What did you do in the Apiary today?

[bjosephd]

Looked out window.

Saw sun.

...and blue skies!

 

[B+.]

Looked out window.

Saw sun.

...and blue skies!

Don't blink. You'll miss it!

 

[bjosephd]

Don't blink. You'll miss it!

[emoji15]

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'll say one thing - people need to invest in honey glasses - or just ask the chief steward as some of the honeys were way out of shade - there were some medium honeys there darker than my dark honey!

That's OK...as long as the judges have the right glasses

 

[masterBK]

Most judges have now standardised on the BD (= Bernard Diaper) set of grading glasses as these are the ones being used at the National Honey Show and most of the major shows in England (maybe not in Wales?)

 

[bjosephd]

That's OK...as long as the judges have the right glasses

Are honey glasses a bit like beer goggles?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Most judges have now standardised on the BD (= Bernard Diaper) set of grading glasses as these are the ones being used at the National Honey Show and most of the major shows in England (maybe not in Wales?)

doesn't really matter - the glasses are much the same only, in my opinion the dark glass is ever so slightly darker, but these wouldn't have hit medium with either. this wasn't the judge it was the entrants . Unfortunately this judge couldn't be bothered to leave judging notes on disregarded entries so noone will know whether they were pulled or not (I will find out on Thursday when I remember to ask the judges steward - we only had time to chat for an hour today.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Having a lot of very rainy days here as well, but carry on doing the bee work regardless... using large umbrellas over the hives when the rain is really heavy.

Absolutely. If we have to catch 160 mating nucs, and it's pouring down rain...oh well. There'r ripe queen cells tomorrow that will need to go somewhere. We use 10'x10' canopies, and move them about the apiary as we progress through the nucs. What else can we do. Not fair weather beekeepers.

 

[Finman]

.
Spring rape has bloomed 4 weeks. Temps have seldom rosen over 20C.
Fireweed has started. In normal summer it would be now over. Huge flow just now. Heather is starting.

What I have done.... Artificial swarms... And honey boxes off.

 

[B+.]

Another 20 cells in the incubator due to emerge today. These are all destined to be inseminated as part of the C-VSH project.

 

[Wingy]

Just united 1 small colony with 1 small Q- colony seemed to go well and should give a better chance of over wintering
Wingy

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just united 1 small colony with 1 small Q- colony seemed to go well and should give a better chance of over wintering
Wingy

Give them lots of TLC and be prepared to put them in a nuc. Uniting two small colonies increases the number of bees for a while but you still have only the one queen from the small colony laying. Better to unite weak to strong if you have one, of course.

 

[Wingy]

Give them lots of TLC and be prepared to put them in a nuc. Uniting two small colonies increases the number of bees for a while but you still have only the one queen from the small colony laying. Better to unite weak to strong if you have one, of course.

I'm doing my best for them. At the moment they are in a dummied down langstroth bb. I have just made a 5 frame nuc (need to make an eke for it so that I can feed) will insulate and keep fingers crossed

 

[Millet]

Looked and looked and looked again at a Nuc entrance most of the day all is good me think's, i need a Job for sure to stop the obsession, i'm sure breeding Rattle Snakes would be easier.

 

[wightbees]

Picture of my Beth looking for young lava for the Queen rearing colony. She sat in the cab whilst I get the colony ready.

 

[Wingy]

Just united 1 small colony with 1 small Q- colony seemed to go well and should give a better chance of over wintering
Wingy

Checked in today 24 hours after uniting the 2 colonies & all looks good, Q going about her business, plenty of eggs, started drawing out more foundation & all seem to have found the balsam

 

[Etton]

Walking in Austria with bees

 

[pargyle]

Well ....not my apiary .. the association one. Took my BBKA Basic assessement .. great assessor ...really knew his stuff and very understanding. Raining, windy, hive full of bees .. I would not have opened mine up but .. needs must. They were pretty feisty, numerous (I lost count after the first six or so) stings to my hands. I just had the one pair of nitriles on as these are usually very affable bees - not today, if I had known then it would have been marigolds and nitriles, Right hand pretty swollen - they got under my cuff and stings all round my wrist as well, through my jeans, one got down into my welly boot and stung my calf. I've handled bees that were in a worse temper but I've been prepared for it ..

Kept going but eventually at about frame 7 I think the mutual decision was that we'd offended them sufficiently and I was glad to put them back together !

Have I passed ? Don't know ... not really that bothered as the experience with the assessor was a good one and I was only making up the numbers required. It's a fairly thorough list of questions .. some things I voiced, where I don't follow the BBKA book, I rather feared rebuke but I explained my reasoning and none came. As most people know, I don't consider myself a real beekeeper !

I'm not a badge collector either but this was a practical, sensible and well led assessment - with the right assessor I would recommend it to anyone who feels they have reached even a fairly low level of competence. It's going to take a few hours for the swelling to subside but a small price to pay ..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well ....not my apiary .. the association one. Took my BBKA Basic assessement ..

Well blow me down!
Hope you're better soon. Stings around the wrist are a real b****r as it's a hot spot.

This morning I was greeted with the following picture at the front of my newest bees.
Two weeks ago I gave them some free drawn comb without checking it. What a stupid mistake. It was full of drone sized cells and on next inspection my new queen had duly filled it. What a waste at this time of year! They are in a double decker nuc box so I moved the two frames up. The brood there was maybe a quarter worker so I decided to keep an eye for when it emerged and pull the frames.
Well well, clever bees. They have dragged the larvae out and are filling the cells with nectar.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oops
Forgot the picture