What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Goran]

Everything is slowing down.. We have now more and more such sunsets, like painting in the skies. Shame we have no more time to enjoy in each of them.. c'est la vie

 

[oliver90owner]

Does one not actually think ahead and buy at a good price when available and convenient for collection/delivery? Not too clever if you don’t. Sugar does not have a shelf life.

Especially pertinent advice for the simpler types who live far away from their nearest suitable suppliers.

I don’t think I have ever made a long trip specifically for a bag of sugar - always combined with other requirements. Not that I feed much to my bees, anyway. There is plenty of ivy to get them topped up most years.

 

[Beefriendly]

I couldn't really give two hoots what the sugar price is, as long as it's not extortionate. In the grand scale of things, a few £100 pounds spent on sugar each year is such a minuscule part of my annual beekeeping turnover it's not worth the time and effort of shopping around to save a few pence. I've more important things to do with my time.
I leave it to all the beekeeping skinflints and misers to military plan their sugar buying campaign in advance...just to save a few pence per bag.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I couldn't really give two hoots what the sugar price is, as long as it's not extortionate. In the grand scale of things, a few £100 pounds spent on sugar each year is such a minuscule part of my annual beekeeping turnover it's not worth the time and effort of shopping around to save a few pence. I've more important things to do with my time.
I leave it to all the beekeeping skinflints and misers to military plan their sugar buying campaign in advance...just to save a few pence per bag.

 

[B+.]

I leave it to all the beekeeping skinflints and misers to military plan their sugar buying campaign in advance...just to save a few pence per bag.

If you're only buying a few bags, a few pence price difference makes little difference. However, some people on here use substantial amounts of sugar and they do need to save money where they can.

 

[Beefriendly]

What do you consider a "substantial amount"?
How much sugar do your bees require each winter?

 

[B+.]

What do you consider a "substantial amount"?
How much sugar do your bees require each winter?

I'm not talking about me. There are guys on here who stay silent and don't post much, but, they have lots of colonies.
I really only feed new nucs. The established colonies winter on their own stores.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If you're only buying a few bags, a few pence price difference makes little difference. However, some people on here use substantial amounts of sugar and they do need to save money where they can.

I'm not talking about me. There are guys on here who stay silent and don't post much, but, they have lots of colonies.

If you need 'substantial' amounts of bee feed, you wouldn't faff around worrying whether lidl, farm foods or the shop on the corner (or twenty miles away for that matter) were a penny or two cheaper than the other, you'd just buy in bulk, receive the discount and get it delivered.

 

[simonforeman]

So the ivy is out but only the odd bee on them.... cleared the lawn of wind fall pears so I could cut it and loads of bees on them in harmony side by side with the wasps.

Also found a wasps nest behind my boundary fence today.... is it worth killing it off this late in the year? If it is what's the best way?

 

[Millet]

So the ivy is out but only the odd bee on them.... cleared the lawn of wind fall pears so I could cut it and loads of bees on them in harmony side by side with the wasps.

Also found a wasps nest behind my boundary fence today.... is it worth killing it off this late in the year? If it is what's the best way?

A pointless waste of time.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

So the ivy is out but only the odd bee on them.... cleared the lawn of wind fall pears so I could cut it and loads of bees on them in harmony side by side with the wasps.

Also found a wasps nest behind my boundary fence today.... is it worth killing it off this late in the year? If it is what's the best way?

If you want to kill an accessible wasps nest diesel oil in a trigger spray works. Wet it well and leave to soak in. If it's not accessible Ficam. Correct handling and precautions required.

 

[masterBK]

Having reduced down the number of my colonies a few weeks ago by uniting I was left with quite a few spare brood chambers to store. Today fumigated them all with sulphur dioxide by igniting sulphur strips. Only found one dead waxmoth but at bottom of the stacks got hundreds of dead earwigs.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Also found a wasps nest behind my boundary fence today.... is it worth killing it off this late in the year? If it is what's the best way?

It sound like it hasn't bothered you up until now - so just leave them alone

 

[TooBee...]

If you need 'substantial' amounts of bee feed,...you'd just buy in bulk, receive the discount and get it delivered.

I know of companies (bakery suppliers, etc.) that sell invert in an IBC, but their prices work out expensive when you compare to the price of sugar in Lidl, where do you buy your sugar from, I think you have a fair number of hives don't you. And from where do the semi / commercial beeks buy from?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

where do you buy your sugar from,?

I don't

 

[TooBee...]

So you don't feed them any sugar? Even in the form of invert? Or do you get it for free?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I use invert - not sugar granules (balance between slight extra cost/spare time available for mixing and versatility.)
Just received delivery of a topup this morning.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Hive relocation!

Up at 5.30 this morning to move 4 hives to my new out apiary the girls seemed a bit peeved being woken and subjected to a 7 mile ride in the van but they settled down once in position so I'll start feeding them tonight.

Bloody chilly .... 4deg C

 

[citrus]

I use invert - not sugar granules (balance between slight extra cost/spare time available for mixing and versatility.)
Just received delivery of a topup this morning.

Is that one lump or two

 

[Stedic]

Nothing in the apiary today, but did have a meeting about a 2nd out apiary near work. They seem keen, so long as we can find the right spot.