What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You can clear as many as you like in one go but might be worth putting an empty super below the clearer board so they have space to move down.

Cheers, my clearer boards have a two inch eke attached.

So have mine, but when clearing multiple supers it's always a good idea to give them a fresh super to go down into

 

[Curly green finger's]

So have mine, but when clearing multiple supers it's always a good idea to give them a fresh super to go down into

That's what Ive done I've used a super of drawn comb on two colonys.
Thanks in some ways you've helped me this season emyr and at some point I would like to send you a jar of honey ill pm you.
Cheers.

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[XYZ]

Added a new queen to the queenless nuc via push in cage.

Made a nuc up, split from the big swarmy hive and did the same push in with new queen.

When I find the recently-emerged queen in the big colony she will be removed and the split will be united with them.

That's the plan at least

 

[Swarm]

Two colonies with charged cells dealt with. Waiting on new queens in another three, hoping they will be laying in a couple of weeks.
Picked another colony of lovely natured bees to Demarree on Sunday, the other hives are happy making bees. Nucs are all building up, need to check one to see if the cell they were given was a success or a failure.

Anyone here use bamboo queen excluders? My landlord has two hives with these on and I'm impressed. He had a framed, wire excluder on one hive and they were building silly amounts of comb through it, he replaced it with a bamboo one and what a difference.

 

[Helen]

Nothing in the apiary, but collected a lovely prime swarm from the banks of a local river. They had collected on a small spikey bush, just off the ground. Very calm bees, look very much like tan brown buckfasts. Now sitting in my garden, where I'll give them sone food in a couple of days and check them next weekend if the weather improves. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a huge buckfast-type queen with them. Ones to keep, methinks.



Only downside - the mile walk from the nearest point I could get the car to (locked gates from there on into the woods), and the walk back with suit, kit, box full of bees and all uphill in a failing light. That was my exercise for the day.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Nothing in the apiary, but collected a lovely prime swarm from the banks of a local river. They had collected on a small spikey bush, just off the ground. Very calm bees, look very much like tan brown buckfasts. Now sitting in my garden, where I'll give them sone food in a couple of days and check them next weekend if the weather improves. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a huge buckfast-type queen with them. Ones to keep, methinks.



Only downside - the mile walk from the nearest point I could get the car to (locked gates from there on into the woods), and the walk back with suit, kit, box full of bees and all uphill in a failing light. That was my exercise for the day.

Sounds like that was a mission worth doing!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

collected a lovely prime swarm from the banks of a local river.

How do you know it's a prime?

 

[Helen]

Ok, maybe not necessarily a prime, but very large compared to most swarms I've collected. I've not opened them up yet to see the queen, but will do at the weekend.

Went back this evening as there were a few hundred bees left after the first collection. They had gone into the long grass, and I couldn't get them out. This time, I took my skep, walked the long walk again down to the river. Popped a white sheet down, skep on top of them, and then gently got them moving into the skep, and into the middle of the sheet. They much prefered the skep to the grass they had been occupying for 4 days, and quickly marched in. It was a nice walk back through the countryside. Now in the back garden, waiting to join a nuc tomorrow when it warms up.

 

[Ian123]

Checked the nucs with the first batch of queens in and 5 in lay so far, just a small patch of eggs in them. You can pick those that have come into lay by the bees coming back loaded with pollen. Also another batch of grafts done will check on the take tomorrow.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It was actually yesterday but the forum was down....
Popped up to two local apiaries, bit of strimming, did two more Demarrees and checked on a hive which was awaiting the queen to emerge - almost there as I could hear her piping in her cell.

 

[Courty]

Anyone here use bamboo queen excluders? My landlord has two hives with these on and I'm impressed. He had a framed, wire excluder on one hive and they were building silly amounts of comb through it, he replaced it with a bamboo one and what a difference.

I’m interested in these as well, I acquired an old one and cleaned it. I read up about them and they didn’t seem popular on forums due to allowing queens through. Haven’t tried mine yet. It has a central wooden part they looks prime for cutting in half for my split brood box “2 nucs.”
I plan on putting a shared super on at some time, allowing separate examinations.

Courty

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yesterday I did an a/s on some colonys.
And extracted 132lb of spring smelly old man socks honey 'dandelion'
Average of 22lb per super.
Im extracting 5 more today.

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[Swarm]

I’m interested in these as well, I acquired an old one and cleaned it. I read up about them and they didn’t seem popular on forums due to allowing queens through. Haven’t tried mine yet. It has a central wooden part they looks prime for cutting in half for my split brood box “2 nucs.”
I plan on putting a shared super on at some time, allowing separate examinations.

Courty

He has these on two of his colonies, picked them up at an auction. The bees seem to love them. I've heard all the negatives but looking at them, they look very well made and that central frame makes everything rigid. I also like the fact it's a natural material. There has been no problem with queens getting through, maybe some people just don't look after stuff.

 

[Tim.S]

Bit of a lazy afternoon as work this week has been physically hard going so off the to the out apiary to do the weekly inspection. I parked the van to one side of the hives, got out and just stood there to watch and listen. I don't think I have ever seen them quite as busy as this, the sound was fantastic. Sometimes we get so busy with life and everything that we miss what is right in front of us. Anyways they are doing well including the one that I caught doing swarm preps last week.

 

[pargyle]

I thought I had a swarm (unlikely as there were no queen cells at last week's inspection but you never know !) there were clouds of bees everywhere and the noise was unbelievable ... Drones ! I've never seen so many .. flying in circles around the apiary and clogging up the entrances to the hives. Never seen anything like it...workers just going about their business and forcing their way past the drones. Had a look through the crownboards and did a bit of a lift of the supers .. all heavy .. more supers on tomorrow - what a spring !

 

[Curly green finger's]

I thought I had a swarm (unlikely as there were no queen cells at last week's inspection but you never know !) there were clouds of bees everywhere and the noise was unbelievable ... Drones ! I've never seen so many .. flying in circles around the apiary and clogging up the entrances to the hives. Never seen anything like it...workers just going about their business and forcing their way past the drones. Had a look through the crownboards and did a bit of a lift of the supers .. all heavy .. more supers on tomorrow - what a spring !

The weather is good next week to here anyway.
I've extracted yesterday and today two weeks early compared to last year..


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[Somerford]

25 splits and nucs made today.

Was almost out of nucs but Maisies came good with a pallet full first thing this morning to keep me going.

 

[Newbeeneil]

After doing inspections at one of my apiaries I opened my bait hive to add some lemon grass oil. As I opened up I spotted a scaly tail coming from under the couple of frames! As I move them away I saw a field mouse looking up at me. It was eating the old comb with some dead brood in it.

 

[Adam Bourne]

Not got an apiary yet but doing its of research and reading before I start - anybody care to recommend any beginners books I should pick up??

 

[E&MBees]

Not got an apiary yet but doing its of research and reading before I start - anybody care to recommend any beginners books I should pick up??

I’ve got the Haynes Manual for Beekeeping and a book by Ted Hooper. Both are good. The Haynes manual has some good photos.

I also follow The Apiarist online. A really good blog.