What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Transferred 15 larvae (nicot system) to starter colony - making sure to cover all with a damp cloth... Prior attempt in hot weather was a disaster (1 out of 12 took)

 

[Helen]

Picked up a prime swarm yesterday from the front garden of a local house. Owners had lived there 25 years, and had always had bees "living under the floorboards of their bedroom". From outside, loads of bees coming and going from a hole next to the bedroom window. And another hole on another side of the house at upper floor level, again, loads of bees coming and going. Owners seemed happy to have them there. They said they swarmed every couple of years.

Anyway, bees landed on a baby cherry tree in their front garden. Popped them into a (14x12) nuc at about 2pm, then left until evening for them to all go in. Got back and they were all hanging off the front of the nuc. Hmmm. So, scooped them inside gently, waited for stragglers to go in (lots of bees fanning at entrance), wrapped them and took them home.

This morning, opened up the entrance (with queen excluder) and 30 minutes later, most hanging off the front of the nuc again, roaring away. So, maybe queenless?

Popped in a frame of BIAS from another nuc to see what they do with it. Also gave them an undrawn super as well, to keep them occupied. This evening, all bees back inside nuc.

 

[beeno]

About forage for my apiary. Living here for 30 years, I have just discovered that one of the neighbours down the road has a ginormous Black Locust tree in his front garden! It is in flower at the moment thereof my ability to identify it. Is the pollen yellow?

 

[philipm]

Bees all over the laurel today even though they are not in flower.The heat may be making the leaves produce more nectar.

 

[Goran]

This one is calm colony.. It had eggs in few qcells before about a week ago. I checked yesterday and it change its mind and decide to go after lime forage..
Mainly swarming urge got quiet and few odd ones are thinking of branching.. Now awaits how the lime forage will go, still I have to leave much of this honey to them cause after this there are no forages, period of drought start.. Not expecting much of extraction for me..

 

[colinc]

This one is calm colony.. It had eggs in few qcells before about a week ago. I checked yesterday and it change its mind and decide to go after lime forage..

Mainly swarming urge got quiet and few odd ones are thinking of branching.. Now awaits how the lime forage will go, still I have to leave much of this honey to them cause after this there are no forages, period of drought start.. Not expecting much of extraction for me..

If the lime is as nice as people say, extract it and give them syrup in its place.

I have never had lime honey, I watch for trees but have not seen any near my hives.


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[gregior]

Inspected all mine today,was nervous as on last visit it was a right mess with only 4 of my 10 hives queenright and lots of mites so I had also treated them all with MAQS.

So today all 6 of my queenless hives and 3 mating nucs I set up all had new laying queens and were all seen and marked.

However 2 of the 4 queenright colonies had lost their queens during the MAQS treatment (i saw one of them barely alive on the hive floor) They were both old queens due for replacement anyway so no huge loss.Used 2 newly mated queens from the mating nucs to replace these.

Decent but not huge amounts of honey on the hives average around 20lbs per hive in the supers.

All in all not too shabby and should be in good shape for the main balsam flow in August.

 

[enrico]

About forage for my apiary. Living here for 30 years, I have just discovered that one of the neighbours down the road has a ginormous Black Locust tree in his front garden! It is in flower at the moment thereof my ability to identify it. Is the pollen yellow?

Don't know, a couple of days ago I noticed two in a neighbour's garden. Very large tree, obviously flowering well this year. No idea what the pickings are like!
E

 

[Millet]

Inspected three nucs, all Queen cells have emerged and have Virgin Queens in them, i will look in a couple of weeks and see if the lack of swallows has helped with mating flights, also cleared the weeds and grass from the entrances of the hives.

 

[Goran]

About forage for my apiary. Living here for 30 years, I have just discovered that one of the neighbours down the road has a ginormous Black Locust tree in his front garden! It is in flower at the moment thereof my ability to identify it. Is the pollen yellow?

Yes. But offers less pollen and abundance of nectar. Its smell spread around when is " bee ready".

I just came from the apiary.. burned strimmer while strimming around hives..
Seems lime open the season, bees fly as bullets in and out..

 

[beeno]

Yes. But offers less pollen and abundance of nectar. Its smell spread around when is " bee ready".

I just came from the apiary.. burned strimmer while strimming around hives..
Seems lime open the season, bees fly as bullets in and out..

Hi Goran,
Since you are the expert. My hives smell very nice and it is a scent I have not noticed before, wafting in through my bedroom window at night. Do you think it is Black Locust?

