What did you do in the Apiary today?

[The Poot in Somerset]

Second session of vaping on all three hives.

 

[B+.]

Checked/fed a load of nucs - expecting 2 C-VSH line (NL-55-2-4-2017 x DE-6-198-35-2016) queens to arrive from the Netherlands tomorrow so I made sure the nucs were ready for them. These will be overwintered and retested during 2019

The queens I was waiting for have arrived and will be introduced to queenless nucs I already prepared for them (https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3950)
Next years test group is looking very good! I can hardly wait!

 

[mbc]

Next years test group is looking very good! I can hardly wait!

Oof, you'll have it bad by next spring then

 

[B+.]

Oof, you'll have it bad by next spring then

I already do.
Although I focussed on the Arista C-VSH queens above, I have some other excellent stock to test next year. Each year my stock improves. That's really what motivates me.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Last night I went to put a rapid feeder on one colony that's a bit light, no need for a bee suit ....quick job. Nobody flying, all quiet. Took the roof off and the crown board came with it..............

 

[Beefriendly]

Took the roof off and the crown board came with it..............

Ooooppppps...

Checked a few late mated queens for laying. 2 now going like the clappers. One that had already started laying has now been superseded. Bees don't always know best!
There is a virgin in there somewhere.
No drones in other colonies, she will have to take her chance. Suspect she will end up a drone layer.

 

[Millet]

Last night I went to put a rapid feeder on one colony that's a bit light, no need for a bee suit ....quick job. Nobody flying, all quiet. Took the roof off and the crown board came with it..............

Had that happen a few times... my fault though through putting the crown board on upside down ie proalis pointing up... which sticks like glue to the roof..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Better night tonight.
Vaped twelve hives
On our way home we were treated to a two minute fly past by our two young barn owls, just fledged. Magic!

 

[Curly green fingers]

I'm getting ready to go to all three sites today
Home
Change apilife- var in three brood/half collonys ,change inspection boards for viewing later. ( Week two)
One of the above are being feed syrup with my home made 3 litre jar feeders above crown board resting on tile baton a brood box as my eke. There second amount the first is gone in 4 days .
River site.
All supers are coming of clearer boards have been on 2 days,I like to leave the porter bee one's for that long .
Then I'm treating with apivar the yellow strips,if needs be
Catherton site .
Double brood hive needs to be weighed and two nucs to be treated as there mite loads are in the 50+ and i probably missed some counting. The double brood got treated in the spring and are fine.
I'm off ! Got all my girls to tend to I'm a very lucky man lol....

 

[Noddy]

I had a visit from the bee inspectors today - 2 inspectors and 3 auditors making sure they fill in the correct paperwork etc.

Very good outcome, with comments about clean apiary and hives, nice bees and brood patterns, and how well the bees had drawn out plastic foundation and the total absence of wax moth.

They will be in touch next month to arrange looking at some more of my sites.

 

[madasafish]

Tried to weigh all hives. Most too heavy. Bees bad tempered.. reasons for that not hard to find in the grass.. wasps

 

[Beefriendly]

Finished installing hive stands at a new apiary site quite close to me. It's a really promising spot, a small sheltered valley, with lots of fruit trees and a lake for water.
Very close to a big OSR and field bean farmer.
The owners have two fields and are wanting to turn them into wildflower meadows. They run a small local company selling bee-friendly plants

 

[Millet]

Finished installing hive stands at a new apiary site quite close to me. It's a really promising spot, a small sheltered valley, with lots of fruit trees and a lake for water.
Very close to a big OSR and field bean farmer.
The owners have two fields and are wanting to turn them into wildflower meadows. They run a small local company selling bee-friendly plants

Rub it in why don't you... .. on a sensible note that sounds like a cracking spot.. good find..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Finished installing hive stands at a new apiary site quite close to me. It's a really promising spot, a small sheltered valley, with lots of fruit trees and a lake for water.
Very close to a big OSR and field bean farmer.
The owners have two fields and are wanting to turn them into wildflower meadows. They run a small local company selling bee-friendly plants

Nobody grows anything but sheep here
Last week one of my farmer neighbours destroyed a 100 metre long stand of mature Hawthorne groaning in berries, then put a stock fence each side.

 

[Millet]

Just vaped three six frame poly nucs and fed one as it is a tad lighter than the other two.. on a good note they have finally found the Himalayan Balsam..they are coming in with pollen loads looking like little snow flakes..

 

[madasafish]

Just vaped three six frame poly nucs and fed one as it is a tad lighter than the other two.. on a good note they have finally found the Himalayan Balsam..they are coming in with pollen loads looking like little snow flakes..

So your bees are little snowflakes ? Presumably they post on Facebook and Twitter?

 

[beeno]

Nobody grows anything but sheep here
Last week one of my farmer neighbours destroyed a 100 metre long stand of mature Hawthorne groaning in berries, then put a stock fence each side.

Does not matter, gone off the Welsh already, but shame on such a picturesque spot.

 

[Beefriendly]

Nobody grows anything but sheep here
Last week one of my farmer neighbours destroyed a 100 metre long stand of mature Hawthorne groaning in berries, then put a stock fence each side.

Aye, sometimes farmers are real twits. The field adjacent to my garden was a wildflower meadow...so what do they do...roundup and sow with a special silage grass and keep spraying to keep weeds/flowers off.
Yet wildflower hay bails command premium prices.
Some are simply destined to fail despite all their current EU subsidies.

 

[foghornleghorn]

Aye, sometimes farmers are real twits. The field adjacent to my garden was a wildflower meadow...so what do they do...roundup and sow with a special silage grass and keep spraying to keep weeds/flowers off.
Yet wildflower hay bails command premium prices.
Some are simply destined to fail despite all their current EU subsidies.

No farmer would want wildflower hay instead of good quality silage all else being equal. Costs a fortune in lost output from the animals

 

[Beefriendly]

No farmer would want wildflower hay instead of good quality silage all else being equal. Costs a fortune in lost output from the animals

These guys simply sell crop off as no animals left...except bed & breakfasting pigs. What gets bigger price wildflower hay bales or silage?