What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Hivemaker.]

Both taste jolly nice though

They do i agree,one of my sons shoots a few deer, just about every week in season,mainly red,but a few roe and fallow as well.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Job to know which does most damage,them or the deer.

Both taste jolly nice though

Hmm, yes, they do.

Does anybody know a local source of boar? (not supermarket)

 

[MuswellMetro]

checked the hive weights and fed some fondant to lighter one ,0c over night 6c at midday, The Italians and Buckfast all tucked up in bed but the local girls were playing on the landing board

also NO WASPS at last

no Boar steak but my local Butcher in Mill Hill sells Bison, Crocodile,Kangeroo and Kidou ( see google street dump photo), Kidou if £55 per kilo is you want some but i prefer his diced Cavy

 

[drstitson]

Just had to field a panic call from OH - apparently loads of activity around the grey poly nuc ("like spring/summer"). Reassured that they were just taking advantage of 16C temp!!! (first day above 9-10 for a week or two) Presumably won't miss chance for cleansing flights - hope no washing out on line!!! Awaiting pictures.

They've actually been fairly quiet for last while (but doing fine - see pic posted previously)- they face east so get sun before any significant warming then get relatively shaded by early afternoon whilst other hives are south facing and so get sun at warmer point of day and so have been busier generally. Nuc will be joining other hives once winter hits properly

Still loads of activity on the Loquats (edit: ignore all previous references to Catalpae - easy mistake to make as trees adjacent and both previously unfamiliar to me. Catalpa blooms at a more appropriate time of year and smells of talc) which still have blooms yet to open (been flowering for at least 6 weeks so far) - regular streams of bees going back and forth in the early morning sun apparently.

may need to take a peek in one or two hives at the weekend to judge state of brood as we're now less than 3 weeks away from traditional "festive" OA period.

Edit: from wikipedia: "Loquats are unusual among fruit trees in that the flowers appear in the autumn or early winter, and the fruits are ripe in late winter or early spring. Some cultivars are intended for home-growing, where the flowers open gradually, and thus the fruit also ripens gradually, compared to the commercially grown species where the flowers open almost simultaneously".

 

[YorkshireBees]

Filled some honey jars from the honey in my warming cabinet!

Wasn't intending to jar it as it is mainly OSR and I was following the advice on a thread to warm it up then add seed honey and stir it well and let it cool down / set again. Problem is that after adding seed honey and stiring I couldn't resist filling a few small jar for family + friends as it looks / tastes so delicious.
It also doesn't appear to set hard and is so creamy that it is more like creamed honey anyway!
It hardly made a dent on the volume, need to wait for my honey jar order to arrive now!

 

[madasafish]

Had a panic phone call from next door neighbour.

"one of your hives has blown over".
(They are at the bottom of our garden, checked daily but not visible from our house)

Dashed outside, tugging on beesuit. Met next door neighbour over fence who was apologising.. confused as she had not worn her glasses and made a mistake.

All hives OK.. Great relief.


Very cold and windy.. Black bees issuing form one hive despite it being 4C - only 3-4 bees at entrance.. Must be really hardy..supposedly a native black bee queen...

 

[YorkshireBees]

After two long nights and much internet research I decided finally on the label and design for my Honey Jar Labels!

Much thanks to my OH for her input on the design layout, all I need to do now is order the labels and print them!

 

[WelshPaul]

Chanced the rain and wind and went and put two breeze blocks on top of the hive, winds very strong here today.

 

[hallshoney]

popped up to my apiary check all was well late noon odd bee still coming and going despite wind and rain

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing doing here.
Rain and sleet lashing down.
Wind howling through the trees.
River up as high as it was during the floods last year.
Day in by the woodburner for me.

 

[Otleybee]

Making up 9 supers and frames to fit. Had to chop the castellated spacers by 6mm to get to fit but very happy working away.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

bees all tucked up due to high winds however a poly hive stack went over (no bees) and removed three corners from poly supers. The stack was tall (strapped) and fairly weighty!! It was windy.

 

[Winker]

Had to chop the castellated spacers by 6mm to get to fit but very happy working away.

Snap! I had to do the same today

 

[jakub.krat]

Metal roof fold down

Hi from the Czech republic. We had really windy day today and I had to found one metal roof and add extra brick for support. It flew about 10 metres to the wood

 

[Erichalfbee]

a poly hive stack went over (no bees)

I had a wooden brood box and three supers full of wet frames go over.
I hadn't thought of weighing them down as the whole lot were in the porch!!!

 

[MuswellMetro]

I had a wooden brood box and three supers full of wet frames go over.
I hadn't thought of weighing them down as the whole lot were in the porch!!!

same problem, after the swing seat lost it canopy i thought that i had better have a quick look at the mill Hill apairy as it is on a Hill LOL, first impression from a distance was chaos and my heart sank but turned out only to be a stack of empty supers caught by the wind, just a few drawn super frames lost

Hive all survived

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

two countries away from the apiary alas - just sat in Glasgow worrying about them, have to wait until Saturday to check the three hives

 

[Onge]

I suppose I better go and check to see if the roofs are still on my hives.

 

[BBG]

bees all tucked up due to high winds however a poly hive stack went over (no bees) and removed three corners from poly supers. The stack was tall (strapped) and fairly weighty!! It was windy.

Saw that coming and we always strap to the hive bench as well as two bricks on top.

 

[Suzi Q]

I'll check my hives tomorrow, there is a very big oak tree with an overhanging branch heavy with ivy, looming over one of my hives. Fingers crossed.