What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Goran]

We have day temps over 20C for days. Rain, started today after looong period. Still remain warm, and who knows how will this have effect on bees. Time will tell..

 

[Millet]

You will do good Goran i can feel it in my waters..

 

[oliver90owner]

I shall leave mine in until the 20th November, six weeks from insertion.

Taking out to the nearest DAY is simply not necessary - one or two, or a few, days either way is not going to risk the end of the world. That is why they quote the time in weeks. If OK to the nearest month, that is what they would quote; if to the nearest day, they would have quoted 42 days.

Think about it. An analogy might be food ‘use by dates’. Perishables are quoted to the nearest day, as the nearest week (end date) might mean spoilage (or eating before bought!) while ‘non-perishables’ have a use-by date (or often ‘best by’) to the nearest end of month.

That is why the average of one and two is two - not 1.5.

1.5 is the average of 1.0 and 2.0, for those that might not grasp this simple rounding system.

 

[Goran]

You will do good Goran i can feel it in my waters..

More are itching me barrels of unsold honey and pile of hazelnuts in storage since everything made in agriculture is worthless.. I don't have such products, so that will wait till sold or rot..
Apple growers left in the orchards thousands of tons of apples not picked..
We are " dead" but are still unaware of it..

 

[Millet]

Inspection trays pushed in but not fully on Saturday through this vile windy cold weather... checked them today and all where bone dry with very little store cappings on the tray.. i rather have 6 empty hives or the way i am doing thing's is working a treat...

 

[joshcowin]

Started clearing the area ready for my hives next year. Just need to lop a few branches off and put some woodchip with membrane down to stop the weeds coming through for years to come

 

[Goran]

If this warm weather continue, I will soon have 2nd harvest of apples and pears in 2018. Now are small fruits but.., when have time I'll take a pics.. Animal and plant life is completely confused, walnuts lost their leaves earlier and now they are covered with new light green leaves - starting as in spring..
We are wearing t shirts and feel odd..
Off topic, found one cheap syringe for OA dribble which seems OK, I think will have a go..: https://www.ebay.com/itm/5ml-Veteri...ringe-for-Livestock-Sheep-Hog-AF/292175889399

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Milder day here today, quite a few bees flying and a bit of life left in the ivy yet - did a bit of tidying up around the home apiary and in the store shed, ready for a delivery tomorrow so a good time for a bit of a stock take, will need to order a few frames during the convention sales - only 500 each left of brood and shallow frames (not including tomorrow's delivery)

 

[simonforeman]

Not many frames left them....lol.... I ordered 50 of each from maises.

How many hives do you have jenks?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

that would be telling - quite a few, but not enough to pack in the day job

 

[Goran]

Yesterday briefly met with one beek.. They already dwindled from 60 to less of 20 colonies so far, not AFB ( I trust his judgement) - as he explained I think nosema C rocked the house.. He didn't send samples, what is shame..
I watched mine, so far as any season.
Recently I messed up one, lost a queen ( I overplayed when time is not for it, but since I have more colonies than I want I took such luxury..). I merged it with neighboring colony.
All above 1% loss at me will be why and thing to analyze where I went wrong - at my place.
Still relative warm, but fog occasionally.. No minus temps, but bees pretty inactive..

 

[Ian123]

Cloudy but warm today, bees have been back on the ivy and a hum from the big clump outside back door again. Pollen loads on bee legs are about half the size but it’s still there. Gave some feed to my little cut out, they are light

 

[Somerford]

Continued removing varroa strips from a couple of Apiaries and bringing back spare kit to repair / store.

A lot of activity and some very strong colonies still around. Double brood polynucs looked healthy too

S

 

[Newbeeneil]

I picked up the timber for my new apiary shed today. The sawmill was supposed to supply Hemlock but they had problems producing it so supplied it in cedar.
The timber for a 6x12 shed for £250 in cedar...... no bad eh?

 

[nantmoel]

Yesterday I made my winter/spring supply of sugar blocks with added pollen substitute. I spoke to Mike Waite (AKA TheBeeMan) and the recipe he uses (can be found on YouTube) plus he adds 50 grms per kg of sugar of pollen substitute. I found last winter that the bee's would not touch the 'Bakers Fondant' but loved the sugar blocks. Really easy to make and I 'dry' them off in my honey warmer, when dried for about 12 hours I wrap them in cling film to stop the absorbing water until I used them.

 

[Goran]

Today we have sooo thick fog and I remembered of You..
Beside, still have no minus temps.. Bees switched to winter mode,few I opened couple days ago had no brood.. Now we await for oxalic dribble, some will start earlier.. I will do that for about 3 weeks most likely.. Watching this fog it would be ideal due to humidity..
This season in summer I tried the recipe of OA stripes from argentinian recipe.. it do some work but not enough, next year if I stay in Croatia I will try recipe by Randy Oliver..

 

[Beefriendly]

I will try recipe by Randy Oliver..

IIRC Randy was getting strange results with his home-made strips. Worked in some hives but not in other. He didn't know why, although that was about a year ago so things may have changed by now.

 

[SDM]

IIRC Randy was getting strange results with his home-made strips. Worked in some hives but not in other. He didn't know why, although that was about a year ago so things may have changed by now.

I think the recipe was updated in his review a few mths ago.

 

[Beefriendly]

I think the recipe was updated in his review a few mths ago.

Behind with my reading.....Is it on his site or published in ABJ?

 

[Goran]

Off topic, does anyone know are there in Australia beside A.m.ligustica and A.m. Caucasica other bee strains. I mean are there buckfast, carnica or..?
If someone is familiar with..