What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Etton]

Laying worker
It’s common

So you can have a laying worker in a Q+ colony?

 

[masterBK]

Inserted apivar strips into 15 colonies (doing rest tomorrow). Don't like the press out V shape hooks as a means of suspending the strip as it pushs the strip against the face of the comb limiting contact by the bees to one side only. Suspended them midway between the frames with cocktail sticks through the holes in the top so bees can make contact with both sides of the strips

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So you can have a laying worker in a Q+ colony?

always, you tend not to notice as the other workers usually police it

 

[Etton]

Never seen so many wasps, have decided I can only open the hives early morning or late in the day.

 

[TooBee...]

Never seen so many wasps, have decided I can only open the hives early morning or late in the day.

My colonies are now strong enough (with considerable help from reduced entrances and the use of efficient wasp traps) to be able to defend themselves against wasp attacks, but it was in the evenings whenever I noticed it was MUCH worse (wasps fly earlier and later than bees), I think it was because there were less bees near the entrance going in and out to impede the wasps quickly charging in!

 

[TooBee...]

... a blast with some disco smoke to fettle any varroa.

???
I thought disco was dead?

Can you translate this for me, "disco" and "fettle"???

 

[victor meldrew]

???

I thought disco was dead?



Can you translate this for me, "disco" and "fettle"???

Disco typo ?
Fettle means repair .
In engineering a fettler fettles castings ie he removes flashing .
In Lancashire the term owd fettler is used as a greeting ! Example ayert’guin on owd fettler!


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[B+.]

I weigh my test hives a couple of times a year to keep track of the honey produced by each hive.
I didn't expect much this year, given the terrible spring we had, but, I'm quite pleased with the result. The gross weights were:

Max: 133.65 Kg
Min: 33.55 Kg
Mean: 86.72 Kg

My biggest colonies over the last 3 years have all produced ~132 Kg gross but I'm quite surprised to be in that area again this year.

 

[victor meldrew]

So you can have a laying worker in a Q+ colony?

Apparently So !
Ambitious workers will lay . The eggs are removed by other workers !


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[Millet]

???
I thought disco was dead?

Can you translate this for me, "disco" and "fettle"???

Disco smoke = vaporizing them..

Fettle Fix any Varroa problems.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Checked super that I put the clearer under yesterday evening. No more than a dozen bees in it - rhombus rules ok!!
Found the frames for cleaning after extraction full and mostly capped!!
Took only 4 fully capped frames to complete one more extraction session with my 8 framer and gave them 4 wet frames to play with.
Will see if they fill them by natural means but will supplement with invert if not - as a special treat.
I can't tell you how pleased I was to find the super cleared of bees after such a battle to take the honey frame by frame last month

 

[enrico]

Tried a double rhombus against a double porter. Both put in am. Pm rhombus clear, porter still half full. QED
E

 

[Millet]

I find the horse hair brush takes around two mins per frame.

 

[masterBK]

Apivar into the another 8 colonies. United last of the nukes in to requeen a stroppy colony. Fed 14 colonies 3 kg each (they were low on stores and there is very little if anything coming in at the moment)

 

[Beefriendly]

Yeah...wait until you have 12 hives in same apiary and 36 supers to clear

 

[Millet]

Yeah...wait until you have 12 hives in same apiary and 36 supers to clear

Too true but i am not here yet... Yet.. ..

 

[drex]

Rhombus boards successfully cleared stacks of 3-4 supers, including some deeps in 18 hours. Wasps were a real nuisance when I was removing the boxes, getting them home and during extraction, but a bumper crop. Must go to the bakers later and buy some more buckets.

 

[madasafish]

Advertised my honey on local FB selling page this am.. Amazing response.. sold 3 jars within an hour..Bottled some more to keep up with the hoped for rush..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have thought of doing that
Not sure about strange folk turning up at the door though hmmmm

 

[madasafish]

I have thought of doing that
Not sure about strange folk turning up at the door though hmmmm

Our local FB page is quite well monitored and my name and address are on honey jars so I am relaxed..(Killer bees are available if needed - I have a nuc near the door which are normally well tempered but I am sure I can provoke them..