What did you do in the Apiary today?

[deemann1]

Checked the apiary today all hives still at good weight ,
Put some fondant in poly nucs in feeders just thinking now should I have placed it on top bars instead ?
Too my suprise there was wasps coming and going from one hive so I reduced entrance to 1 bee space which didn't stop them damn wasps after observing for some time

 

[Millet]

Checked the apiary today all hives still at good weight ,
Put some fondant in poly nucs in feeders just thinking now should I have placed it on top bars instead ?

I started of by putting the fondant in the feed chamber on the paynes poly nus's and what a pain in the arse getting the empty bag back out and god knows how many bees a splatted putting more in second time around..in the end i thought a poly eke was the best option and my thought has paid of..all i do now is pull the crown board up and stick a 1.5kg tub of fondant on some 9mm shims directly on the top bars..feeding syrup in these feed chamber is also a ball ache as loads of bees get drowned and when it is empty the bees stick the wooden float at the bottom...a revamp is in order..

 

[simonforeman]

I started of by putting the fondant in the feed chamber on the paynes poly nus's and what a pain in the arse getting the empty bag back out and god knows how many bees a splatted putting more in second time around..in the end i thought a poly eke was the best option and my thought has paid of..all i do now is pull the crown board up and stick a 1.5kg tub of fondant on some 9mm shims directly on the top bars..feeding syrup in these feed chamber is also a ball ache as loads of bees get drowned and when it is empty the bees stick the wooden float at the bottom...a revamp is in order..

I have 4 of these that came with a load of 2nd hand equipment, I bought.... I am thinking of blocking the access to 2 of them and just using as 6 frame nucs... The other 2 I have seen on here I think I will cut out feeder and use as 8 frame nucs this year to supply brood to main honey hives... that's the plan anyway.

 

[GuyNir]

I started of by putting the fondant in the feed chamber on the paynes poly nus's and what a pain in the arse getting the empty bag back out and god knows how many bees a splatted putting more in second time around..in the end i thought a poly eke was the best option and my thought has paid of..all i do now is pull the crown board up and stick a 1.5kg tub of fondant on some 9mm shims directly on the top bars..feeding syrup in these feed chamber is also a ball ache as loads of bees get drowned and when it is empty the bees stick the wooden float at the bottom...a revamp is in order..

Poly nucs winter feeding needs sorting. A bit of a pain.
Finding Paynes (full) poly hive crown board works a treat for winter feeding, right on top of the Brood chamber

 

[Beefriendly]

Poly nucs winter feeding needs sorting. A bit of a pain.
/QUOTE]

Paynes sell ekes for their nucs, which makes adding fondant a doddle.
Surprised people are having trouble with the side feeders, just make sure there is a full sized float in there, not the puny bit of timber they are supplied with. Use three or four bits of wood if you need, or fill with straw or whatever.

 

[Millet]

Paynes sell ekes for their nucs, which makes adding fondant a doddle.
Surprised people are having trouble with the side feeders, just make sure there is a full sized float in there, not the puny bit of timber they are supplied with. Use three or four bits of wood if you need, or fill with straw or whatever.

I have tried all different dimensions of lumber even three separate pieces but they all seem to get glued in the end with wax which makes them difficult to remove for refilling.. my gripe is that the bottom of the feed chamber is narrower than the top..which causes multiple floats to get stuck half way down if not aligned at the correct moment in time.. if the dimensions where the same top and bottom this would not be a problem as one sized float made at the correct length would be sound as a pound from my experiences anyway..

 

[deemann1]

Just ordered 2 ekes from Payne uk for £17 trough PayPal and they fukn charged me £72.00 shipping, wtf

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's safe enough to use syrup all year in the polynucs - same if you use frame feeders

 

[Cuckmere couple]

today i painted 4 poly nucs

 

[Millet]

It's safe enough to use syrup all year in the polynucs - same if you use frame feeders

Suppose it is safe if you get on a high drowning bees.. each to there own..i think a little differently..

 

[rook66]

Just ordered 2 ekes from Payne uk for £17 trough PayPal and they fukn charged me £72.00 shipping, wtf

Are you registered with AddressPal and /or Parcel Motel?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

i think a little differently..

Don't we know it - but thinking might not be the most relevant term

 

[birdsandbees]

not much to do in the Apiaries, checked Fondant levels, a couple will need more next weekend, I did get to Maisemore on Saturday though and came away with some more hives and frames, just making sure I have plenty to keep me busy on cold winter days
I think I have a Nuc on the way out, they weren't very strong going into winter and were made up of bees from my last few mating Nucs with a mated queen, I just thought I'd give it a go, trial and error experiment, they have plenty of stores but I don't think they expanded at all, possibly a queen issue? nowt I can do but wait and see.

 

[deemann1]

Are you registered with AddressPal and /or Parcel Motel?

It's ok I managed to cancel the order

 

[Wingy]

Working on the allotment 1 hive not a bee to be seen just a gentle buzz going on inside if you listen carefully. Other hive quite a few coming and going, bits of pollen coming in but not much, it was only 4 degrees - this colony is mad!

 

[mike99]

Blocked up the entrance of my hive and moved it 30m down the garden this morning. it was a heavily frosty morning and the forecast is for further cold weather so no flyers around. I made sure that the Fondant was over the cluster as well.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nothing in apiary, it's snowing.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Nothing in apiary, it's snowing.

Your first snow this year HM..?
We had 2 inches last Friday.

 

[mike99]

Your first snow this year HM..?
We had 2 inches last Friday.

Ours was thursday. about an inch and it was gone by the afternoon apart from the ice.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Your first snow this year HM..?
We had 2 inches last Friday.

Yes, the hills are white up at 1700 ft, just hail in the valley.