What did you do in the Apiary today?

[antoniahk]

Result! 2 notes of caution however. Firstly, it may be that the area isn't suitable for bees, as yours cleared off and so apparently did the ones from the hives. Given that, I might be inclined just to install 1 colony and see what happens, rather than spend out on 3. Secondly, given that you don't know what happened to the bees, I would use new frames and foundation and thoroughly clean and scorch all woodwork, in case of disease.

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering about cleaning, by scorch, do you mean a quick go with a blowtorch after cleaning? We won't be thinking about buying bees until spring, but would like to get these hives cleaned out and ready to use, in case bees move in by chance, or for the next time our bees decide to move out. The area they are in used to be a fruit farm (maybe 20 or 30 years ago), so it would make sense for people to have kept bees in the area, but I agree, there could be many reasons the bees/beekeeper have gone. The hives are a very different design from our hive too. I'll post pictures later.

 

[Meg]

Not exactly in the apiary, but cleaned up all my apideas today. Took them all to bits and scrubbed them out, then painted the lids. I tend to write on the roofs with a marker pen, so decided to paint them all different shades from old tester pots to give me a blank slate for next year's records.

Seem to be short of at least 2 floors - bloody Badgers ripped a few apart and obviously took some bits back to the Sett for added insulation!

New shed at an out apiary going up tomorrow - hooray! Some extra defense against the woodpeckers and mice.

Hmmm - looking at post - I like wildlife - honest!!

Meg

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hmmm - looking at post - I like wildlife - honest!!

Meg

Mmm so do I - especially in a rich gravy with mustard mash accompaniment!!

 

[madasafish]

Looked at all hives yesterday. All seem OK. Looked through perspex viewing window in one TBH.. cluster balled on 5 combs.

Left them to it.

 

[drstitson]

Submitted my completed annual "denuncia" (colony/apiary declaration) form to the local state veterinary service office ahead of the Dec 31st deadline.

oh yes, almost forgot.... watched a convincing candidate for a black wolf stalking a herd of deer.

 

[MJBee]

I have been moaning about unseasonably warm weather, but at last we have had 6 nights of frost and cool but sunny days. Mixed up 25 hives worth of OA and administered to all mine and 4 of my "apprentice". Another 2 'keepers I am helping will be sorted tomorrow - total of 18 hives.

Happy to report that all are alive and have plenty of stores. All were clustered some tightly and others spread more loosely over 6 or 7 frames.

My "apprentice" has a double brood WBC and I couldn't see any bees even with a torch (solid floor) so I flipped my veil off and had a good peer. They launched a single kamakasi suicide stinger which bounced off my glasses then got my ear on the rebound No worries about that colony

 

[Skyhook]

Thanks for the advice. I was wondering about cleaning, by scorch, do you mean a quick go with a blowtorch after cleaning? We won't be thinking about buying bees until spring, but would like to get these hives cleaned out and ready to use, in case bees move in by chance, or for the next time our bees decide to move out. The area they are in used to be a fruit farm (maybe 20 or 30 years ago), so it would make sense for people to have kept bees in the area, but I agree, there could be many reasons the bees/beekeeper have gone. The hives are a very different design from our hive too. I'll post pictures later.

Yes, normally recommendation is blowlamp lightly. I would be inclined to scrub with soda first as belt and braces.

 

[Meg]

Shed up! Despite rain, hail and a howling wind. Bit awkward getting the roof in place (basically as I am a bit on the shorter side ) and quite a muddy floor, but weighed down with spare equipment already.

Atlast, somewhere for everything to dry ouot, be repaired and cleaned up and no woodpeckers! Hooray!, Hooray! Hooray!

Meg

P.S. Am with you on the wildlife Jenkins - got a pheasant to casserole or some such soon.

 

[drex]

Today is the coldest it is going to be for some while, so I did my OA.

All colonies were good and strong, and gently active in the hive, with the odd one flying up at me to investigate, with 8 seams of bees. It was about 6 degrees.

The bees were all at the top of the BB, spilling over the tops of the frames. I run a super under a BB, with insulation in the roof. Plenty of stores ( by weight).

I am a little concerned about them being over the top of the frames, as I am sure I have read that this is a danger sign ( ?of starvation), but cannot find the reference, and as I say, they have more than enough stores.

Can you advise please. Should I put the supers over the top of the BB's.?

 

[Skyhook]

Today is the coldest it is going to be for some while, so I did my OA.

All colonies were good and strong, and gently active in the hive, with the odd one flying up at me to investigate, with 8 seams of bees. It was about 6 degrees.

