What did you do in the Apiary today?

[SDM]

We get used to Hawks in pairs flying low over the Aeron Valley. Sometimes we get bigger stuff and I have to cover my ears. We get huge transport planes in pairs too. Amazing things. Prop driven and you can’t hear them till they are practically on top of you flying so slowly. Our collie chases them off, proudly.

You should try living half a mile from RAF Valley

 

[mike99]

Added fondant to one colony and trickled both colonies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You should try living half a mile from RAF Valley

Yes I guess that’s where the Hawks at least come from.
I did think of you and Wally and Jenny Shaw. The bees don’t seem to mind though.

 

[Goran]

1999 on a flight from Singapore up the Malay peninsular and across Thailand all we could see were mile after mile of fields on fire and smoke rising 28,000ft +*, this was no natural catastrophe, but a deliberate action by farmers wishing to capitilise by bringing previously forested areas into crop production.

And some would say that there is no such thing as anthropomorphic causation climate change!

Happy New Year ?

*https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/c-130j-hercules/

We are trying really hard to extinct ourselves, but at least some will be very rich even all dead. " Greed" should be written on some rock as epitaph when we are all gone which describe driving force of our civilization, what " made us great"..

 

[beeno]

We are trying really hard to extinct ourselves, but at least some will be very rich even all dead. " Greed" should be written on some rock as epitaph when we are all gone which describe driving force of our civilization, what " made us great"..

Well said Goran.

 

[pargyle]

Just so true ... until the whole world gets together and agrees a mutually determined path that is funded by those countries who can afford to finance the necessary changes nothing much is going to improve. Every person who takes a personal position is a benefit but individually we are just a micro-drop in the ocean of mess we have collectively created. It's not going to happen until it is too late is it ?

 

[E&MBees]

Just so true ... until the whole world gets together and agrees a mutually determined path that is funded by those countries who can afford to finance the necessary changes nothing much is going to improve. Every person who takes a personal position is a benefit but individually we are just a micro-drop in the ocean of mess we have collectively created. It's not going to happen until it is too late is it ?

My children are young enough that they will experience the effect of sea level rises. London & Bristol to name but a few will be flooded by the time they reach their 80’s.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had to go up the chapel to clean out the fire so decided to pop over to the Garn Cottage apiary before returning home. Hefted hives, all still a good weight - 50/50 single brood or nadired boxes, single broods decidedly heavier, all bees alive and buzzing contentedly the nuc of dark bees I have down there still goings strong and piling out to see what was going on.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Hefted about 15 hives today.... most pretty heavy and those that were light I added fondant to.
One hive was not particulately light but made no hum when I knocked it so I investigated. No live bees just a few on the comb but the OMF covered.
There were a few bees with their heads in the comb so it was probably isolation starvation but there was probably 25% stores on 8 of the 11 combs and the main clump of bees was no more than about 25mm from full cells so I'm a bit mystified!

 

[Swarm]

Visited a friend's apiary and did an OA trickle on a dozen colonies. Seams of bees were mostly seven, all were a nice weight.

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Used my new varrojet
Ripped through 25 colonies in under an hour

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Used my new varrojet
Ripped through 25 colonies in under an hour
Well impressed with my new toy

 

[For want of a better word]

Is it one of these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xdo2oj5Fn0
I suppose being in the island of Ireland you do not have all the UK rules and regulations that seem to be imposed on beekeepers.
What are the tablets the man is lighting with a candle made of? is it the same as the jelly stuff I was given to put in my hive... just wondered as it looks as if it would be easy to make a vaperisor with a battery and a small hand fan and a few bits of tin plate.

 

[Millet]

Is it one of these?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xdo2oj5Fn0
I suppose being in the island of Ireland you do not have all the UK rules and regulations that seem to be imposed on beekeepers.
What are the tablets the man is lighting with a candle made of? is it the same as the jelly stuff I was given to put in my hive... just wondered as it looks as if it would be easy to make a vaperisor with a battery and a small hand fan and a few bits of tin plate.

Too much wastage and faffing about for me..

 

[Goran]

Used my new varrojet
Ripped through 25 colonies in under an hour
Well impressed with my new toy

With 2 double the speed.. Here cost around 28 euros a piece.
Cheaper versions cost 15-20 euros but last a lot shorter..
For diy.. easy for skilled ones in this area.. I am not for it..

 

[Karsal]

9 Degrees here today

Went up to check my hives this afternoon and put fondant on them if they were light when hefted.
Nine out of the ten colonies were out flying as if it was a summers day.
All my hives are poly and most of them were quite light when hefted compared to October so I put fondant on most of them.
Will do the rest later in the week.

 

[Millet]

Checked all mine for fondant today and all are looking sweet..the small colony i was concerned about that i put dummy boards in to reduce to seven frames seems to have grown a little..? ...all hives fairly active what i can only presume is cleansing flights and water collection..even though we have had a few bad frosts i am yet to see them cluster tightly in these Abelo poly hives..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the small colony i was concerned about that i put dummy boards in to reduce to seven frames seems to have grown a little..?

possibly the weather milder than last time you checked? bees not so tightly clustered means they cover more frames

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bored, so took a spin up to the carreg apiary as I haven't been up there for a month or so, hefted all hives, still plenty of stores, as there are issues with leavitalone beekeepers in the area, decided to give them all a vape. all colonies fine and buzzing but hardly a bee ventured out to see what was going on (I don't bother closing up when sublimating any more)

 

[Antipodes]

December record today of 41c. Average is 20c. The bees were certainly feeling the heat in this hive.

I added a couple of boxes to it as they are doing so well and needed more room.