What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had enough or moving to pastures greener?

Had enough - usual story, pettiness, unneccessary interfering to the detriment of the bees and beginners by the beekeeping by numbers matra chanters etc. etc. only thing I regret is leaving Redwood in the lurch.

 

[pargyle]

I've had a new queen in a cage in a queenless colony since last Wednesday .. just haven't had chance to free her ... I don't usually like leaving them this long. Today, 5.40pm .. late, overcast, muggy, breezy, looks like rain, high pressure ... had to be done .. I was expecting trouble. Booted, suited, smoker, water spray, double gloves ...

Bees were like fluffy bunnies .. I could have been in shorts and sunglasses. I'm sure they were laughing at me ! Let the queen out of the cage and in she went ... piping as she went down between the frames.

Keeping my fingers crossed now.. it's going to be a long ten days ...

 

[XYZ]

Checked a queen cage to see if she's been released, all good. Closed up until Saturday.
Added more thymol sugar syrup to two rapid feeders and my 6 frame Maisies poly nuc feeder.

 

[XYZ]

Third time I've put clove oil on my gloves and found it had zero effect at deterring bees.
Not sure where I read it but I conclude it doesn't work for my bees. All over my hands.

 

[pargyle]

Third time I've put clove oil on my gloves and found it had zero effect at deterring bees.
Not sure where I read it but I conclude it doesn't work for my bees. All over my hands.

Try Olbas Oil ... it works for me. I think it's a mixture of Eucalyptus, peppermint and other essential oils .. only need a few drops on your gloves and rub it in. Bees move away from the smell.

 

[enrico]

Third time I've put clove oil on my gloves and found it had zero effect at deterring bees.
Not sure where I read it but I conclude it doesn't work for my bees. All over my hands.

You have probably already told us but are they leather gloves? I use the big plastic ones with gauntlets. Never had a problem!
E

 

[XYZ]

Try Olbas Oil ... it works for me. I think it's a mixture of Eucalyptus, peppermint and other essential oils .. only need a few drops on your gloves and rub it in. Bees move away from the smell.

I'll have a look at trying some of that cheers

You have probably already told us but are they leather gloves? I use the big plastic ones with gauntlets. Never had a problem!
E

Marigolds under the jacket, blue nitriles over. Enough clove oil to make me keep my hands well away from my face.

 

[Swarm]

Marigolds under the jacket, blue nitriles over. Enough clove oil to make me keep my hands well away from my face.

Nitriles over marigolds makes it easy to change the nitriles if they get covered in propolis but why do you need to put oil on them as well? Nasty bees? If they are, just pull another pair of nitriles over what you have.

Avon Skin So Soft, original formula is/was used by the armed forces as a very good repellent.

 

[XYZ]

Nitriles over marigolds makes it easy to change the nitriles if they get covered in propolis but why do you need to put oil on them as well? Nasty bees? If they are, just pull another pair of nitriles over what you have.

Avon Skin So Soft, original formula is/was used by the armed forces as a very good repellent.

Had to open them up as it was starting to get dark and knew they would be all over me. They're pretty grumpy and in the process of being re-queened.
Same colony that I was stung on the same hand twice within seconds of each other and although one could have been a wasp, I've been a little nervous around them since.

 

[drex]

Try to get over it. Being nervous will make you jumpy and jittery and such handling will aggravate the bees. Your bees could be pussy cats but will still sting on occasion. Keep bees and you will be stung at some point. Over time I have bred my bees to be gentler. Thinking back to when I started and knew no better, I shudder at the thought of how aggressive some of my bees were.

 

[Swarm]

Had to open them up as it was starting to get dark and knew they would be all over me. They're pretty grumpy and in the process of being re-queened.
Same colony that I was stung on the same hand twice within seconds of each other and although one could have been a wasp, I've been a little nervous around them since.

I see. Extra layer of nitrile or two in that case and talk calmly to them, it will help with any nervousness you may have.
Mine are all sleepy and dopey in the evening, I had to collect clearer boards on Monday and had to knock heaps of bees off the undersides, poor things.

 

[manek]

Nadired TWO supers (one was in the normal position, the other above the crown board, and both have stores in them, capped and uncapped), added a full-frame feeder and filled it with invert syrup. That should give them something to do.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nadired TWO supers (one was in the normal position, the other above the crown board, and both have stores in them, capped and uncapped), added a full-frame feeder and filled it with invert syrup. That should give them something to do.

You'd be better off letting them shift the stores in the nadired boxes before feeding them more - it's obviously not as if they're starving

 

[Murox]

During the break in the weather (a couple of hours of sun and 40mph winds)its been wet and windy for over a week now, I opened up to feed them. Remarkably there were still bees flying and arriving with pollen.

 

[manek]

You'd be better off letting them shift the stores in the nadired boxes before feeding them more - it's obviously not as if they're starving

Fair point, thanks. I'm concerned not to repeat what happened last winter when I lost a colony to starvation. Would they not just take what they need, though?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Fair point, thanks. I'm concerned not to repeat what happened last winter when I lost a colony to starvation. Would they not just take what they need, though?

Firstly I think you need to ignore a vast crowd of beekeepers who seem to think that winter starts mid September - there's plenty of time to feed, but as to will they stop when they have enough? this isn't the point here - you want the stores in the shallows shifted, if you pile on the feed they'll concentrate on that and you will end up going through winter with stores on top, stores to the sides and a mixture of honey and syrup still in the shallows. Bees will always keep storing whilst they have room.

 

[manek]

Firstly I think you need to ignore a vast crowd of beekeepers who seem to think that winter starts mid September - there's plenty of time to feed, but as to will they stop when they have enough? this isn't the point here - you want the stores in the shallows shifted, if you pile on the feed they'll concentrate on that and you will end up going through winter with stores on top, stores to the sides and a mixture of honey and syrup still in the shallows. Bees will always keep storing whilst they have room.

I shall take what you say on board - and not automatically top up the feeder until I can see the nadirs being emptied.

 

[Ian123]

Also when you think you’ve fed enough monitor the hives there will always be some that even when up to weight will inexplicably become low on stores, could be robbing or late brood rearing. Still plenty of beeks that feed and pack up shop thinking the jobs done, you need to be a bit more on your toes particularly when dealing with small nucs/colonies. Bees in your area will happily take syrup into November and beyond if hard frosts hold off

 

[ericbeaumont]

Still plenty of beeks that feed and pack up shop thinking the jobs done, you need to be a bit more on your toes particularly when dealing with small nucs/colonies. Bees in your area will happily take syrup into November and beyond if hard frosts hold off

Good points.
I would add that invert is best for late liquid feeding (any liquid feeding, in fact) and poly will enable bees to feed later in the year.

 

[Murox]

Firstly I think you need to ignore a vast crowd of beekeepers who seem to think that winter starts mid September - there's plenty of time to feed, but as to will they stop when they have enough? this isn't the point here - you want the stores in the shallows shifted, if you pile on the feed they'll concentrate on that and you will end up going through winter with stores on top, stores to the sides and a mixture of honey and syrup still in the shallows. Bees will always keep storing whilst they have room.

Last year mine took syrup happily up here right until mid November when the weather turned 'properly".
Bees seem to favour real nectar, then syrup (artificial nectar) and then honey in that order!