What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Tremyfro]

I sugar roll before supers go on in the summer and before OAV in autumn. I'll get inspection trays in when I get back from Tradex

How is your daily varroa fall? Just put my boards in today.

 

[Erichalfbee]

2 days and not a single mite under any of them

 

[Tremyfro]

2 days and not a single mite under any of them

Ooo...pleased or what!
I shall be interested in how mine are doing. I didn't get big drops last autumn....so I'm sort of a bit anxious.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Early days but oh so much more encouraging than last years debacle!
Any varroa will be in the brood by now
Still, I'll keep trays in for three weeks.
December drops after OAV were 0 0 0 0 10 12

 

[Brigsy]

Spent the day preparing our new out apiary, swamped with bracken and bramble, so cleared a section. I set out three double hive stands, I just want to move some hives before they get going.

Looks cracking.

 

[colinc]

On the warpath for varroa. The under OMF insulation has been removed from the beehausies and the varroa boards greased and replaced. Also the boards greased and put under the poly hives.

I could see that the beehausies all have 2-3 plus brood frames being used as there was lines of brood cappings on the insulation blocks. So begins the varroa counts prior to opening hives in the near future.

There was evidence of a MOUSE!!!!! EEeeek!

Not in the hives but one had tried to get in....it had scratched and gnawed at the insulation...in vain...as the OMF stopped it. I don't know how it managed to get there as the legs are metal....clearly a very determined rodent.

The other really interesting thing is that the bees have built the comb down to within an inch or less of the OMF. Which they have not done before...so I guess the insulation makes a big difference to the bees after all.

Do you mind me asking what your preference is for your inspection boards in terms of grease/sticky stuff?


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[B+.]

Do you mind me asking what your preference is for your inspection boards in terms of grease/sticky stuff?

I just buy rolls of sticky backed plastic from W.H. Smith. Its easy to cut it to the right size for the inspection board that slides under the OMF. I tape it to the board too or it will curl up.
I do 3 * 7 day tests but what you're really after is an average number of mites / day.

 

[Millet]

Bees happy on Crocus today and i seen my first Bats flying tonight, they know something the weatherman does not..

 

[Tremyfro]

Do you mind me asking what your preference is for your inspection boards in terms of grease/sticky stuff?


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I use oil spray...you find it amongst the oils at the supermarket. You use it to spray a pan. The I use kitchen wipes to clean it off between counts.

 

[nantmoel]

Looks a lovely place. love that ancient wall behind!!

It is a lovely place (or will be) its surrounded (two sides) with the old stone wall, I remember this as a child, I was so pleased that the present owner agreed I can keep bees there.

 

[Brian Bush]

Spent the morning inspecting a hive that a newbee colleague has been given. It was an old langstroth and plenty of bees with good brood patches on 3 frames. Unfortunately the hive itself is not in good condition and I have recommended shook swarming into a new 14X12 as the comb is filthy and frames are coming apart.
I spent the afternoon in one of my out apiaries placing queen excluders on the hives and feeding candipoll to give them a boost. They have done well this winter only one hive gave me cause for concern.
I also had a pleasant surprise finding a late swarm had survived well. I had not seen them flying, but they had no need to, they had five brood frames of stores. They must have packed away every drop of autumn feed. There were plenty of bees and brood as well.
Feeling happy I decided to check the hives at home. I got stung on the nose through the veil and look like a bloodhound this morning. I usually hope the first stings are on the hands or somewhere that does not show. It is only stings to the face that swell and cause me issues. I am hoping it is the anti-histamines that are making me feel so lousy this morning.

 

[B+.]

I spent the afternoon in one of my out apiaries placing queen excluders on the hives and feeding candipoll to give them a boost. They have done well this winter only one hive gave me cause for concern.

Are you using the queen excluder to hold the candipollen above the frames Brian? I would have thought it was a bit too cold to be putting them on yet.
There are antihistamines available that don't cause drowsiness. Have a word with your doctor/pharmacist about it (I use ceterizine all year round because I have quite bad asthma).

 

[madasafish]

Sparrows building in refurbished nest boxes in tree opposite kitchen window.. A real sign of spring. Found a queen wasp yesterday in garden pots. Let her fly away..

 

[B+.]

Sparrows building in refurbished nest boxes in tree opposite kitchen window.. A real sign of spring. Found a queen wasp yesterday in garden pots. Let her fly away..

I've seen a few queen bumblebees foraging on crocuses, etc. too. I don't think it will be too long before our bees are calling to us.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you mind me asking what your preference is for your inspection boards in terms of grease/sticky stuff?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

All my inspection boards are white correx and like Trem I use spray on veg oil.
I wipe it off with one of these mini squeegees

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sparrows building in refurbished nest boxes in tree opposite kitchen window.. A real sign of spring. Found a queen wasp yesterday in garden pots. Let her fly away..

We have a sparrow terrace under the Pyracantha by our bedroom window. A male sparrow has been shouting his head off in front of it for a good few weeks now. The Red Kites are carrying sticks about and playing with them in the air. One drops it and its mate catches it ....occasionally one gets put into the nest they are refurbishing

 

[Brian Bush]

Are you using the queen excluder to hold the candipollen above the frames Brian? I would have thought it was a bit too cold to be putting them on yet.
There are antihistamines available that don't cause drowsiness. Have a word with your doctor/pharmacist about it (I use ceterizine all year round because I have quite bad asthma).

I am making sure the queens are in the brood box and feeding the candipollen and a lump of fondant. In all but three of the 14 hives I did yesterday there was a dearth of stores.
I've tried all sorts of anti-histamines and settled on Benedril for its quick action. I think my nose must be growing longer as I get older, I am not telling any more lies!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hooray. Bees out on the willows and the trees are humming

 

[Plenty of honey]

Hooray. Bees out on the willows and the trees are humming

Yes, great, same here too, bucket loads of pollen coming in, and they were flying before 9am. 14 degrees and cloudy but finally less wind and next 3 days are better, forecast 16 tomorrow and friday! 3 days foraging on the Mimosa and Willow will give a few good days food (or more) for developing larvae. Phew!!
feeling good about things now!
had a look at 20 nucs all doing well.
Found 1 drone laying queen, but thats easy, she had the immediate hive tool test!(and again she failed) lol. I have a last years nuc next to it, so easy to unite the two and have a strong colony early on! having nucs and queens in your yard early in the year is a true advantage.

 

[Little John]

Saw the first (giant-sized) Bumble of the season, and a couple of rather noisy drones - over-wintered ones, no doubt (unless something VERY odd is going on). Dunno how those guys managed to avoid eviction last year ... ?
LJ