The bees were all at the top of the BB, spilling over the tops of the frames. I run a super under a BB, with insulation in the roof. Plenty of stores ( by weight).

I am a little concerned about them being over the top of the frames, as I am sure I have read that this is a danger sign ( ?of starvation), but cannot find the reference, and as I say, they have more than enough stores.

Can you advise please. Should I put the supers over the top of the BB's.?

I would say hands off, dont disturb them now. The position in the hive really refers to the cluster, and of course it's not cold enough to cluster.

Wait calmly for more experienced beeks to add their opinion.

 

[Ely]

Fed my 2 hives with fondant. I haven't a clue if they had stores or not as I am no good at guesswork or hefting. How am I supposed to know the difference in one quantity of kg to another? Fed them anyway. Better safe than sorry. Need to treat with oxalic but this is where Ted Hoopers book falls short

 

[richardbees]

Treated with oxalic acid at 1pm - temperature 8c. I've never opened up before in mid winter and was a bit surprised how docile they were!

ditto Ely's comment re Ted Hooper, unless he covered V in a later edition than mine it's no longer a single source recommended read for new beekeepers.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Better safe than sorry. Need to treat with oxalic but this is where Ted Hoopers book falls short

Would not be very wise imformation to put in a book,considering how often the research into this method has changed over the years,and still is changing. Some may do though.

 

[Vergilius]

Fed my 2 hives with fondant. I haven't a clue if they had stores or not as I am no good at guesswork or hefting. How am I supposed to know the difference in one quantity of kg to another? Fed them anyway. Better safe than sorry. Need to treat with oxalic but this is where Ted Hoopers book falls short

16x10s - that were presumably full of stores in autumn - shouldn't need any fondant feeding until much later on. You need to learn to heft pretty quickly, as a hive that has been continually fed with fondant over winter, and therefore has not consumed its stores, can be a problem come spring. A box full of stores leaves HM with no laying space, and early swarms could result - am many newbees found out this spring.

Of course you could continue your line of feeding regardless, but please make sure you remove the full frames come Spring! In my opinion this is wasteful; why waste money buying fondant instead of making the bees eat their natural stores?

You may have got lucky - your bees may actually need the feeding - but it's always better to learn how to do things properly, rather than using guesswork.


Ben P

 

[Poggle]

My hive that swarmed twice last year had only a few bees wandering back and forth....The other hive which has the origonal queen and the forst swarm was going mental!! Talk about telling me to bugger off!!! As soon as I got within 3 foot of the hive they were pinging me from all directions As soon as I went four to five foot away them that were pinging got on with the hous work etc..Now then, I have a lump of fondant in this hive and I am wondering whether to wait till late afternoon on a chilly day, when they will all be "asleep" as it were, and take the fondant out and have a decent look at the stores, coz I have a really sneaky feeling this lot will be gone in the spring if there is no space to lay.

 

[Davelin]

ditto Ely's comment re Ted Hooper, unless he covered V in a later edition than mine it's no longer a single source recommended read for new beekeepers.

I have the 2010 edition which says it has an updated chapter on pests and diseases by Margaret Thomas. Certainly talks about Varroa and has a paragraph on oxalic acid treatment. However is not sufficiently detailed on its own in my opinion.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

4th edition of Ted Hooper had the major Varroa update, 1997 but I would urge people to look at more upto date sources (like here) first. Older books aren't likely to cover Varroa very well and inform more about Braula Coeca etc

 

[Luminos]

4th edition of Ted Hooper had the major Varroa update, 1997 but I would urge people to look at more upto date sources (like here) first. Older books aren't likely to cover Varroa very well and inform more about Braula Coeca etc

I couldn't find anything about DWV in my edition, and I only got it this year

 

[Nic Rhodes]

I bought my copy in 1976 and Varroa wasn't really talked about then. The book is extensively the same one now as my 1976 except for the short Varroa update. Many of these books are actually much older than we think and 'new' subjects Varroa, viruses or OMF are often not covered or very very brief updates that are basic at best at the time of printing (Ted Hoopers 1997 update written I think by someone else) and are very soon out of date wrt to latest developments / methods. Hence advice to look at upto date literature. Beekeeping is full of people giving out of date advice unfortunately.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oxalic planned for today but it's raining.
Had a quick look at the fondant situation on the weakest hive. They are taking it slowly and appear to be five seams worth of bees...still walking about on the tops of the frames.
The other poly is a 14 x 12 and is clustered at 8 seams. The remaining colony are in a cedar 14 x 12 with a wooden crownboard so will see when I eventually get a weather window.