What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Yesterday phone pm so helped collect a prime swarm from one allotment hive (QC missed?). Too big to fit in a 5 frame nuc.. but that was all that was available. Bees crammed in : on sides, outside and under floor.

Refitted them this am into two x 5 frame floorless nucs perched one on top of the other and they just got in...

Now on the scrounge for used national bits..

 

[Newbeeneil]

Inspected 2 bait hives that had seemed quiet. The first had a small wasps nest attached to the starter strips. The second had a hornets nest in the same position!
No wonder they were quiet!

 

[pargyle]

I don't know about June gap down here - had a quick look today -couldn't do a full inspection as I hurt my back last week and it's still a bit twingy. The supers were so heavy I couldn't safely lift them .. brace comb under the crown boards stuffed with honey !

So .. added another super to all hives - I'm foundationless so one swapped alternative frames to the additional super and replaced the filled ones with empty frames. There were a few capped drone cells in some frames in a couple of hives - No big deal.

Couldn't look into the brood boxes so just living in hope until my back stops twinging .. see how it goes this week and perhaps have a look towards next weekend.

Not a great time of year to get a bad back ...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Inspected 2 bait hives that had seemed quiet. The first had a small wasps nest attached to the starter strips. The second had a hornets nest in the same position!
No wonder they were quiet!

There's some crackers around this year hornets and Queen wasps.
I was walking round the barns today after inspecting one of the out apiarys and I counted three queen wasps going in through the holes in the mortar
And then a queen hornet came out of no where she was huge at least 3 " long.
The client was there allso he said he was of to get his insecticide foam spray.. I said leave them alone please.
We then had a conversation and a debate about killing all of them nesting in the walls.
I suggested the barn needs repointing.. I've now got to repoint the barn which is going to take weeks and weeks... Ow well work work!

 

[StephenT]

So .. added another super to all hives - I'm foundationless so one swapped alternative frames to the additional super and replaced the filled ones with empty frames.

I’ve got to add another super to a hive with one super on at present. I don’t have drawn comb and so is it best to put some of the filled frames into the new super to encourage them to draw it? Also, did you put the new super below the original one? Thanks.

 

[Murox]

There's some crackers around this year hornets and Queen wasps.
I was walking round the barns today after inspecting one of the out apiarys and I counted three queen wasps going in through the holes in the mortar
And then a queen hornet came out of no where she was huge at least 3 " long.
The client was there allso he said he was of to get his insecticide foam spray.. I said leave them alone please.
We then had a conversation and a debate about killing all of them nesting in the walls.
I suggested the barn needs repointing.. I've now got to repoint the barn which is going to take weeks and weeks... Ow well work work!

Time to get yourself a mortar rake and mortar gun, make life easier.

 

[Beekeeper Brownie]

I had a bit of a tidy up at one of my sites today with the strimmer. There’s still a flow on, albeit only just but it looks as if the limes and brambles will be out shortly.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Time to get yourself a mortar rake and mortar gun, make life easier.

I've got a rake, but the guns a really good suggestion, I've used one before pointing block paving.
Garden of thyme!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve got to add another super to a hive with one super on at present. I don’t have drawn comb and so is it best to put some of the filled frames into the new super to encourage them to draw it? Also, did you put the new super below the original one? Thanks.

It doesn’t matter, bees will draw it quicker above the brood. No need to put a drawn frame in. If you put it on top there’s no need to take a heavy super off to check if the bees need more. If they need the space and there’s a flow they will draw the frames. If there’s no income they will ignore it.

 

[StephenT]

It doesn’t matter, bees will draw it quicker above the brood. No need to put a drawn frame in. If you put it on top there’s no need to take a heavy super off to check if the bees need more. If they need the space and there’s a flow they will draw the frames. If there’s no income they will ignore it.

Thanks. I’ll pop the new foundation only super under the current one today if the current super is getting full. There seems to be plenty of forage here in West London with bramble flowering and even the lavender doesn’t seems too far off.

 

[pargyle]

I’ve got to add another super to a hive with one super on at present. I don’t have drawn comb and so is it best to put some of the filled frames into the new super to encourage them to draw it? Also, did you put the new super below the original one? Thanks.

If you have foundation in your frames it won't make much difference - because I run my frames without foundation I find it helps to intersperse new empty frames (apart a waxed starter strip) to keep the bees constructing the comb straight and in line with the frames - otherwise they can, occasionally, get a bit creative with their comb building and combs can wander off !

Idealy, you should put the new super below the filled one if you want them to draw the foundation out and fill it .. although, in a really good flow I've just slapped an empty super on top of the filled one in an emergency and if they need the space and have the nectar available they will fill it wherever it is.

