What did you do in the Apiary today?

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On Friday I got a call for a swarm in a local garden.

Sceptical, I asked about its size and access to it and it was a classic rose bush swarm that was about 12" by 12", so too big to leave to the elements and I could have had it boxed in no time.

As I couldn't leave for half an hour, closer to 1300, I said there is always a chance as the day was warming up, they would move on. And what do you know, just as I grabbed my car keys, there was a text with a pic of the same rose bush, but without the swarm. They'd buggered off.

Oh well, someone else's problem now.
 
Transported Friday's cut out back to the home apiary this evening, looks like a success so far.
Carried out 3 unites to try and get numbers back down to 11 going into winter.
Quite an Ivy flow on here at the moment, distinctive Ivy nectar dripping out of the frames. Hopefully won't need much feeding this autumn.
 
Requeened a hive in the rain today;half an hour after we finished the sun came out :(.
The bees are a very depleted colony after heavy losses from CBPV. They were tossed up in the air yesterday so all the baby bees were lost too.
I wish I'd had a phone to video it for beginners. They were ambling about like bees do and still recovering from yesterdays trauma so I took their queen :(
Poor bloody bees!
Half an hour later, when I looked in, they were frantic, rushing around the top of the hive like insects possessed. I put their new queen in (caged) and in less than 10 seconds the roar and bedlam was gone. They knew straight away!

Fingers crossed.
What a horrid disease.
 
Clearer Boards on, bee's not happy and gave me a bit of a kicking but I'm out of time. Have approx 12 supers to extract tomorrow and start feeding for winter.
 
Requeened a hive in the rain today;half an hour after we finished the sun came out :(.
The bees are a very depleted colony after heavy losses from CBPV. They were tossed up in the air yesterday so all the baby bees were lost too.
I wish I'd had a phone to video it for beginners. They were ambling about like bees do and still recovering from yesterdays trauma so I took their queen :(
Poor bloody bees!
Half an hour later, when I looked in, they were frantic, rushing around the top of the hive like insects possessed. I put their new queen in (caged) and in less than 10 seconds the roar and bedlam was gone. They knew straight away!

Fingers crossed.
What a horrid disease.

Its good to hear about how people are dealing with CBPV - thanks for sharing.

I have one hive which is badly affected. At the weekend I took the supers off and put them on a floor and clearer board on another stand.

The affected bees were really clear to see, hanging around the door and then falling into the floor. Sad really but at least now it's cold at night they'll expire pretty quickly. Ironically I've taken three heavy supers off this colony.

On the other colony I cleared in a similar way you could see the bees leave the entrance, pootled found a bit, then fly back to their own hive.
 
Its good to hear about how people are dealing with CBPV - thanks for sharing.

I have one hive which is badly affected. At the weekend I took the supers off and put them on a floor and clearer board on another stand.

The affected bees were really clear to see, hanging around the door and then falling into the floor. Sad really but at least now it's cold at night they'll expire pretty quickly. Ironically I've taken three heavy supers off this colony.

On the other colony I cleared in a similar way you could see the bees leave the entrance, pootled found a bit, then fly back to their own hive.

Be aware that the disease progress might accelerate now you have taken the supers off. Maybe give them more room with an empty drawn super underneath?

I'll keep everybody in the loop
 
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Nadired a half-full super, and added a full-width rapid feeder full of 2:1 to both my hives. Pity the lids of the feeders don't quite fit under the roof: so I've a cover board (might as well keep it there) and a roof perched on top.
 
Finished jarring up the summer crop,216 twelve oz jars
Best year for me by a long way
Getting set up for oxalic vape next week
All Qx removed and top insulation on
Going into winter with 13 colonies
Ivy pollen flying in,don't imagine there'll be a need to feed again this year
 
splitting

I placed three brood frames and bees in the center of the new hive. left one slot open these space is where I would hang the new queen cage.
 
Be aware that the disease progress might accelerate now you have taken the supers off. Maybe give them more room with an empty drawn super underneath?

I'll keep everybody in the loop

Thanks for the tip - they've got an empty brood box on now, so hopefully the extra space will help, plus the removal of a lot of affected bees in the supers. Time will tell!

They do look sorry for themselves though.
 
Further to my post of 3/9/17 when I was Q hunting with no joy.

I went back to the hive and set up an excluder system. Checked and shook 11 frames onto the excluder without success. Finally,gently smoking the excluder, I spot the Q in a corner of the eke. She is now no more.

I note that the bees are still working the balsam and there is still some Rosebay flowering.
 
Did a quick drive by, just an excuse to look at the bees. Nice bright sunshine after a a miserable, wet day and loads of new bees orientating, the young native queens are on a mission.
 
Third vape done. Just need to sort some solid floors for winter and then insulate. Been a fun year but running out fast now.


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