What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Walrus]

Did inspection yesterday - like Angry_mob, looks like my Nuc haven't accepted a new Q from Exmoor either - no sign of aggression before releasing her (she was caged in there before opening the tab). No brood to be seen anywhere, no supercedure cells, and no queen :-/

Sorry to hear that. It's highly unlikely to be related to your queen supplier (there aren't many better than yours).

I used to send a fair few queens off to their doom in my first couple of years; I was always convinced they were Q- but I was often wrong.

Some hives have 2 queens and sometimes she is small, dark, and really hard to spot.

When I make up a "queenless" nuc I leave it for a day or two to see if they are making emergency cells. If they are, they are Q-, so I can knock down the cells and introduce the new queen in her cage (without the attendants).

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sorry to hear that. It's highly unlikely to be related to your queen supplier (there aren't many better than yours).

.

I’ve lost one of Pete’s queens and it was entirely my fault.

 

[Millet]

I’ve lost one of Pete’s queens and it was entirely my fault.

It is easily done..just when you think she is accepted she is killed the next minute..I goofed up last year and lost a GM Queen out of five and I did the same this year by losing one of four...both my fault and valuable lessons learned..hopefully...? .

 

[colinc]

Requeened my biggest grumpy colony with a GM queen that was in a nuc from a split earlier in the year. Trying the unite over paper method as merging 2 reasonable sized groups.

Fingers crossed.

Couldn’t find the queen in the other colony that is grumpy so she has a reprieve until next week.


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[Millet]

Stuck three extracted supers back on some hives before the rain comes..

 

[Swarm]

Sorry to hear that. It's highly unlikely to be related to your queen supplier (there aren't many better than yours).

I used to send a fair few queens off to their doom in my first couple of years; I was always convinced they were Q- but I was often wrong.

Some hives have 2 queens and sometimes she is small, dark, and really hard to spot.

When I make up a "queenless" nuc I leave it for a day or two to see if they are making emergency cells. If they are, they are Q-, so I can knock down the cells and introduce the new queen in her cage (without the attendants).

No reflection on supplier, some colonies simply refuse to accept new queens. It's a horrible, sinking feeling, I had colony of horrid, orange, *******s that did the same thing in June. They had no open brood so I opted to put her into the colony, I would normally remove a couple of frames of emerging brood and bring her on in a nuc first. It was six days until she was released, I did this to assess their behaviour towards her and they were fine as she walked around ... What a beautiful queen.
I shook them out a few weeks later.

 

[Swarm]

Put clearer boards on today and checked a few colonies. Wonderful temperament, the only bees in the air were foragers, it's nice to be collecting honey but far nicer working with lovely bees. Still waiting to see eggs with one colony but judging by their behaviour, they seem very content and some nicely polished cells tells me we will see BIAS next time.
Still more honey to come in and rain forecast, I always seem to be collecting supers in the rain.

 

[XYZ]

Entrance reducers on all my colonies today. Wasps still about. Managed to get rid of two this morning, but they're a constant menace. Will be upping the wasp trap game soon.

Standard Abelo entrance reducers at the moment, but will look at sorting them a tunnel entrance, utilising the little "platforms" either side on the Abelo floor.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Entrance reducers on all my colonies today. Wasps still about. Managed to get rid of two this morning, but they're a constant menace. Will be upping the wasp trap game soon.

Standard Abelo entrance reducers at the moment, but will look at sorting them a tunnel entrance, utilising the little "platforms" either side on the Abelo floor.

Just a simple question and not meant to be inflammatory
If the bees are coping as a result of the simple measure of reduced entrances you have put in place why are you adding wasp traps?

 

[gregior]

Cleared,extracted and filtered 12 very full supers today shagged out now! Big balsam flow on here and still lots of rosebay and thistle in flower so they're spoilt for choice at the minute.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Did inspection yesterday - like Angry_mob, looks like my Nuc haven't accepted a new Q from Exmoor either - no sign of aggression before releasing her (she was caged in there before opening the tab). No brood to be seen anywhere, no supercedure cells, and no queen :-/

I should note that the nuc accepted the other Exmoor queen I got; shes laying fine. I'm looking forward to seeing how she performs next season.

I used the queen introduction cage which is usually very successful. When released, I seen them grooming her so assumed that they had accepted her. It's a bummer though, £45 down the drain.

Trying to decide whether to do a shake out or unite with a nuc.


On a brighter note extracted 9 supers today. I must add buckets to my shopping list.

 

[XYZ]

Just a simple question and not meant to be inflammatory
If the bees are coping as a result of the simple measure of reduced entrances you have put in place why are you adding wasp traps?

I'm not convinced they are coping with entrance reducers. Belt and braces is all.

 

[coatesg]

No reflection on supplier, some colonies simply refuse to accept new queens. It's a horrible, sinking feeling, I had colony of horrid, orange, *******s that did the same thing in June.

Oh absolutely no reflection at all - the queen looked absolutely super! I had expected them to try to supercede, but absolutely no brood at all in the Nuc. And no signs of issues with her - had removed attendents, workers were in no way showing any aggression, had fed to simulate a flow, and very much Q-!

Such is life!

 

[Murox]

Yesterday checked a new "green" Queen had been released by nurses in a nucleus - she had, I'll check thoroughly in a week or so.

 

[Walrus]

I had a visit from a seasonal bee inspector today. It was really nice talking to her, and all went well.

 

[simonforeman]

2 very nice slovenian carnolian queens arrived today. Both now in nucs.
What would be the best plan for them this time of year, over winter in their paynes poly nucs or transfer to full hives in a few weeks and feed to draw out the comb?

Forgot to say 1 in nat nuc the other requeened an established 14x12 nuc

 

[simonforeman]

Also forgot to say I signed up to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme on Sunday. My sample kit came today so Sundays extraction will include sending off a sample.....

 

[Angry_Mob]

2 very nice slovenian carnolian queens arrived today. Both now in nucs.
What would be the best plan for them this time of year, over winter in their paynes poly nucs or transfer to full hives in a few weeks and feed to draw out the comb?

Forgot to say 1 in nat nuc the other requeened an established 14x12 nuc

Also forgot to say I signed up to the National Honey Monitoring Scheme on Sunday. My sample kit came today so Sundays extraction will include sending off a sample.....

Feed and see how they get on, if shes laying well and the box is full stick into a full hive. My best hive this year was a 14x12 nuc that I promoted to a hive at the end of last season and divided it down to 8 frames.

Make sure you watch the video for the NHS if you havent already, I made the mistake of assuming they wanted extracted honey, it wasn't until I filled them I realised the wanted it from the frame, wax and all.

 

[Beefriendly]

No work today, sat back and chilled. Tried taking a few pictures of bees working lavender...not easy...

 

[Erichalfbee]

No work today, sat back and chilled. Tried taking a few pictures of bees working lavender...not easy...

Is that somebody trying to kiss the bee in the first picture?