What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Eyeman]

Requeened 5 colonies by uniting. Chose to requeen those which underperformed and those that were runny, stroppy or followed or had chalk brood. Since not a single colony swarmed this year I will probably be overwintering more than usual without requeening them even though I have enough queens to replace them. Gives me the chance to be very selective.

Darn!
One one of mine built queen cells this year and I though it was down to my good beekeeping! Seems like it's not been a swarmy year.

 

[Jafer2]

Lol just went to look at the hive and one bee buzzed round my head before I could get away she stung me in the ear dam thing hurts. Just hope it doesn't swell up!

 

[enrico]

regards to leaving supers outside the hive for cleaning .....

I have some super frames that were treated early in the year that cant be extracted but i am using them as feed however some were nibbled by wax moth ... so have a couple of them exposed about 60m from the hives ... providing feed for the bees (and a few wasps) ... is that ok ?

(i have already put a few of them in the hives .. but the dodgy ones have been left outside)

As long as you don't have other bees with desease close by......I wouldn't do it!
E

 

[Erichalfbee]

More supers off including a 14x12 brood full of capped honey
Everything is down to a reasonable height now with wet supers back on some.
That's it for now....absolutely cream crackered extracting.
Raining tomorrow.......I hope

 

[B+.]

Raining tomorrow.......I hope

Dream on. Everything here is bone dry!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Raining tomorrow.......I hope

Was raining here yesterday, maybe some more tomorrow night.

 

[B+.]

I introduced six queens (https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3934) then came home and made some II tips for a friend in The Netherlands (https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3936). I'll flame polish them tomorrow as the G&T is starting to kick in ;-)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You're right, I should retrieve the cover boards. As for the wet super:it's been extracted so I'm leaving it for the bees to clean up.

Why go through all that faff? just store them wet - much better

regards to leaving supers outside the hive for cleaning .....

so have a couple of them exposed about 60m from the hives ... providing feed for the bees (and a few wasps) ... is that ok ?

Certainly not - thoroughly irresponsible and foolhardy.

 

[masterBK]

Put a couple of beekeepers through a mock Basic practical today (actual assessment next Monday).

 

[linoleum bonypart]

East Riding of Yorkshire is a desert now

 

[citrus]

As long as you don't have other bees with desease close by......I wouldn't do it!
E

So .. would you just melt the frames ? ..just seems a waste of capped honey.

I mean my own bees in my own hives would be potentially robbing these exposed frames 100m's away along with the wasps etc ..is that where the danger is ? from mixing with other foreign bees ?

 

[enrico]

I would put the cappings and scraped wax into a rapid feeder and feed it back to the bees over a feeder board, or put an eke over a feeder board and just lay the frame on it. That way no foreign bees would be getting on the frames. If you are worried that this might start robbing then do it later in the year for them to use as winter food. At the very worst I would melt them down in a solar wax melter and swap the wax for foundation at a main bee shop.
Just leaving the frames in the open for any bees from anywhere goes against the grain. Foul Brood is common enough for me to be worried about bringing into my apiary.

 

[mike99]

Dream on. Everything here is bone dry!

Raining in Whitley Bay. It won't last for long though.

 

[citrus]

I would put the cappings and scraped wax into a rapid feeder and feed it back to the bees over a feeder board, or put an eke over a feeder board and just lay the frame on it. That way no foreign bees would be getting on the frames. If you are worried that this might start robbing then do it later in the year for them to use as winter food. At the very worst I would melt them down in a solar wax melter and swap the wax for foundation at a main bee shop.
Just leaving the frames in the open for any bees from anywhere goes against the grain. Foul Brood is common enough for me to be worried about bringing into my apiary.

thanks for the advice ...and explaining it

 

[Hachi]

Found and marked the queen in the nuc I bought last night from a bee club colleague and sited it in its new home in a full sized hive.

Have been using my newly purchased one handed Queen catcher and have to say it works for me.

 

[Beefriendly]

Have been using my newly purchased one handed Queen catcher and have to say it works for me.

That's what it's all about Hachi...if it works for you then do it.

 

[Helen]

wrong thread....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

d hive.

Have been using my newly purchased one handed Queen catcher and have to say it works for me.

Do you get many one handed queens?

 

[Hachi]

Do you get many one handed queens?

She was that p****d at being caught she ran anticlockwise. Does that make her righ handed? LOL

 

[simonforeman]

Watching the bees this morning in the sunshine after the rain last night....

All 3 hives bringing in loads and loads of yellow/white pollen at 08.30 this morning