What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swarm]

Inspected a dozen colonies, the wind was a nuisance. Robbed my horrible ginger colony of sealed brood to aid a nice little colony of black bees in my landlord's apiary. He still uses normal entrances and the block must have blown out of this one and there was mouse damage to quite a few outer combs. One of his colonies were charging a couple of cells (one broke in bur comb on the excluder) This is a very busy colony, already with two supers so the queen was removed to a nuc and the frame holding the cell is marked. All the others showing no sign of swarm preps and very well behaved in the wind that was howling at times, well all except the ginger ones but they are going to get smaller while their brood may be useful and then she will be stomped on and replaced with a nice queen from these...

 

[Angry_Mob]

Went through several of the hives, promoted four double nucs to nice new Abelo poly hives.

Prepped for taking four hives of bees to the Apple Orchards tomorrow morning.

 

[Ian123]

I have the wax steamer running outside atm must remember not to fall asleep with the gas on!!! Have just put the 3rd bucket under.

 

[Bear]

In 2018 my poly - and wooden with poly covers- did not overheat . OMF or solid floor. And I bet we were warmer than Aberdeenshire... having lived there near Banchory -a god forsaken place particularly in winter.. and spring and summer ...........................and autumn

You must have AMM bees unfit for any purpose: I am so sorry it's the gin and the gin and the champagne (ex Christmas gift) talking....

So “unfit” i had over 200lb of honey that year.

 

[madasafish]

So “unfit” i had over 200lb of honey that year.

I deserved that.

Apologies for my rudeness.

 

[Bear]

I deserved that.

Apologies for my rudeness.

Apology accepted. We all have different methods and as long as the end result is a good honey crop, whatever way you do it, it MUST be right.

 

[Tim.S]

It's getting ridiculous for the time of year. I now have 2 hives on 4 deep national boxes and it isn't even the end of April yet. This could well be a very swarmy year so better get those bait hives out!

 

[E&MBees]

Inspected the hive that produced the swarm on Good Friday. The virgin queen, which I had expected to emerge over the weekend, emerged as I inspected the frame. Having seen her eye and antenna, I put the frame back into the hive. The cell was empty at the end of the inspection. Feel very privileged to have seen her emerge. There seems to be plenty of drones flying, so hopefully she will mate successfully.

The swarm which I retrieved from the neighbours garden has settled in nicely into their new home. The queen is laying beautifully, three frames of eggs already. When should I think about putting a super on? Would it make the hive too cold to put one on now?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When should I think about putting a super on? Would it make the hive too cold to put one on now?

Usually I would say when you have seven or eight frames full of brood, this year, maybe six.
remember, it's going to be three weeks before any new bees emerge, before long, all your flying bees ae going to be occupied with nursing duties so the colony (including brood production) will soon slow down

 

[E&MBees]

Usually I would say when you have seven or eight frames full of brood, this year, maybe six.
remember, it's going to be three weeks before any new bees emerge, before long, all your flying bees ae going to be occupied with nursing duties so the colony (including brood production) will soon slow down

Ok. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Walrus]

Had to put an upper brood box on a couple of strong National nucs. Hives (Langstroth) have 1 or 2 supers, did a demaree on a lovely colony with a true laying machine queen. Saw horse chestnut in flower today & some red pollen in hives.

 

[For want of a better word]

Some flaming clown interfered with one of my out apiaries thinking that placing
a couple of plastic sweetie tins in the center of the apiary was required as the bees needed a nice sugary drink.... did put some stones and moss in them to stop the bees drowning
Nice man did leave his phone number as he thought the apiary was abandoned.... and had been through all of my nucs and full colonies with a Master beekeeper friend to check they were OK.
This is on private property 10 miles road distant from their home in Gunnislake Cornwall, 1/2 mile off road through 2 gates!!! off a popular public dog pooing lane.
So much for not driving unnecessarily putting obedient servants at risk!

All of the hives are marked with our company Logo... and stenciled with our email address....

words now fail me!

But if the beekeeper in Gunnislake Cornwall is reading this... please do not interfere with others property....

Also back on topic... ( on the post about feeders... sorry) I never put containers of water within the apiary as this could be a possible way to spread nosema etc as some bees will poo in it when flying over and others drinking it my be infected??

Put your watering hole some way to one side of the apiary.... at this site there is a cattle water trough about 20 meters from the site that the bees there seem to use.

Posted here as well in the small hope this idiot sees it ( do Master beekeepers read this forum or only look at the monthly BBKA comic... I wonder??)

NOT HAPPY!!!


Chons da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

do Master beekeepers read this forum

doubtful - not enough pictures for them.
As for the 'good samaritan' you have his number - pass it on to the boys in blue.

 

[Swarm]

After first ringing to find out the name of the other bloke as well.

 

[enrico]

Name and shame. On every beekeeping website.
E

 

[Swarm]

Name and shame. On every beekeeping website.
E

That was my thought, get his name then put it up in bright lights.

 

[B+.]

Nice man did leave his phone number as he thought the apiary was abandoned

All of my hives have a laminated card on the front containing the hive number, my name and mobile number on the front. You might try something like this as it not only identifies the hive for your records but gives a means of contacting the owner.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

All of my hives have a laminated card on the front containing the hive number, my name and mobile number on the front. You might try something like this as it not only identifies the hive for your records but gives a means of contacting the owner.

I prefer to follow the lead of the late great Hugh Falkus.Olympic swimmer, war hero, Journalist, nature film producer and angler who, on his private beat on the Tweed had signs to deter poachers with but two words followed by an exclamation mark...............

The second word being off ​

 

[Bear]

Some flaming clown interfered with one of my out apiaries thinking that placing
a couple of plastic sweetie tins in the center of the apiary was required as the bees needed a nice sugary drink.... did put some stones and moss in them to stop the bees drowning



Your not alone. I experienced something similar the start of February. They never re assembled the hive correctly and could have killed the bees due to the cold. Never found out who it actually was tho.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I've just inspected the garden hives
Two are having a second brood box mongrels.
And the black girls were very fisty allso need another brood box.
Small swarm on the Common have gone from two super boxes over winter.
Then reduced to one then put in a nuc and are now in a 14x12 brood box with 4/5 frames of solid brood dummed down to 8 frames of drawn comb.
The Queen in this colony wasn't that big, brown and yellow on here underside but very calm as was the colony in general.
This colony I've become very attached to and a few weeks ago she was a gonna I thought..I Almost shacked them out infront of the other hives but sometimes you have to be very patient..
I love this hobby!