What did you do in the Apiary today?

[The Poot in Somerset]

Two days of sunshine!
Watched the bees (I think) enjoying getting out and foraging. Loads of yellow pollen going in. Ignored me mowing right up to their hives.
Very few Jaspers about after all the rain
Vaped two colonies with fairly high varroa drops.
All colonies now Winter ready.

 

[For want of a better word]

Do you jar any ivy or just keep the frames for the bees next year?

Goes through the Apimelter and sold off as Bakers Honey.... although have bottled in past and sold in bulk as bum oil to a manufacturer of cosmetics at a super inflated price!

Quite why the Cornish Native Amm insist on filling supers with ivy, that have been extracted and put above the crown board with the feed hole open to clean up... beats me!... all the books say nothing about this...

But then the books written about beekeeping have all focused on exotics, and most of them cut and pasted plagurisisms of previous works of fiction by authors who have had very little beekeeping experience!

Chons da

 

[mike99]

Apivar strips removed and invert added. Had to move today as the weather is going to take a turn for the worse

 

[nantmoel]

Finally a few hours without rain, I've now taken off all the treatment strips that have been on for 8 weeks.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Carried out what I hope will be the final vape for two colonies that seem determined to hang on to their varroa.

 

[Murox]

Had a peek yesterday- still taking in syrup and still finding some pollen from somewhere - remarkable.

 

[Beefriendly]

Removed some varroa strips and feeders from hives in an out apiary. They all behaved like lambs except for one that I had I notes which read " Where the eff did that black queen come from!" and true to form attacked upon opening....I hope I've now taken the last stings of the season....the little darlings followed me back to the truck and then proceeded to chase it for about 1/4 of a mile.

An urgent spring re-queening me thinks.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Had a peek yesterday- still taking in syrup and still finding some pollen from somewhere - remarkable.

I like the avatar picture what sort of hive is that .

 

[Murox]

I like the avatar picture what sort of hive is that .

Its an insulated 'long' hive I made - its deliberately big and heavy!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Its an insulated 'long' hive I made - its deliberately big and heavy!

Perfect then to survive the winter's up there .
Your a bit of an artisan your self

 

[Murox]

Perfect then to survive the winter's up there .
Your a bit of an artisan your self

Perhaps. I took my inspiration from Lazutin and Layens . Its solid larch planking, tyvek, mineral wool insulation, then ply inside. I don't prefer ply but it is effective and frankly after leaving it to 'air' for 6 months I don't think it presents bees with a problem.

 

[Curly green finger's]

:

Perhaps. I took my inspiration from Lazutin and Layens . Its solid larch planking, tyvek, mineral wool insulation, then ply inside. I don't prefer ply but it is effective and frankly after leaving it to 'air' for 6 months I don't think it presents bees with a problem.

I don't no of the two people you talk about , I'm not a ply wood fan either.
My mate is making me hive body's out of Douglas fir for next season, he's already making floors and 25mm crown boards .
One down fall to the floors the inspection board's are a very tight fit and are hard to remove I suppose there swelling up, maybe using wood as an inspection board isn't a good idea.

I've got the flu and been in bed for two days ... our family don't have flu vaccinations, I blame the BH ....

 

[Millet]

One down fall to the floors the inspection board's are a very tight fit and are hard to remove I suppose there swelling up, maybe using wood as an inspection board isn't a good idea.

That is why i use for sale sign's for my inspection trays..i have also found that the wooden trays rot quite quickly.

 

[Curly green finger's]

That is why i use for sale sign's for my inspection trays..i have also found that the wooden trays rot quite quickly.

There going mouldy also, I've gathered some for sale signs on my travells

 

[Murox]

yes correx board works very well, I "fill" the corrugation 'holes' with a clear silicone to stop earwigs and the like from making a home in them.

 

[monarda]

yes correx board works very well, I "fill" the corrugation 'holes' with a clear silicone to stop earwigs and the like from making a home in them.

Thanks for the silicone filler idea- why didn't I think of this sooner? ps is it just me or has this year been a good one for earwigs ?

 

[Beersmith]

Thanks for the silicone filler idea- why didn't I think of this sooner? ps is it just me or has this year been a good one for earwigs ?

Could you clarify. I've had loads especially in one colony. Perhaps you meant a bad year? That said, as problems go they seem to cause less damage and harm than many pests.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Could you clarify. I've had loads especially in one colony. Perhaps you meant a bad year? That said, as problems go they seem to cause less damage and harm than many pests.

There's been lots around this year I've never seen so many earwigs what damage do they really cause ?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

what did you do outside of the apiary today

generally thought of reasons i could go and do something in the apiary

(long winter ahead)

 

[madasafish]

There going mouldy also, I've gathered some for sale signs on my travells

I paint a hive interior woodwork - crownboards etc with water based woodstain..(Ronseal 5 year). Dries very quickly .. Nothings rots of gets damp after 2 coats.. Leave it for 2-4 weeks - or all winter - to harden. No apparent impact on bees.