- Joined
- Aug 4, 2011
- Messages
- 2,597
- Reaction score
- 10
- Location
- Levenshulme, Manchester UK
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 2 - and steward of 8 others.
I thought it might be a good idea to start a new thread on the Forum - "Stupid Things our Friends Do" - to pass on precautionary tales to others.
You see, I have this friend. Just started beekeeping. Got a new colony about the same time as I did. But what a pillock!
He'd carried out an inspection to see how they were getting on. He was fairly pleased, was my friend: brood in all stages, saw the queen and noticed that the bees were drawing out the 14 x 12 frames fairly well. He saw they had 2, maybe 2 1/2 frames to draw and thought that even in these swarmy days, they'd be ok for a week. Shut up shop, went indoors quite satisfied.
However, he's on the Forum - which is why he must remain nameless - and he read advice to put a super on when they've drawn 7/8 frames. "Hmm," he thought, "might be a bit tight for my lot. But what a faff to get dressed up again, get the smoker going, gloves on etc. And they're so quiet, my girls - especially in the quiet of early evening."
"I know," said my friend, "I could put a QE under a super, and gently push off the perspex crown board as I slide on the QE/super. Before they know it, it will be done and dusted." So he did.
What a twit my friend is! Didn't realise there would be bees upside down on the crown board. And that when he started to slide the crown board off, these bees would be rolled along, till they got to the edge. Then they'd be trapped. And pissed off. "Ah," he thought, as they started to get cross, "Not quite going according to plan!" Well, if only you'd been there! Indeed, if only I had! (He told me all about it later.) As they poured out of the hive in their hundreds, he whipped off the crown board, plonked on the QE/super as quick as he could without squashing any bees, dropped the crown board on top of the super - and legged it inside, slamming the back door behind him. (Like me, he keeps his hive close to the house.)
How he laughed! Nervously. How skilfully he persuaded the memsahib, that though it was a hot day, it was better to keep the back door closed to keep the heat out. And how he pretended the two stings on his ankle weren't really there at all. And his legs weren't shaking.
Luckily, 15 minutes later, the girls were quiet again, so he could tidy things up, put the roof on and strap up. But what a pillock! What a lesson he learned. And how embarrassed he is. Actually, quite ashamed. Too clever by half.
Good job I'm more sensible! Thought it might be a good cautionary tale for the Forum. Hope no-one guesses who he is.....
Dusty
You see, I have this friend. Just started beekeeping. Got a new colony about the same time as I did. But what a pillock!
He'd carried out an inspection to see how they were getting on. He was fairly pleased, was my friend: brood in all stages, saw the queen and noticed that the bees were drawing out the 14 x 12 frames fairly well. He saw they had 2, maybe 2 1/2 frames to draw and thought that even in these swarmy days, they'd be ok for a week. Shut up shop, went indoors quite satisfied.
However, he's on the Forum - which is why he must remain nameless - and he read advice to put a super on when they've drawn 7/8 frames. "Hmm," he thought, "might be a bit tight for my lot. But what a faff to get dressed up again, get the smoker going, gloves on etc. And they're so quiet, my girls - especially in the quiet of early evening."
"I know," said my friend, "I could put a QE under a super, and gently push off the perspex crown board as I slide on the QE/super. Before they know it, it will be done and dusted." So he did.
What a twit my friend is! Didn't realise there would be bees upside down on the crown board. And that when he started to slide the crown board off, these bees would be rolled along, till they got to the edge. Then they'd be trapped. And pissed off. "Ah," he thought, as they started to get cross, "Not quite going according to plan!" Well, if only you'd been there! Indeed, if only I had! (He told me all about it later.) As they poured out of the hive in their hundreds, he whipped off the crown board, plonked on the QE/super as quick as he could without squashing any bees, dropped the crown board on top of the super - and legged it inside, slamming the back door behind him. (Like me, he keeps his hive close to the house.)
How he laughed! Nervously. How skilfully he persuaded the memsahib, that though it was a hot day, it was better to keep the back door closed to keep the heat out. And how he pretended the two stings on his ankle weren't really there at all. And his legs weren't shaking.
Luckily, 15 minutes later, the girls were quiet again, so he could tidy things up, put the roof on and strap up. But what a pillock! What a lesson he learned. And how embarrassed he is. Actually, quite ashamed. Too clever by half.
Good job I'm more sensible! Thought it might be a good cautionary tale for the Forum. Hope no-one guesses who he is.....
Dusty
