What did you do in the Apiary today?

[manek]

Moved a late swarm into a nuc. The bees are bearding the entrance so I'm sure the Q is in there somewhere.

Going to leave them for a few days to sort themselves out - then I guess I'd better feed them 2:1.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Weighed all hives and nucs , the home flow seems to be slowing down compared to the river apairy site lots of HB down there . Ive one hive which has superseded,this is the first time this has happened
And ive found it interesting to find two queen's in one hive I've frozen the old queen as there's lots of eggs. I added two frames of sealed brood days away from emerging to tide them over
All other hives and nucs are doing well , and I'm not going to inspect hives for two weeks when the home and catherton common site are getting treated for varroa . The river site has a really good flow on and are going to get treated when the flow stops ? Whenever that might be.
Cheers mark.

 

[Helen]

3 nucs - being hammered by wasps.

1 also being hammered by robbing bees. Not mine, as have only these 3 nucs here, and not observing any flying between them.

So built 3 robbing screens. Wire mesh front, wooden frame, wooden 8mm slotted entrance (2 of them) at the top.

Popped them on, and a couple of hours later, all is calm and quiet again. Worked quite well it seems.

 

[Beefriendly]

Excellent. You fancy posting a picture of them?
People are always looking for ways of preventing robbing of their smaller colonies.

 

[manek]

Plonked a rapid feeder on my late-swarm nuc's frames. Moved a wet super above the cover board on one hive, added Miller feeder to hive 2 containing a bunch of wet cappings for them to clear out.

 

[Polyanwood]

I took off the empty supers that I had given back to the bees to clean, then stacked them with glacial acetic acid treatment to protect them from wax moth.

 

[Helen]

Excellent. You fancy posting a picture of them?
People are always looking for ways of preventing robbing of their smaller colonies.

It's similar to some posted on the net. But I'll try to photo them tomorrow and post.

 

[Millet]

I did thing's today on my scale that would make a billionaire happy.

 

[oliver90owner]

I took off the empty supers that I had given back to the bees to clean, then stacked them with glacial acetic acid treatment to protect them from wax moth.

One should not be using glacial ethanoic, probably for safety reasons. Far safer when diluted somewhat.

It will not freeze at this time of the year but can if weather is cold (in autumn and winter). It freezes at just under 18 Celsius.

 

[Helen]

Here's the screen I built, one for each nuc. Simple wood frame that slots into the 'alcove' of the front of my nucs. Wire mesh stapled to the front, larger piece of wood at the top with 2 x 8mm slots cut in, which can be closed/narrowed with wood, grass, tape etc. In the picture, one is stuffed with grass, and the other has a bit of wood (which was handy) to shut the left slot down to about 2 bee space.

There's a mini leanding board just below the entrance slots - dark wood with 2 silver screws holding it in the photo. This acts as a deflection barrier to wasps / robbing bees trying to get in through the mesh and generally milling about, and helps home bees coming in to the slots.

There's a rotating cover on the actual nuc entrance itself, which again is narrowed down so if anything gets through the first level of defence - the screen - they then have to deal with more home bees protecting the entrance.

And just noticed, there's a wasp bottom right of the mesh failing to figure it out.

 

[Zante]

Not much.

Checked that the bees of hive A are ok, and they've finally started capping the frames they have. So far it looks like I'll have about 2 supers' worth of honey.

Also checked that hive One (the one from the small split) is doing ok, and the new queen must be laying at record levels. The brood box used to be half full and now there are enough bees to start populating the super.

Other than that cleared a corner in the barn for the equipment. Next time I go to the apiary I will be moving extra stuff that now is stored on the hives into that corner.

In unrelated news the Paulownia I planted near the apiary is growing well and has taken to its new surroundings. Next year it should be a sight to behold, and hopefully it'll start blooming soon.

 

[simonforeman]

17 degrees dull, overcast and very windy here today. Loads of rain overnight, Dry at the moment. The bees even in this weather are bringing in loads of pollen and I assume nectar also.
My bees are hard-core. Weather looks to improve tomorrow onwards so back to the sunny weather.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Rain all day here today, first rain for ten weeks. Made a clearer board with a rhombus escape. It'll be interesting to see if the rain produces an improved nectar flow. 25 degrees forecast for the week ahead.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Rain all day. It'll be interesting to see if the rain produces an improved nectar flow. 25 degrees forecast for the week ahead.

Only if there are flowers to bloom still

 

[JWF]

Popped a recently spun super onto a colony in desperate need for some extra space.

Found out how far honey will splash when I dropped a jar on the floor whilst jarring up - four feet vertically and six feet horizontally

 

[JWF]

Only if there are flowers to bloom still

I'm hoping that there's a final flourish from garden plants like lavender. Fingers crossed.

 

[Beefriendly]

I'm hoping that there's a final flourish from garden plants like lavender. Fingers crossed.

Bumbles and butterflies all over our lavender...no honey bees working them....yet.

 

[Popparand]

Bumbles and butterflies all over our lavender...no honey bees working them....yet.

Our lavender almost over - I dont know what the girls are bringing in now, but it's keeping them very busy.

 

[Wingy]

End of last week a few bees had found the HB despite the Enviromental do gooders pulling most of it last year. This morning they are all in it, either that or they have raided a flour mill lol

 

[Beefriendly]

Yup my girls have suddenly found it....ghosts all over the apiary. Can only think the recent rain has caused them secrete some nectar as they weren't on it before hand.