ;)
 
From the noise of flying bee's today it was like it was back in summer on a major flow again,going like the clappers even in the rain...and loaded right up with pollen.
 
Bees not doing much yesterday but I did notice that my obs hive must have got a bit warm because there was a line of bees in the tube until 9 o'clock last night fanning the air out of the hive.
Since it has turned colder this last week or so they have all been in for tea at about 4 o'clock, but yesterday there was a bit of pollen coming it at 4 pm. White,,, ivy?
This morning all hives were out and about at 8.30 so it must be warmer today.
Havent been out there yet... I look to see how busy they are to guage the temperature...
 
I did not see my hives yesterday as I was in Liverpool with two of my children. However, as is now custom, when we go to Liverpool we go to the 5th floor café in the World Museum right in the city centre and check out the WBC hive on the rooftop there. Yesterday there was still some coming and going. It was showery, but not cold.
 
I'm enjoying a few days off work so I'm getting to see my bees in daylight for a change!! Both colonies are still busy on the ivy and are bringing in a lot of pollen. My father commented that last week one of the colonies was still active in the rain.
 
Bees out today, but seemed to be circular orientation flights rather than foraging.
 
I could see quite a few flying over the fence round my apiary yesterday evening,so I looked in and there were what seemed like hundreds of em buzzing round both hives and crawling up the front,a lot of them had yellow pollen on,they seemed to struggling to find the reduced entrance,an hour later all was quiet again.
 
From the noise of flying bee's today it was like it was back in summer on a major flow again

Yes, mine are still collecting whenever possible - they know when it is economic to forage and when to stay home.

This seems to fly in the face of the doom-casters back in July/August. I was one (in September) that thought things were going to close down earlier than this, but it just goes to show that even with nasty early weather things can get better.

I was expecting to feed one or two colonies and did, in fact, steal some frames of stores for a couple of late developing colonies, but have not fed any sugar at all.

These 'late colonies' have since filled the 6 frame 14 x 12 MBS (Langstroth converted) nucs (so near to a standard National at ten frames equivalent area and equivalent to a WBC). In fact they are better than that, as the hives are of such a generous size that a dummy board needs fitting - and wasn't. The bees have constructed a 7th comb in each of them, and filled them as far as I know. I await, with a great deal of interest, to see how they fare over winter.

The one hive I am a little worried about - reorganised today - one which I united a month ago with a nucleus hive over a 14 x 12 brood - as I did not see a queen, nor any new brood, just capped brood. They will no get no further disturbance. I hope they are all right as they are of much better temperament after I culled the queen in the main brood box.

That leaves the other nuc dimensioned, but taller, bait hive (Dartington carry-box plus honey box). It was damp in the roof cover, so the floor was removed and it is now on an OMF, so should improve. Some insulation to go on and round that one!

The others seem fine, and will, hopefully, be OK. I shall not disturb them too much, if at all, now. They have had about a month of inattention and mostly looked after themselves admirably.

Regards, RAB
 
Mine were extremely busy,busy,busy, bringing in a lot of pollen from the field next door of flowered brocolli, an absolute god send this time of year!
 
mine today
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NcpnsuLgnM[/ame]
 
Thats a shame its for a feeder.

Ivy Honey :ack2:
 
feeder off this morning Mike. nice and heavy brood box now!
 
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