What did you do in the Apiary today?

[fatshark]

Autumn treatment was mid Oct.

That's probably one reason mite numbers are so low. The earlier you treat at the end of the season, the more chance the mites will replicate to higher levels in very late reared brood ... but the better you protect your winter bees which are probably being reared from sometime in September.

All latitude/temperature-dependent ...

Of course, if your supers came off in mid-October you didn't have a choice in the matter.

 

[Goran]

Today " shoot to kill ( varroa)"..
Humid ( fog and low clouds cross over), temps 3 to 5C.. Conditions as I would wish..
Colonies the most seems OK, 2 looked odd - 4 seams ( might be deeper), will see.. I think in February how things will develop.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Vaped all five today.

10C, lots of flying, bringing in scraps of pollen, some drones.

They really don't like the treatment at all

 

[Angry_Mob]

Also vaped my hive today, first time doing this. Was fairly easily done once I found borrowed a battery from the lawn mower and could hear the little critters buzzing after it was done and more life around the entrance of the hive.

 

[madasafish]

Let's all stop using plastic.. so no electricity for a start (insulation), or cars, or computers.. or TVs or mobile phones, or plastic bags for food, fertiliser or compost, and certainly no takeout meals.Or fizzy drinks, milk containers etc.

That will solve the problem.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Let's all stop using plastic..

Not going to happen, but it's what needs to happen, it is only a fairly recent thing, we managed without it for thousands of years before.
As for mobile phones...worst thing ever invented.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

damp and drizzly today but as I had to spend a couple of hours up at the old chapel this morning helping the cleaning team get ready for Christmas day (and the TV cameras tomorrow evening) loaded up the wagon and went on to the furthest out apiaries for their first check since October for heft/fondant/vaping where necessary.
All hives still with a good weight, even the ones I thought were a bit light two months ago are still not desperately light but I have to make sure they're OK as they probably won't get a visit again for another month or so - especially if we get snow.quite a few of the colonies popped out to say hello but no need for a bee suit.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I've watched 3 hours of videos from the National Honey Show on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/user/nationalhoneyshow/videos

. . . . Ben

 

[Millet]

Cleaned the underside of the mesh floors today and for my troubles got so Oxcalic Acid in my eye, it stung slightly for a second then all back to normal, after that life threatening incident i gassed them all, a good tip if you are in a rush, don't let the vaping tool cool down, put the pan near where it is to be inserted, drop the product in and quickly push it in, job done in around or less than a minute, after that i had to fix part of the stock fence that one of the stinking horrible horses broke.

 

[Millet]

I've watched 3 hours of videos from the National Honey Show on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/user/nationalhoneyshow/videos

. . . . Ben

If you have not seen this one yet have a look i find it very interesting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fE4emUMyOWs

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've watched 3 hours of videos from the National Honey Show on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/user/nationalhoneyshow/videos

. . . . Ben

And?
What’s the best one?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

And?
What’s the best one?

I can see 'Beekeeping as a Profitable Sideline' by Will Steynor being popular.

I'll have a look at the varroa lifecycle one from a few years ago. Thanks.

 

[manek]

Went to my mini-apiary, planning to vape them with OA - and there's dozens of them flying about. Have to wait for poorer weather...

 

[Erichalfbee]

All hives busy out for a poo, collecting water from the grass in the sunshine and throwing out their dead.
Put more fondant on one colony.

Went to my mini-apiary, planning to vape them with OA - and there's dozens of them flying about. Have to wait for poorer weather...

If you vape under omf there is no need to wait or even close the entrance, maybe leave just one beespace.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can see 'Beekeeping as a Profitable Sideline' by Will Steynor being popular.

I'll have a look at the varroa lifecycle one from a few years ago. Thanks.

Is he the one who used to be an airline pilot? if so, I listened to his talk a few years ago - as well as being pretty dull and uninteresting I think it was bordering on fantasy to call what he was doing profitable or realistic.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Went to my mini-apiary, planning to vape them with OA - and there's dozens of them flying about. Have to wait for poorer weather...

All hives busy out for a poo, collecting water from the grass in the sunshine and throwing out their dead.
Put more fondant on one colony.



If you vape under omf there is no need to wait or even close the entrance, maybe leave just one beespace.

they don't all have to be indoors for the vaping to work - returning bees will get a dose of the desublimated crystals on contact with the rest of the colony
I vaped one of my out apiaries yesterday without bothering to close up - no sudden torrent of bees spilling out when I vaped andhardly a bee came out to investigate

 

[manek]

I waited for a quiet spell, quickly put the widget in and blocked the gaps as well as I could. But I rushed it, and there was just enough space for quite a few to boil out to investigate!

They'll get another dose in 5 days. Sort of Christmas present....

 

[Swarm]

Rising temps have encouraged the bees outside, I noticed a lot of activity from two garden hives in Rhoose, today.

 

[Harley1]

I spent half an hour watching and listening to the bees. Every hive was busy. They are in a nice, sheltered spot and it was really warm. So nice to have just a little time just to be there, enjoying the moment. All the hives feel very heavy and I noticed plenty of catkins forming already along the hedges. Nearly the shortest day already. I came home feeling quite cheerful.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Is he the one who used to be an airline pilot? if so, I listened to his talk a few years ago - as well as being pretty dull and uninteresting I think it was bordering on fantasy to call what he was doing profitable or realistic.

'Dull' , what do you want? Dancing girls! This is beekeeping and accountancy. I think a lot of new beekeepers imagine selling honey is going to be profitable when they start out. Even his low estimate of £5/lb is optimistic in this area.

I got the impression he was talking about decades ago. These days I imagine there is a lot more competition for market places, food fairs, farmers markets, even local shops, pollination contracts, etc. amongst you commercial guys. ?