What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Requeened one upstart nuc.
Inspected all 8 of last QR mini nucs put out two weeks ago. Three were Q- - birds on mating flights?
Requeend them with latest batch of Qs .
Added supers to hives whose top supers were fullish and capped.

Does not sound much but absolutely dripping with sweat afterwards..

(Relaxed and loosened up with an hour's outdoor yoga at 8pm with a breeze - lovely)

 

[Wingy]

Taking advantage of the good weather I made a solar wax melter last week and stuck a pile of old dirty wax in it. Just recovered a nice block of beautiful clean wax
Beauty is I’ve made it so it can easily be converted to a steam wax melter when needed

 

[Angry_Mob]

Taking advantage of the good weather I made a solar wax melter last week and stuck a pile of old dirty wax in it. Just recovered a nice block of beautiful clean wax
Beauty is I’ve made it so it can easily be converted to a steam wax melter when needed

Any pictures? Sounds useful.



Another Abelo hive arrived yesterday. Realised I had only three 14x12 frames left so made up another 10. Then went through my hive and cut out any queen cells so the hive should be hopelessly queenless now. Made up two Apideas and dropped in queen cells.

Placed the new 14x12 brood > newspaper > QE> 2 supers> QE > 14x12 brood. Placed frames and a queen from a nuc in the brood chamber along with the foundation. Hoping they accept the new queen, I'll leave for a week and merge down into a single box.

 

[Beecat]

For those who are interested in the beekeeper wars hereabouts I found some info. I may have understated the problem. I'll just give a link since it's pretty far from the thread topic.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/local-blueberry-crop-in-trouble-why-some-beekeepers-are-staying-away-1.3868735

 

[B+.]

For those who are interested in the beekeeper wars hereabouts I found some info. I may have understated the problem. I'll just give a link since it's pretty far from the thread topic.

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/local-blueberry-crop-in-trouble-why-some-beekeepers-are-staying-away-1.3868735

I'm not a big fan of blueberries but my wife and youngest son are. Honestly, I'm on the side of the beekeeper. If your farmers spray indiscriminately, the beekeepers have to protect their investment.

 

[Beecat]

Given what they are paid, they'd only have to suffer a 20% loss to erase all profit. And that profit is only worth about ten jars of honey. Which would you pick- sell a half super of honey or risk the whole hive?
All the same at least one guy is putting out 6000 hives.

 

[drex]

Did a stage two of Snelgrove II. HM still took some finding but I marked her. All went well. Surprised at number of bees still in parent hive. All hives building nicely after all swarming at start of season ( my wife was long term Ill and eventually passed), and are filling some supers. I will get a poor crop, but just glad to have the bees back on track. Found and marked a couple of the queens. The Warre I started off earlier now filling two boxes, with straight comb. Have got my enthusiasm back for the bees, as it waned in the few months since she died. All in all pretty pleased. Deferred my general husbandry assessment, which I was due to take this month, but will have a go next year. I started the study, for my own enjoyment, in the times between looking after my wife. Doubt I will do any queen rearing this season. I just select from the best of my mongrel stock. But what is the latest time in the year I could do some grafting, just in case my enthusiasm continues to climb?

 

[Helen]

Received my new queen from Ged Marshall today. Hoping for less swarmy behaviour from my bees for a little while.

Planned on introducing her into a nuc. Following comments on this forum, I'd caged the incumbant queen 9 days ago, so not possible to lay eggs in nuc and therefore reduce chance of immediate supercedure when GM queen added.

Created a wire cage into which a 14x12 or smaller frame can be placed, and sealed. Put a frame of BIAS which included emerging bees, stores, and space to lay. Added GM queen, sealed cage and popped her in the nuc after removing incumbant queen.

Totally OTT I know, but don't want to risk this queen.

 

[Beefriendly]

Check for supercedure cells before releasing new queen. I sometimes cage mine like this and occasionally they will start supercedure cells as they know the old queen isn't behaving right.

 

[Helen]

Check for supercedure cells before releasing new queen.

But they don't have eggs to create anything. Old queen was caged to allow eggs to develop enough. That's the hope anyway. But yes, I'll give them a full checkup before releasing GM's HM.

 

[Noddy]

Taking advantage of the good weather I made a solar wax melter last week and stuck a pile of old dirty wax in it. Just recovered a nice block of beautiful clean wax
Beauty is I’ve made it so it can easily be converted to a steam wax melter when needed

I inadvertently left some frames out when swapping out some foundation, it melted...... Didn't need a solar extractor lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

One of mine did this

 

[Beefriendly]

But they don't have eggs to create anything.

But the bees already in the nuc did have eggs when you caged the old queen and this is what they will (if they have done) drawn them on. If they are there they will be there now. i.e present already before you even try to introduce your new queen. I always check before adding new queen. I reckon they do this about 1 in 4 caging's.

 

[Helen]

Ah got it. Yes, I checked everything before I added new queen. No sign of any queen cell building on the frames.

 

[manek]

Added a brood box with undrawn foundation underneath existing BS National BB because the BB was full, as was the super (almost - so I added a second super too). I transferred a couple of sealed brood frames and bees down to help them get used to the idea. Now she should have plenty of room to lay. I just hope the disruption - which they hated - was worth it...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Added a brood box with undrawn foundation underneath existing BS National BB because the BB was full, as was the super (almost - so I added a second super too). I transferred a couple of sealed brood frames and bees down to help them get used to the idea. Now she should have plenty of room to lay. I just hope the disruption - which they hated - was worth it...

I would have put it on top

 

[Angry_Mob]

Received my new queen from Ged Marshall today. Hoping for less swarmy behaviour from my bees for a little while.

My Queen arrived from Ged as well today, third I've gotten off him. Put her in an introduction cage and dropped back into the hive this evening.

 

[manek]

I would have put it on top

I wish you hadn't said that...

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s no disaster. It will just be drawn quicker on top

 

[Eyeman]

It’s no disaster. It will just be drawn quicker on top

This time of year on a double hive foundation always goes below as anything in top brood box gets filled with stores by the time of the next inspection in 1-2 weeks.