What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Zante]

Bloody hell.... somewhere that is ahead of Exmoor....
They chopped all our chestnut trees down in the name of God...build a new vicarage.

Yep, an hour ahead here

But seriously, it does start earlier here in Italy, but it has just about started. A former neighbour who has four hectares of chestnuts mentioned that they're starting to bloom and he's looking for someone to take bees to them since the person who usually did couldn't this year.

Personally I don't really follow the flows, and for the same reason I don't do much in the way of manipulations on the hives, although at the beginning I was so eager to try all the things I learnt.
I keep them for hobby, and for personal use, and two hives provide me with that and enough to make presents on top of that. I don't bother selling the surplus because there is too much red tape to bother with if you have fewer than... say... 10 hives.

Even if one of my hives should swarm and I lose half of my crop, I will have plenty at the end of the year to cover me for a full year, and there are miles and miles of countryside for them to swarm to. I try to prevent it, but don't make a mission out of it, if you see what I mean.

I let them be most of the time, and I do quick weekly checks just to see if they are ok and if they need more supers. They seem happier that way too. The only thing I do do meticulously is varroa control.

 

[Walrus]

I took 34 frames of honey (all capped Langstroth deeps) off 3 hives, which I think is about 187lbs. Plenty left on the hives and plenty still coming in. Also, set up a cell builder so I'll be grafting in a week or so. It's a good year for me so far.

 

[beeno]

I took 34 frames of honey (all capped Langstroth deeps) off 3 hives, which I think is about 187lbs. Plenty left on the hives and plenty still coming in. Also, set up a cell builder so I'll be grafting in a week or so. It's a good year for me so far.

I measure my yield in jared-up honey as this is what I am selling.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yep, an hour ahead here

Nice one Zante....

 

[Millet]

I measure my yield in jared-up honey as this is what I am selling.

I am sure Walrus knows what he has got and just giving a accurate average..

 

[colinc]

After lifting 34 5lb8oz frames I wouldn’t have the energy to extract them to count jars.


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[masterBK]

Added extra supers to all production colonies. Up to last week I was worrying about the lack of honey on the hives due to the dry conditions on the sandy soils we have but the lime trees have come good and every one of 25 production colonies has completely filled two supers (a few are well on their 3rd) with lime honey in the last 9 days. Not seen honey come in this fast for several years (and then it was bees on Borage) . Also I have had my first colony of the year produce swarm cells ( I was begining to think I would get through the whole season without seeing any). Some of the cells were sealed but the slimline queen was still present (clipped so unlikely to go far). Carried out bog standard AS on the colony. Have had a few abscondings of unmated queens from Apideas this week possibly due to the heat (although they were sited in the shade). Temp reached 29 C (hottest part of Gods own county today according to local news)

 

[beeno]

... the lime trees have come good and every one of 25 production colonies has completely filled two supers (a few are well on their 3rd) with lime honey in the last 9 days.

Sounds promising. Last time I looked a few days ago lime was not out yet. Better take some more honey off in preparation.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Took the SBI around some of the apiaries now within an EFB contiguous zone. Boiling hot day, so hot we couldn't touch the metal on the roofs and even the bellows on my smoker needed care in handling - had to put an extra super on every hive, even the ones only inspected end of last week - clean bill of health anyway.
Back by mid afternoon and after a few hours catching up on 'office' work, signed off duty and decided to potter around making up more shallow frames and repairing a brood box I'd taken off an ended Demarree last night. When I got to the stores shed I thought dam,I can't have secured the wet supers properly earlier and they were merrily robbing - to get closer to find a massive swarm entering said broken brood box. so last light, moving brood and new colony onto floor and into apiary, swarm so heavy that it was hard work lifting the box!

 

[madasafish]

Continued with QR - another 8 (or was it 9? Bees so thick i could not count easily) cells started.
So hot I had to shield mini nucs with small blocks of wood on sides - roofs have wooden cover. Bees fanning madly. (Home made nucs with insulated covers do not have that problem)

Lime due to start soon - will go for stroll this am to check.
Lots and lots of nectar coming in.. time to check all supers..not many spare so more extraction called for...
Best summer I have seen since starting in 2010.

 

[drex]

Despite being on double brood with 2017 queens all my hives swarmed earlier this year. I was neglecting them due to looking after a very sick wife. On inspection yesterday one of them is at it again. This time caught in time for a Snelgrove II. Some of the others failed to requeen and were United

 

[simonforeman]

Watched the bees coming and going like mad.... this warm weather and light breeze must be helping them to forage further... how can you tell looking at them coming back if they are carrying nectar?

 

[enrico]

Watched the bees coming and going like mad.... this warm weather and light breeze must be helping them to forage further... how can you tell looking at them coming back if they are carrying nectar?

Their back ends will be low. The bodies will be at a 45 degree angle as they hit the landing board!
E

 

[madasafish]

Inspected the hives of a lady I occasionally help. Hive 1 was Q - and we requeened ( a 2017 queen) it 4 weeks ago. She was anxious about it but two frames of capped brood and flying well. I promised her - subject to weather - it should be on 10 frames bees by winter...

Hive 2 - a swarm she collected around the same time as the above was requeened is now on brood and a half. The box she uses has a makeshift entrance due to wood rot, so we reorganised it , put on a super and gaffer taped the holes up so they can use a more conventional entrance. Bad tempered lot - stung me twice..

Came home to inspect Cell raising nuc# - removed one rogue QC.. Veil and shorts job in this weather..
(The lady's second hive was definitely not a veil and shorts job - jeans and jacket)

# 2 x 5 frame Lang nucs, stuffed with bees.. brushed bees off combs with nettles

 

[colinc]

Fitted a Hozelock watering system to the hanging baskets and now doing a bbq


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[B+.]

Fitted a Hozelock watering system to the hanging baskets and now doing a bbq

You're spoiling those bees!

 

[JWF]

You're spoiling those bees!

Imagine if they all wanted a burger

 

[gregior]

Had a peek at the top supers on mine tonight.Ground is bone dry so wasn't expecting much of a flow but glad to say I was wrong Most have filled over a super in the last 10 days and there's still a very good flow on (clover and rosebay i'm guessing)
Bees are drawing comb really well so added some starters to the strongest.

Bees a bit tetchy as they often are during hot weather.

 

[Swarm]

The Willowherb near me is shrivelling in the heat, no bees on it it or the Bramble.

 

[Millet]

.. wrong page as usual..