What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Brian Bush]

My queens all arrived safely from Germany after being posted last Monday afternoon.
Two days for the 'efficient' German Post Office to get them on a mail plane to Heathrow. Royal Mail picked them up Thursday morning and Roy the postman proudly delivered them on Friday morning.
I was concerned with the extreme weather in Germany and the UK. The bees were very active so I liberally sprinkled them with water which calmed them and placed them in a cool dark place.
Friday, upon receipt of the queens I rang the SBI and he came over and visually inspected the bees and checked the documentation.
Thursday my buddy and I made up the Nucs from the frames we had placed on the donor hives to bleed nurse bees.

Yesterday I removed the companion bees and placed my new queens on top of the frames in the NUCs I set up earlier in the week.
This morning opened the feeder end of the cages and placed them between the frames. All queens doing well!!!!

 

[Brian Bush]

Sorry repeat post. Fat Fingers!!!!!

 

[B+.]

My queens all arrived safely from Germany after being posted last Monday afternoon.
<snip>
This morning opened the feeder end of the cages and placed them between the frames. All queens doing well!!!!

That sound traumatic...worst possible time to post queens!
Good luck

 

[colinc]

Why is it that the grumpy b*******^s always pack in the most honey.

3 full supers in 2 weeks on one hive whilst the “better bred” bees mess around and swarm prep.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Beefriendly]

That sound traumatic...worst possible time to post queens!
Good luck

I once sent somebody on this list a queen + attendants + fondant.
Due to a **** up he wasn't in to sign the registered next day delivery...returned to post office where they lay for next 10 days.
All alive and queen went well.
Gives some idea of how long they will survive...it was very wet fondant and weather was cool.

 

[masterBK]

Shook bees off 12 supers today as I intend to extract them this evening. Was intending to shake bees off another 12 but with recent weather change bees became quite defensive so gave up on the shaking and switched to using canadian and Rhombus clearers under the next dozen and will pick them up tomorrow. Checked a few nuclei and found 4 queens have come into lay but two of these were drone layers (that brings total to 8 drone layers this year out of 36 queens raised. )

 

[Angry_Mob]

Wasps are hounding two of my nucs, made up a few tunnel type entrances using cable trunking. Don't think its stopped them but looks to have slowed them down.

 

[Ian123]

Stick some bottle traps around the apiary. It works for me

 

[B+.]

I once sent somebody on this list a queen + attendants + fondant.
Due to a **** up he wasn't in to sign the registered next day delivery...returned to post office where they lay for next 10 days.
All alive and queen went well.
Gives some idea of how long they will survive...it was very wet fondant and weather was cool.

I was thinking more about 35+ being too hot in an envelope with only a few holes for ventilation

 

[Angry_Mob]

Stick some bottle traps around the apiary. It works for me

I had one up yesterday, filled with beer and didn't seem to catch anything.

Bought a few of these types earlier so will see what they do: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-2-4X-W...var=611352005150&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

[Beefriendly]

I was thinking more about 35+ being too hot in an envelope with only a few holes for ventilation

Apart from the recent 12 hour period (note in South of England)...not a usual temp event when sending queens.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

carted a truckload of supers back from the out apiaries for extraction, then
carted some more back

 

[Beefriendly]

You guys still using carts?

 

[Popparand]

Too hot on Thursday so went to the pub with the missus after buying some foundation. Not a good idea to leave it in the car (the wax, that is).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You guys still using carts?

Yes, and after this year's harvest I may be able to afford a horse.

 

[Beefriendly]

Yes, and after this year's harvest I may be able to afford a horse.

A single solitary horse!
Way you are describing your current honey crop I would have thought a herd was more in order....or a truck with more horsepower

 

[B+.]

A single solitary horse!
Way you are describing your current honey crop I would have thought a herd was more in order....or a truck with more horsepower

He didn't say what sort of horse. Perhaps he meant a dray-horse. Then he could sit celebrating his prodigious yield with a barrel or two off the cart

 

[Beefriendly]

He didn't say what sort of horse. Perhaps he meant a dray-horse. Then he could sit celebrating his prodigious yield with a barrel or two off the cart

This is Jenk's B+...it could only be a Welsh Cob....

 

[Millet]

This is Jenk's B+...it could only be a Welsh Cob....

Or twenty sheep in tandem..

 

[Beefriendly]

Might work but you'd need something ,like a dog-sleigh team harness.