 

[StephenT]

If you have foundation in your frames it won't make much difference - because I run my frames without foundation I find it helps to intersperse new empty frames (apart a waxed starter strip) to keep the bees constructing the comb straight and in line with the frames - otherwise they can, occasionally, get a bit creative with their comb building and combs can wander off !

Idealy, you should put the new super below the filled one if you want them to draw the foundation out and fill it .. although, in a really good flow I've just slapped an empty super on top of the filled one in an emergency and if they need the space and have the nectar available they will fill it wherever it is.

Thanks for the reply. I'm going to try a couple of foundationless frames I made as well, and will ensure I don't put them next to each other.

 

[E&MBees]

Checked both hives. LW hive will need shaking out as despite best efforts to sort it out, it hasn’t worked.

Queen right hive, very feisty, a few stings today which unusual for them. Plenty of BIAS. Good amount of stores in super and surrounding brood. Only a small amount of space on one frame left for the queen to lay in. Could that make them feisty? Couldn’t see any queen cells, they have already swarmed this year, this is their new home! Would it be worth adding an additional brood box?

I have a LW colony that needs shaking out. Could I put the empty brood box from the shook hive on the queen right hive without causing the her problems? I think once I have shaken out the LW’s and they have begged entry it will be very full.

If this is possible, can I confirm if it goes above the existing brood box?

Thanks,
Emily

 

[Curly green finger's]

More extracting this afternoon two more supers from the garden colonys.
It smells like harwthorne..
Went out to the Common all four Mating nucs have laying queen's now so I can sell these on now.
I'll be going over to the line side apiary to check through the dB hives and hopefully putting clearer boards on.
I've extracted over 150kgs so far this spring not including the two to do this afternoon.
Looks like the harwthorne has produced some honey this spring.
In total I've 7 production hives and that will go up to 15 for the summer flows.

 

[XYZ]

Today's inspection was long and tiring.

Two not-so-great queens went in the jar of white spirit.
GM buckfast was the last to be inspected. No sign of her or eggs. QCs though. Took all but two down. Took one out to put in mating hive - it fell on floor. Not confident of the one left over. Knowing me though I missed one so they should be fine
Two hives with two supers are still making their brood box honey-bound
Swarm that was united with BS Buckfast has drawn every brood frame out and are at risk of making themselves honey-bound. I have a brood box full of honey frames in my garage.

Why can't they just put honey in supers and give their queens some space?? I also "enjoyed" shake testing a wired brood frame - then the bottom of it popped out and deformed the comb. That had to be replaced by a frame of foundation - I'll sort that out in the garage when I can be chewed.

Once I've extracted this next honey I'm hoping for a week or two break on forage so they can dry up their brood frames. For now I need to buy ANOTHER queen.

 

[StephenT]

3 hives now so must invest in a decent beesuit! The Buckfast Frankenqueen (Beedica) we introduced to a split is laying like a monster (see picture). The swarm is slow but have BIAS. Couldn't find the queen (Beeyatch) in a few frames which is really odd as my wife is a great queen spotter. The parent hive with the supersedure queen (Latifah) are doing well but don't need another super yet as there's still a few empty frames. Let's hope they're ramped up when the Lime is in flower.
We had a competition amongst our friends to name the 3 new queens and these were the winners.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Checked split nuc - queen cell still as was - not emerged. Poo.
Checked swarm nuc - no eggs or larvae - so was a swarm with a virgin queen. Poo. Will need to check again in a week and hope she's mated and laying.
First main hive - all good
Checked second to find honey I was to take, being consumed. Poo.
Ignored number three as waiting for virgin queen to do her stuff.
Number four had a dozen queen cells, couldn't find the unmarked queen, bees became very feisty as the hive had been open too long in a fair breeze, while I rummaged around. Poo. Broke down all but one and transferred one to the split nuc, with young larvae bees and food.
Found a lovely fully capped super of Spring honey though, so added clearer board to nab it tomorrow before they do when they swarm.
Went to the garage to have a beer and a think and found I had no beer. Poo.

 

[gmonag]

We had a competition amongst our friends to name the 3 new queens and these were the winners.

What, no "Queenie MacQueen Face"?

 

[coffindodger]

Just tidying. Not wearing suit nor veil. Checked empty hive standing between two occupied ones. No bees inside. Put on top and was about to seal entrance when I saw a few bees circling around at the side and so stopped to work out what they were doing. Suddenly over the hedge came a stream of bees. The swarm swirled around where I was standing, taking no notice of me and went straight into the empty hive. Amazing to watch. Never seen anything like this before. Pretty sure that they are Carniolan. Hope they'll stay.

 

[StephenT]

What, no "Queenie MacQueen Face"?

Someone suggested that but too long to put in the notes.