What did you do in the Apiary today?

[B+.]

Wasn't that bad a spring, never lost any here due to the weather, not even any of the mini nucs... and all in wooden boxes.

It must be a nice sheltered location you have there. The "Beast" hit us pretty hard here

 

[Hivemaker.]

It must be a nice sheltered location you have there.

In the valley it is quite good, but have a couple of apiaries high up on the moors and quite exposed, there was snow/rain wind and prolonged freezing temperatures, but not as bad as the 2013 spring following the awful 2012 season.

 

[B+.]

In the valley it is quite good, but have a couple of apiaries high up on the moors and quite exposed, there was snow/rain wind and prolonged freezing temperatures, but not as bad as the 2013 spring following the awful 2012 season.

Well, I'm setting up a new test apiary so this shouldn't happen again. Nice spot, protected on all sides, Sun trap (when we get it)...don't trust NBU anymore so going "off grid"

 

[victor meldrew]

It must be a nice sheltered location you have there. The "Beast" hit us pretty hard here

I had a couple of weak colonies going into Winter .
They have survived and thrived in spite of the ‘ Beast ‘



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[Millet]

I had a couple of weak colonies going into Winter .
They have survived and thrived in spite of the ‘ Beast ‘



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I had three gong into winter last year all on the north east coast half mile from the sea shore which took a fairly bad battering.. all of them survived and done well in the spring flow.

 

[B+.]

I had a couple of weak colonies going into Winter .
They have survived and thrived in spite of the ‘ Beast ‘

Exactly my point. Would you choose to propagate these weak colonies? Just because they survived, doesn't make them good breeding stock.

 

[victor meldrew]

I had three gong into winter last year all on the north east coast half mile from the sea shore which took a fairly bad battering.. all of them survived and done well in the spring flow.

I’m on the western side . Still bleak for a few weeks !


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[victor meldrew]

Exactly my point. Would you choose to propagate these weak colonies? Just because they survived, doesn't make them good breeding stock.

Horses for courses [emoji6]
The Caucasian Winters with small colonies and is frugal with its stores .


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[Hivemaker.]

I do use the criteria of good over wintering ability as part of the evaluation in breeding.

The Anatolian input is useful in this.

 

[B+.]

I do use the criteria of good over wintering ability as part of the evaluation in breeding.

The Anatolian input is useful in this.

Me too. Carnica are a hardy bunch. This apiary was just too exposed. Let's not forget people lost 100% of their colonies in this storm. It wasn't called a "Beast" for nothing. Clearly it hit different parts of the country with different levels of ferocity. At least I've been honest about my loss.

Not sure how much Anatolian you'll have in your Amm though?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not sure how much Anatolian you'll have in your Amm though?

A reasonable input into some that I choose to inseminate and incorporate into the breeding lines.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Blaming the beast just a good cover for varroa deaths love a good conspiracy

 

[B+.]

Blaming the beast just a good cover for varroa deaths love a good conspiracy

Not in my case. These were VSH line with next to no varroa

 

[Michael Palmer]

Thanks for clearing that up. Is it the clover honey that was white though? Honey sold as clover honey in this country is strong light yellow?

Lots of honey sold here as "clover" isn't.

 

[foghornleghorn]

It's called survival of the fittest. One bad spring they die.....hunmmm

Keep in mind what happens one hive isn't necessarily at all representative of its genetics especially as numbers increase

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Lots of honey sold here as "clover" isn't.

Have to try that with my osr

 

[Beefriendly]

Brought the first capped supers of heather honey back at lunchtime. Kitchen smells lovely.
Extract it next week.

 

[Zante]

Went to have a quick look in the supers and have a peek in the split hive to see how it was doing, but once I got to the apiary I realised I had no lighters. I had taken them out of the suit's pocket to wash it, and never put them back in.

So I packed back up and went for a beer.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

we lost some excellent stock to "The Beast from the East".

It's amazing how many people were caught out by normal seasonal weather last winter

These were VSH line with next to no varroa

Heard that one before.

 

[B+.]

It's amazing how many people were caught out by normal seasonal weather last winter



Heard that one before.

It was far from "normal seasonal weather", as most reasonable people would agree.
Clearly, you are one of those people who won't believe anything, even when you are presented with the evidence (as I have done repeatedly since I joined this forum), so I won't bother wasting my time trying to explain it to you.
Good luck with your bees. I wish you well.