What did you do in the Apiary today?

[GuyNir]

Bees flying in big numbers today. Impressive quantities of pollen coming in (bright orange and pale yellow). Noticed first couple of bumblebees out on the snowdrops today. Seems the sycamores are getting ready. Can’t hide my excitement (and yes, I’m aware all could change tomorrow...)

 

[mike99]

Bees flying in big numbers today. Impressive quantities of pollen coming in (bright orange and pale yellow). Noticed first couple of bumblebees out on the snowdrops today. Seems the sycamores are getting ready. Can’t hide my excitement (and yes, I’m aware all could change tomorrow...)

Mine are behaving exactly the same with loads of Pollen on them. I had a look at the Fondant this morning and there is probably about half a pack of Ambrosia Fondant left. They have only started on this over the last couple of weeks. I am not sure if I need to add more when they finish it or are they just taking it because it's easy pickings? The forecast is pretty good where I am over the next 10 days.

 

[For want of a better word]

Frog spawn everywhere... Herons having a field day... even a big glob of it dumped on one of my many overwintering pure Cornish black bee nucs......

 

[madasafish]

Frog spawn everywhere... Herons having a field day... even a big glob of it dumped on one of my many overwintering pure Cornish black bee nucs......

First spawn this year 22nd February: last year end March..(Record early this year. Feb spawn usually gets frozen in March)

 

[For want of a better word]

First spawn this year 22nd February: last year end March..(Record early this year. Feb spawn usually gets frozen in March)

I watched a heron peck it up and fling it... is that normal behavior???
Neonics in the water... washed off the OSR in all probability!!!

 

[Anduril]

I watched a heron peck it up and fling it... is that normal behavior???
Neonics in the water... washed off the OSR in all probability!!!

Unfortunately they don't have hands. If they did you could blame Chernobyl.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Opened 4 of my hives today one of them has bees on all 11 frames and 6 frames of brood.
A double nuc is trying to supercede, three queen cells - one sealed, even has drones and drone brood. Queen still there laying well but she's only got one of her back legs as I snipped it off last May when clipping her wing!
Left them to get on with it.

 

[Tom Jay]

Hi Tom Jay,

Thanks too for your thoughts . I thought I’d weighed up the pros and cons and came down on this as being best for me. To my mind this way is involving me in less lifting and trouble by keeping them close. The garden is mainly flat and open and it only involves one short lift for each hive on each move.

Re losing the confident scouts I thought the idea with the shorter move is that they suss out hive location on return? ..I can though use the banch trick in front of hive to force them to orientate before leaving as a bit of belt and braces approach...but maybe there are drawbacks to this Approach?

Again thanks

Please do keep us posted with the progress of your graduated move, Nordicul. Cheers.

 

[Curly green fingers]

10 c on the Shropshire hill's at 8am and bee's are flying leaving the hives .
Yesterday it was 8c at home 450 metres I went to work in the teme valley it was - 1.5 and a grass frost .

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Opened a colony from which drones have been flying most days. Had a quick look at 2 central brood frames only and both showed BIAS and even a couple of capped drone cells at the side. As you'd expect in . . .. April!?

I'm leaving them to it until I do the proper first inspection in another month. . . maybe.

. . . . Ben

 

[simonforeman]

Opened a colony from which drones have been flying most days. Had a quick look at 2 central brood frames only and both showed BIAS and even a couple of capped drone cells at the side. As you'd expect in . . .. April!?

I'm leaving them to it until I do the proper first inspection in another month. . . maybe.

. . . . Ben

I'm no expert but I'm listening to the old timers here and not opening mine up for at least another 6 weeks at least.... nothing can do now if there's something wrong with them......

 

[simonforeman]

Loads of nice pollen going in

 

[Curly green fingers]

Opened a colony from which drones have been flying most days. Had a quick look at 2 central brood frames only and both showed BIAS and even a couple of capped drone cells at the side. As you'd expect in . . .. April!?

I'm leaving them to it until I do the proper first inspection in another month. . . maybe.

. . . . Ben

Carnica bee's ?

 

[deemann1]

Well got my first sting today.
Opened up crown boards today for a peek 16 degrees.
Bees bringing in pollen like crazy today
There is a few colonys throughing out there fondant
1 colony sounds queen less

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I'm no expert but I'm listening to the old timers here and not opening mine up for at least another 6 weeks at least.... nothing can do now if there's something wrong with them......

Drones flying in February not good I understand and saw this from Stuart at Norfolk Honey co. which could have been the same situation in my colony. If I'd had the same scenario, no brood, no queen it was suggested that you should unite with another colony as soon as possible. Before too many workers become drone layers. ?

And, sunny, 16degC today I had a quick look.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Carnica bee's ?

Don't know. As a beginner I was given this queen's mother by someone in my association. She kept drones until Christmas last year and her daughter doesn't seem to have taken much of a break yet this winter, Hive in a sheltered south facing location against a house wall.

Do Carnicas act like this?

Looking at the photo there's not much pollen or honey on the frame. I'll have to keep an eye on them as this lot hatches.

. .. . Ben

 

[Ian123]

I'm no expert but I'm listening to the old timers here and not opening mine up for at least another 6 weeks at least.... nothing can do now if there's something wrong with them......

Mate dont set a time frame for bees, you respond to the weather and conditions/bees.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Don't know. As a beginner I was given this queen's mother by someone in my association. She kept drones until Christmas last year and her daughter doesn't seem to have taken much of a break yet this winter, Hive in a sheltered south facing location against a house wall.

Do Carnicas act like this?

Looking at the photo there's not much pollen or honey on the frame. I'll have to keep an eye on them as this lot hatches.

. .. . Ben

I think through out the winter I've had a brood break for three weeks across the board, it's been a mild one , your bee's have reacted the same as others ,

Keep an eye on them as you said stores etc..
Nice carnicas

 

[Millet]

Drones flying in February not good I understand and saw this from Stuart at Norfolk Honey co. which could have been the same situation in my colony. If I'd had the same scenario, no brood, no queen it was suggested that you should unite with another colony as soon as possible. Before too many workers become drone layers. ?

And, sunny, 16degC today I had a quick look.

As per link i have a colony like that..however it will not be united to any others as the amount of bees in my Q- colony suggests robbing so i will let them get on with it till the hive is empty..

 

[oliver90owner]

Drones flying in February not good I understand and saw this from Stuart at Norfolk Honey co. which could have been the same situation in my colony. If I'd had the same scenario, no brood, no queen it was suggested that you should unite with another colony as soon as possible. Before too many workers become drone layers. ?

And, sunny, 16degC today I had a quick look.

If there are new drones it is likely the queen is already a drone layer. I’ve never had laying workers early in the season.

No brood or drone brood are the usual problems. Queens may have not, or only just, started laying this early in the season. Non-laying queens may be nosemic - so simply uniting those bees to another colony may not be a good idea.

Winter may be returning shortly. Good luck to those that are already unnnecessarily disturbing their colonies. They may need it. A quick look for brood is one thing, over the last period of warm weather; further interference has been pointless (dependent on findings, of course).