 

[Goran]

Hi Goran,
Since you are the expert. My hives smell very nice and it is a scent I have not noticed before, wafting in through my bedroom window at night. Do you think it is Black Locust?

It might be, also in evening is stronger smell around black locust trees than during the day.
I like to walk in the evening then its smell is seducing and relaxing and really awesome. The bees are then also the most calm in the year, they don't notice you when digging through the hive.
One beek told when is black locust forage.. you can do to bees whatever you imagine.. you will succeed..

 

[beeno]

Well, Goran this is the best honey I have ever tasted - dipped some strawberries in it. However, my girls were very feisty. Shall try to keep it separate.

 

[Goran]

Well, Goran this is the best honey I have ever tasted - dipped some strawberries in it. However, my girls were very feisty. Shall try to keep it separate.

To me, black locust honey is somehow empty, light with neutral taste. Such is recommended for kids and elderly. I like when honey hits me with its " attitude", such as spring honey ( fruit scent and taste) or our honeydew ( some says taste as cappuccino). Soon will fill some jars and place the pic how it looks in it. Quite surprisingly even it takes long to crystallize ( at me at the end of second year started to show signs that it would start to crystallize), itself is very viscous and tough.

 

[beeno]

To me, black locust honey is somehow empty, light with neutral taste. Such is recommended for kids and elderly. I like when honey hits me with its " attitude", such as spring honey ( fruit scent and taste) or our honeydew ( some says taste as cappuccino). Soon will fill some jars and place the pic how it looks in it. Quite surprisingly even it takes long to crystallize ( at me at the end of second year started to show signs that it would start to crystallize), itself is very viscous and tough.

The honey I have got is very pale yellow with a slight greenish hue. Definitely not Hawthorn as that is amber with a taste of almond. Definitely 'spring' honey, but not like blossom honey - difficult to say in words. Shall have to ponder over that and eat some more. Appreciate your input - thanks.

 

[Goran]

The honey I have got is very pale yellow with a slight greenish hue. Definitely not Hawthorn as that is amber with a taste of almond. Definitely 'spring' honey, but not like blossom honey - difficult to say in words. Shall have to ponder over that and eat some more. Appreciate your input - thanks.

I could send you couple jars to taste ( for free of course, lately lot of people twist my words..), but unfortunately it isn't allowed.. If you stay somewhere in Croatia for hols I can send you at that address ( within same country).

 

[Helen]

Picked up a prime swarm yesterday from the front garden of a local house. Owners had lived there 25 years, and had always had bees "living under the floorboards of their bedroom". From outside, loads of bees coming and going from a hole next to the bedroom window. And another hole on another side of the house at upper floor level, again, loads of bees coming and going. Owners seemed happy to have them there. They said they swarmed every couple of years.

Got another call from the home owner. Another swarm had landed in exactly the same place, coming out of her house. So, went around and picked these up in a super, and then united them on top of the Saturday swarm.

Neighbour came around whilst I was moving them, and said a 3rd swarm was seen a couple of days ago, landing in another tree before disappearing off into the sunset. I wonder how many other calls I'll get from this house owner.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Checked the two Buckfast queens I (re)introduced on Saturday.

The first nuc which is the stronger one had a few queen cells made up so I knocked them down. I removed the cage as they weren't aggressive looking, immediately they all went over to tend to HM. I topped up the feed this evening as they are taking it down like mad and drawing comb very quickly.

Second nuc the majority of the brood had hatched and the queen has managed to escape so they accepted her alright and sign of eggs being laid already.

Good day. Just have to keep an eye of the stronger nuc in case they try and supersede her.

 

[colinc]

Checked the two Buckfast queens I (re)introduced on Saturday.

The first nuc which is the stronger one had a few queen cells made up so I knocked them down. I removed the cage as they weren't aggressive looking, immediately they all went over to tend to HM. I topped up the feed this evening as they are taking it down like mad and drawing comb very quickly.

Second nuc the majority of the brood had hatched and the queen has managed to escape so they accepted her alright and sign of eggs being laid already.

Good day. Just have to keep an eye of the stronger nuc in case they try and supersede her.

Plan to check mine tomorrow, again 2 Buckfast introduced into colonies. Hope they don’t try for immediate supersedure.


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[beeno]

That is very kind Goran. I would like to travel to your parts of the world some day.