What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Angry_Mob]

Did some inspections today, decided to check the apidea for a queen but didn't spot her. On closer inspection it looks like she didn't hatch as the bees seem to have built comb around the queen cell I had dropped in. Shook the apidea out.

One of the national nucs that I had planned to split and introduce the (failed) queen I instead decided to put into a full hive.

Amazed at how quick the nuc I moved last week into the larger hive had drawn out the 14x12 foundation. In comparison to my main hive which doesn't seem overly bothered about drawing foundation in the brood box. No new queen cells in the main colony either.

Did my first jarring session, reckon I had about 19lbs.

Fed the nucs and the national hive.

 

[Bunn]

Inspection yesterday morning meant last minute extractor hire as they'd capped almost three supers worth on my main colony.

Extracted 24 frames for 58lb just two and a half weeks after extracting 30lb from the same colony.

Very happy that our first full season has produced almost 90lb from the same colony that I had to split just a couple of months ago.

Enjoying the fun, rewarding parts...awaiting the not so fun parts that will no doubt follow at some point.

 

[simonforeman]

It's 20.45 here and still 27 degrees... bees are bearding the front around the entrance fanning my 2 biggest hives... they have loads of room must be too hot in there ....

 

[B+.]

Do tell us how you **** drones then B+. Sue Povey (?) squeezes them in her video.

I think you mean Sue Cobey.

 

[Swarm]

Polite request, can you please refrain from quoting filth.

 

[Beefriendly]

Quite right, we can't have you precious sensitive souls getting your knickers twisted over industrial language.
Although we are still intrigued as to how B+ extracts the semen from his drones as he tells us squeeze and shoot contaminates the sample and kills the drone for nothing.

 

[EdNewman]

Waps out in massive force this week. I saw a ball of maybe 10 wasps attacking a lone bee that was out for a stroll on the landing board.

 

[B+.]

Quite right, we can't have you precious sensitive souls getting your knickers twisted over industrial language.
Although we are still intrigued as to how B+ extracts the semen from his drones as he tells us squeeze and shoot contaminates the sample and kills the drone for nothing.

The way you describe it does.
As shown in Prof Schleys video but lateral pressure towards the posterior end of the abdomen.
Hold the drone vertically so the endophallus doesn't touch fingers or the exoskeleton. If it touches anything, it's contaminated and you can't use it (or you will kill any queen's you inseminate with that batch.
Only drones whose abdomen contracts and becomes as hard as a stone at the partial eversion stage are worth fully everting. Orange coloured cornua are also a early indication of maturity. However, some drones still may not provide sperms (diet, varroa medication and temperature during development can affect sperms migration).
Now, if you'd asked politely instead of trying to be a smart a**e, I'd have answered the first time.

 

[Beefriendly]

Now, if you'd asked politely instead of trying to be a smart a**e, I'd have answered the first time.

Thank you.

 

[Beefriendly]

Extracted another 20 or so clogged brood frames. Keep seeing pollen capped over with nectar so thought I'd post a couple of pic's . What looks like a frame of totally capped honey is actually a frame with lots of pollen they have added nectar to and capped over. I know Erica and Millet have been seeing similar in their brood frames.
Has anyone seen this described before?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Extracted another 20 or so clogged brood frames. Keep seeing pollen capped over with nectar so thought I'd post a couple of pic's . What looks like a frame of totally capped honey is actually a frame with lots of pollen they have added nectar to and capped over. I know Erica and Millet have been seeing similar in their brood frames.
Has anyone seen this described before?

Not described but I have some. I didn’t realise till the extractor started jumping about all over the place

 

[drex]

Same here. Not seen to this extent before this year.

 

[Helen]

Waps out in massive force this week. I saw a ball of maybe 10 wasps attacking a lone bee that was out for a stroll on the landing board.

Noticed loads of wasps this weekend as well. Moved a 'nuc' in a national to my out apiary. Minutes later, there were 4 wasps immediately attacking the entrance. Seen wasps chasing bees outside hives, dead wasps inside hives, and even a dead hornet on the landing board of one hive.

Not seen them in such large numbers before ... but then again, first year in the new apiary so maybe thats normal?

May try out some form of raised entrance as a wasp guard to see how that works.

 

[Millet]

Extracted another 20 or so clogged brood frames. Keep seeing pollen capped over with nectar so thought I'd post a couple of pic's . What looks like a frame of totally capped honey is actually a frame with lots of pollen they have added nectar to and capped over. I know Erica and Millet have been seeing similar in their brood frames.
Has anyone seen this described before?

I am glad it is not just happening to me.. i thought i was loosing the plot.. or my eye sight..
I have extracted a lot more supers than previous times that where fully capped but 20% of these have pollen packed in the bottom of the cells.. it is like the bees fill the cell's with pollen then cap it.. then fill it with nectar and cap it again..

 

[masterBK]

Quite normal. Honey show judges use a torch to look for capped honey/pollen in the class "comb for extraction" although regarded as minor fault in this class.

 

[Popparand]

Quite normal. Honey show judges use a torch to look for capped honey/pollen in the class "comb for extraction" although regarded as minor fault in this class.

Does that mean the filters clean the pollen out, or does some end up in the filtered honey?

 

[EdNewman]

Does that mean the filters clean the pollen out, or does some end up in the filtered honey?

Pollen grains are microscopic so you will always end up with pollen in the honey. But you would want to filter out the big clumps of it when you extract.

Ed.

 

[Beefriendly]

Does that mean the filters clean the pollen out, or does some end up in the filtered honey?

No, the pollen is packed in tight and doesn't spin out.

 

[user 6228]

31C in the shade, bees not bearding and not fetching water Thats with 2 AT and a BHS poly in the apiary

 

[Dadnlad]

Combined two Q- nucs onto average colonies, they should take better advantage of the late summer forage and ivy

Marked and nuked the last of this years mini-nucs when we spotted capped worker brood this morning

Have raised more good laying queens this year than the last 3 years combined