What did you do in the Apiary today?

[victor meldrew]

I had previously been made to stumble , shrugged it off until Bingo,crunch
I'm a slow learner but once a lesson is learned it sticks
VM

 

[IPMoody]

Made the most of the last of the good weather and went through my hive, having removed the second batch of varroa strips. Found eggs, larvae and capped brood in my bottom BB, with the remaining frames full of honey and pollen. Found my top BB full of more honey, pollen, more brood and HM in my top BB. Put on a small feeder so they can 'fill in the gaps'.

Pretty happy going into my first winter....

 

[oliver90owner]

having removed the second batch of varroa strips.

I am wondering what these 'strips' are. Please can you enlighten us.

RAB

 

[IPMoody]

having removed the second batch of varroa strips.

I am wondering what these 'strips' are. Please can you enlighten us.

RAB

I've been using Thymovar strips. Not sure the bees thought much of them, they were determined to cover them in propolis!

 

[drstitson]

Read with astonishment a posting on the italian forum about what a newbie was sold by apicultural supplies shop:

" they sold me BAYTICOL 6%, saying that is the one used in the area. They told me:
- Dilute;
- Soak the strips of wood (which they themselves have given me) in the solution;
- Place the strips in the hives."

Presumably cheaper to buy and dilute Permethrin intended for man's best friend then splash out on Bayvarol!!!!!

 

[itma]

Read with astonishment a posting on the italian forum about what a newbie was sold by apicultural supplies shop:

" they sold me BAYTICOL 6%, saying that is the one used in the area. They told me:
- Dilute;
- Soak the strips of wood (which they themselves have given me) in the solution;
- Place the strips in the hives."

Presumably cheaper to buy and dilute Permethrin intended for man's best friend then splash out on Bayvarol!!!!!

Flea spray + water + an offcut of something random ...

 

[itma]

11.5C after a wet and wild night, but with the sun shining, they were still 'on a mission' before midday ...

 

[drstitson]

"Flea spray + water + an offcut of something random ..."

Perhaps The Apprentices could quickly knock up a bespoke landing board with a foot pedal type mechanism which applies a metered drop of (diluted) frontline (or similar) onto the neck of each forager as it returns.

 

[Capella]

10/11C today, cold and showery, when I went out to the hives.

After recent turn to cold weather (8C yesterday) surprised to see plenty of bees still bringing in pollen and a few drones still around.

 

[Headnavigator]

Bad table manners?

Come to the conclusion my bees are messy eaters! Whatever they have, there's always a good residue filtered through the OMF onto the paving slab below. This is now the haunt of ants and wasps, who have enjoyed wax, pollen, thymolised syrup and are now trying out delicately flaked fondant. How do I teach the ladies to eat with their mouths closed?

 

[drstitson]

Just transferred the recently arrived swarn from my bait box to it's new home - a nice proper poly one rather than on old LDPE chiller box. 4 frames of nice well behaved bees with a bit of brood (inc. capped so been there since at least weekend of 8-9th) .now sandwiched between some drawn frames and Knaufboard dummies for first round of feeding and treating. entrance reducer on and entrance further minimised by foam inserts added first.

MM jumbo green feeder happily sitting on top of the MB poly BB - note to PH & ITLD the nationals have chamfered outer top edges and buttressed bottoms rather than the "offensive" raised lips found on the LS ones so normal national sized stuff fits fine.

Will see how they do over next fortnight but may need to go over to fondant or a frame feeder if weather stays cold.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

VG Drs vi & gtk
ttfn
Jbm

 

[MuswellMetro]

just put insulation on a friends hive that i have just been asked to look after as he has testicular Cancer

Depressed on both accounts, first on how ill my friend looks on the experimental cancer treatmnet ( it has re occured) and second on the state of the bees when opened up in the last warm spell

the bees have not built up and are only on 6 14x12s so about the size of a small national colony ,however they seem demorlished and are not taking ambrosia down well, the frames were not closed up tightly and some a skew with lots of brace and proplis, too late to open up in this temperature

i have put a large 4" slab of kings span over them and dont want to combine as i do not know why they are sluggish

 

[drstitson]

morphic resonance between bees and keeper - he's down; so are they.

 

[Skyhook]

just put insulation on a friends hive that i have just been asked to look after as he has testicular Cancer

Depressed on both accounts, first on how ill my friend looks on the experimental cancer treatmnet ( it has re occured) and second on the state of the bees when opened up in the last warm spell

the bees have not built up and are only on 6 14x12s so about the size of a small national colony ,however they seem demorlished and are not taking ambrosia down well, the frames were not closed up tightly and some a skew with lots of brace and proplis, too late to open up in this temperature

i have put a large 4" slab of kings span over them and dont want to combine as i do not know why they are sluggish

Sorry to hear that, on both counts. Can you get any Kingspan inside the hive? 2 of mine are smaller than I would like- by getting them down to 8 frames I was able to dummy with 50mm of kingspan each side, and I think it's perked them up- seem to be feeding better.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Put second lot of Apiguard on - one hive chock a block with stores (BB only) but the other one which has a super on is very slow in taking down the syrup (plenty of stores there though and plenty of room for more but seem to be reluctant to cap it).
Moved two boxes of MM's sales purchases from mother's to mine as SWMBO in work
Bees foraging busily today - yellow pollen and nectar coming in

 

[drstitson]

"Moved two boxes of MM's sales purchases from mother's to mine as SWMBO in work"

at least you got yours promptly!!! mine still not arrived (despite being ordered on the sunday) and no word from MM until prompted this week. even then it was only to say they are having to make more stuff and that it would be shipped in due course.

obviously very busy in despatch and the workshop but an email would have been nice. perhaps they've taken on william part time.

 

[Poggle]

Mine have still got some fondant left so I quickly put the roofs back on again, none flying this morning, still wasps around though. Polytunnel thermometer which is about 2 metres from the hives showed a minus 5 last night...........Some how I think I am moving my weather station to the allotment, I don't trust that thermometer

John

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

"Moved two boxes of MM's sales purchases from mother's to mine as SWMBO in work"

at least you got yours promptly!!! mine still not arrived (despite being ordered on the sunday) and no word from MM until prompted this week. even then it was only to say they are having to make more stuff and that it would be shipped in due course.

obviously very busy in despatch and the workshop but an email would have been nice. perhaps they've taken on william part time.

Mine only arrived this Tuesday - ordered early morning on first day of sale, but yes, a note explaining the delay would have been nice very pleased with the quality of the supers and broods though

 

[Vergilius]

Did hopefully the final round of feeding at the out-apiary hives. Will remove apiguard treatment this weekend - bit late I know!!!


Ben P