What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drstitson]

JBM - you can defo borrow the coat for your night in the doghouse!!!

BTW were the offcuts neatly banded together in convenient sets like mine were? and accompanied by large amounts of waste shredded cardboard.

The swines - it'll take many a winter evening in the shed/garage sorting out the mess the culprits left.

 

[susbees]

Ha bluedee ha jbm....

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

JBM - you can defo borrow the coat for your night in the doghouse!!!

BTW were the offcuts neatly banded together in convenient sets like mine were? and accompanied by large amounts of waste shredded cardboard.

The swines - it'll take many a winter evening in the shed/garage sorting out the mess the culprits left.

Funnily enough they were - I've also heard from a friend that there's a shifty character been seen locally looking for somewhere to dump a strange stainless steel cylinder with a handle on top - better unl- ahh I mean lock the shed door tonight in case he sneaks in

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oxalic done at last.
The smallest colony is bigger than I had hoped and were up and at me.
They are in a dummied down poly hive with the inspection tray in. Perhaps they were just warmer than the other poly where they were clustered nicely.
All bees were at the top of the frames but stores are good.

Sun came out later and even at 8˚ quite a few came out for a poo and a look around

 

[VEG]

Finally got my OA done this morning all hives bar one looking good. One hive has a lot less bees in than the others it is probably down to 2/3 seams of bees. I have put fondant on so hope it makes it through.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

JBK - why was it not strapped to the stand?

Because stand + beehive would now be tipped over!

Also because. 2 x hives + stand might have been tipped over?

It was possibly my own fault as I added a 3rd brood box...a bit to keen this year!

 

[Chrisfnvs]

you could try putting the hive plus stand on a paving slab with the strap under the slab and then going over the hive securing the whole lot to the slab, hurricane proof, i do this because i have a herd of Deer in one of my yards, never had a problem with Deer or wind if you pardon the expression: Chris

 

[busybee53]

Chrisfnvs - I guess deer are pretty good at giving a hive a shove. Do you think a strap under a paving slab, with the hive and stand firmly strapped together as you describe would deter yobbos with a long pole who might want to push a hive over? I am thinking of all possibilities for the new apiary.

 

[MuswellMetro]

you could try putting the hive plus stand on a paving slab with the strap under the slab and then going over the hive securing the whole lot to the slab, hurricane proof, i do this because i have a herd of Deer in one of my yards, never had a problem with Deer or wind if you pardon the expression: Chris

same method, mine are like that as the farm has a small flock of herdwick sheep that like standing on top of the hives!!! ( to eat the top of the bushes)

 

[Chrisfnvs]

Hi Busybee 53, i doubt if they could push it over with a stick/ pole if the slab is big enough i use 2 ft x 2ft slabs it would take a real effort to get it over, i have had a problem with yobs attacking some hives a couple of years ago they could not knock the over so they just throw bricks at them instead, i ended up moving them, i guess if they can be seen by someone they will probably end up being attacked or stolen, follow the golden rule is keep them out of sight if possible, there are some real idiots out there Chris

 

[VEG]

Chrisfnvs - I guess deer are pretty good at giving a hive a shove. Do you think a strap under a paving slab, with the hive and stand firmly strapped together as you describe would deter yobbos with a long pole who might want to push a hive over? I am thinking of all possibilities for the new apiary.

I used fencing wire to secure my stands to the slabs instead of the straps. Then strapped the hive to the stand. The yobbs then took to launching boulders at my hives, needless to say I moved them.

 

[busybee53]

Hope your hives are safe now veg. I havn't even moved mine in yet. Hope I don't have to move out as I still have not got a plan B.

 

[VEG]

Mine now live on a farm tucked out of the way.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Wandered over in the dark to make sure they were still standing. They were so wandered off to the pub to celebrate.

 

[Headnavigator]

Haven't seen a bee for weeks; discouraged by all your reports of activity I pressed my ear to a hive this morning - not a sound, and looking through the entrance there's not even a dead bee on the mesh floor. I know they're alive from the temperature probe so why are they so quiet compared to all these ravers I keep reading about?
So I blew a gentle breath through the mouse guard. Whoo-hoo! Such a roar and burst of bees I positively ran!
Ok, they're not asleep, and they don't like carnivore breath! And they're very much 'on watch'. Good girls, I shall leave them alone now.

 

[Bob Bee]

Did OA treatment on 2 hives, one AMM on 4 seams and some rescue bees of dubious origin on 5 seams, both looked like they had plenty of stores and some fondant. Put in extra fleece for insulation and packed them away.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Eked out two National boxes to 14 x 12.
Quick check of the inserts after oxalic yesterday. Some varroa (didn't count yet) under the one hive I wasn't going to do but decided to at the last minute.
A lesson there...........

 

[oldsalthouse]

Had a look at the inspection trays today, as I vaporised all the hives on 1st with OA. All hives busy today with the nice weather, some pollen on the bees (brown / red), think its from the Gorse around here on the moor.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Haven't seen a bee for weeks; discouraged by all your reports of activity

For what its worth, one of my colonies has been like that. Local mongrels as against 2 Buckfast(ish) colonies who were leaping around at every opportunity.

They soon woke up when I dribbled oxalic on them

 

[dpearce4]

Done Nothing today.