What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not so much what I did in the apiary, but I found myself stuck behind a pickup travelling gingerly along the road to Biggar up in Scotland. I'm thinking there must be something precious in those boxes

Either that or he's pashed!

I just thymolised a few gallons of syrup (well. sixty ish) and vaped another couple of apiaries.
Bees still piling in the balsam and, of course ivy.

 

[G4WIL]

Lovely place Biggar. Been up there stalking Sika the past few years. Sadly won't be getting there this season
Wingy

The sika won’t mind !


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[Erichalfbee]

The sika won’t mind !


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And neither will I

 

[madasafish]

Update on helping lady from last week.
see prior episode
https://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showpost.php?p=605846&postcount=21627


After rain etc last week, this pm was dry, sunny and windless - a complete contrast.
Checked varroa counts on two treated hives - roughly an average of 30/day so OK. The untreated weak hive had dropped about 4-5 day- so will treat tomorrow.
It turns out the "National" hives she bought were Rose hives.. I thought the boxes looked slightly strange... As I had made up some insulated dummy boards to reduce the space of unoccupied frames, a quick alteration to heights of approx 4 cms was in order (Rose frames are same width as Nationals across top bar but less deep).

The first strong hive (3 boxes)- not fed before was fed 2.5K FondaBee pack with an eke. Quick and dirty bubble wrap added below roof as cold night forecast.

The second VERY weak hive had 5 frames of bees in one box.. 6(?) empty frames removed and dummied down . The rapid feeder has been emptied (2KG sugar) by the bees and was replaced by Fondabee as hive 1. The brood box used as an eke was replaced by a "proper" eke . Bubble wrap as hive 1

The third hive was with bees on three boxes (Rose hives are a one size box system) but bees were in a funnel on 5 frames in each box on East facing side. (Hives face South). So top two boxes removed with roof, empty frames removed from bottom box and insulated dummies in. Ditto box 2, ditto box 3. Feeder in Box 4 (no eke) was empty and replaced by FondaBee. Bubble wrap as Hive 1.

Some of the boxes (home made of 9mm ply) - did not fit well and were gaffer taped to cover gaps at joints

Bees foraging strongly on all three - ivy and HB pollen..

No inspections done and none planned - 12C max today- and risk of damaging queens too high/disruption etc.

After tonight's yoga made last eke and insulation boards to fit in roofs- tomorrows job..
Weather growing colder especially nights so syrup feeding risky hence switch to fondant. May need to feed weaker hives all winter..


New beekeeper lit smoker successfuly, helped lift boxes, tighten ratchet straps and remove combs and put in dummies - quick learner.. She'll be a good beekeeper.

Learned a lot about rose hives - mainly unprintable..

 

[Millet]

Good on you Fish man for intervening but i don't think i have done that all season let alone in one day,

 

[Poly Hive]

So yesterday not today but worth mentioning.

A week ago I took off some honey from one hive and set about another. Super was Nat poly with 8 Manley frames of which 5 were pretty much filled and sealed so the next day I lifted it off removed the clearer board which is not a porter board but of my own construction with a 1" timber side which was FULL of bees... hmm I thought maybe not just yet so put the sup back on with the clearer on top so as to avoid banging the bees.

Yesterday I had a peep with no veil so a very gentle peep and woo sup is near full with a cloud of bees STILL wearing the HB dust coats... nae sae bad eh?

PH

 

[Barbarian]

Checked the Q less box that I had combined with a better tempered hive.
Temper was much better. Plenty of stores. Must have been a battle. Dead bees on the ground in front of the hive.

Not worried. Less bees to feed through the winter. Plenty of stores for a normal winter.

 

[Goran]

" indian summer" or as here we say " granny's summer". Autumn started to paint with its brush through the forest mountains here, explosion of colors. But still bees constantly bringing full yellow "baskets" of pollen. Some also on their back bring it. I presume that should be from ivy and yellow toadflax, some from aster ( but insignificant I believe) I have no great experience with ivy.. Tomorrow second " treatment" with nozevit and.. peace till the OA..
Mice got resilient.. so do I and our cats.. So far " my team" is winning.. Bummer strimmer got broken, waiting for repair, have to finish strimming around the hives..
Deers got berserk.. They are jumping over the fence and so far masacrated around 50 fruit trees.. 4 of fruit trees already dead, the rest crippled and with scars.. Local hunters cannot do much.. Here are " swarms" of them, I think I will be destroyed this winter.. To be merrier.. local municipality won't repair their road which goes by my property.. for 3rd-4th year so far ( I asked for only 500 meters of critical section-landslides, etc..).. Maybe they wait 10 years so can make some anniversary of it.. At the same time yelling that nobody wants to work on a land ( I wonder why).. Sooo, lot of walking this winter for me.. again..

 

[Swarm]

Apiary looks beautiful as always Goran. Isn't it Toadflax that dabs their backs? I think so.
Weather was not so nice here today but took advantage of some very laid back bees to get things done. Returning tomorrow for an OAV session

 

[Goran]

Yes toadflax usually got on their back. Also bees pack by themselves on their back pollen from toadflax - I observed when they were putting it with their legs..
Few pics more..

 

[JWF]

Topped up a couple of feeders and hefted all the hives - nearly ready for winter

 

[bjosephd]

Celotex cosies now finished for all hives.

Feeding continues....

Hopefully can get enough syrup down them before I go away on Monday!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Much easier just to line wood roof with a layer

 

[Millet]

Much easier just to line wood roof with a layer

I have bought poly roofs which is easier again

 

[oGri]

Fed n hefted all, still need more. can smell Ivy so that's getting worked hard.

 

[Show me the honey]

Fed n hefted all, still need more. can smell Ivy so that's getting worked hard.

I've over fed one of my hives as we had good weather as the ivy came into flower! (Which I wasn't expecting) but least I'll have some full frames for making up Nucs come spring

Fed abit late last year, too early this year so should get it spot on next year!

 

[coffindodger]

Kingspan cosies. The 1 tonne builders bags(e.g. Jewsons) fit over the cosies. A little big, but with some tape make a nice waterproof outer layer. Builders cannot reuse these so need to get rid somehow.

 

[Swarm]

Kingspan cosies. The 1 tonne builders bags(e.g. Jewsons) fit over the cosies. A little big, but with some tape make a nice waterproof outer layer. Builders cannot reuse these so need to get rid somehow.

I'd be concerned in case a build up of damp?

 

[bjosephd]

Much easier just to line wood roof with a layer

Yeah probably. But I like the big squAre silver sculptures in the orchard now, and the bees seem to like them, and the woodpeckers seem not to.

 

[bjosephd]

I've over fed one of my hives as we had good weather as the ivy came into flower! (Which I wasn't expecting) but least I'll have some full frames for making up Nucs come spring



Fed abit late last year, too early this year so should get it spot on next year!

Mine ate getting gallons of feed as tomorrow I’m off for an unforeseeable amount of time. Hopefully they won’t et too bound up with ivy and syrup. Tons of pollen going in too!

Langstroth boxes at least, so they have a bit of space to fill at least.