What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jeff33]

Queen introduction in between showers but mostly crying hoping for the bad spell of weather to do one as the main flow is on atm.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

The forecast for here is unsettled well into next week with periods of strong winds. Hope it keeps the idiots off the beaches though.
(Report of a woman who drove from Peterborough to Durdle Door - a trip of just less than four hours - who on being turned away by police, objected because she had her disabled child with her!)

 

[Tim.S]

Windy and horrible here on the Sussex coast so inside making omf's from cedar leftovers from the landscaping business. 14 free ones apart from the cost of the mesh.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Snap the same here, I've taken three nucs now from one colony and introduced a mated queen to all I've just done the third.
Also added a 4th and 5th super to two colonys because of the good honey flows.
How have you got on with your incubator Jeff?.
I hope your keeping well.

 

[jeff33]

Snap the same here, I've taken three nucs now from one colony and introduced a mated queen to all I've just done the third.
Also added a 4th and 5th super to two colonys because of the good honey flows.
How have you got on with your incubator Jeff?.
I hope your keeping well.

Hi Mark all good thanks and hope its the same with you. I didn't get it as yet as I have raised enough queens for this year. Still got the mating nucs going and they get topped with supercedure cells from my demaree. Will get one for next year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Queen introduction in between showers but mostly crying hoping for the bad spell of weather to do one as the main flow is on atm.

God yes!
Two days ago the bees were going hell for leather and the boxes sounded like air conditioner units
Masses of clover bramble and rosebay
Then came the rain which stayed!!!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Rosebay not out yet here... First time I've seen clover really worked and I'm watching a sweet chestnut... Not had the planets align like this before

 

[simonforeman]

Heavy rain a morning here then the sun came out after lunch.

Checked all 4 nucs that mated queens were added to in cages. All released and laying well.

If all gos well that will take me from my original 2 hives to 12 in my first 3 years of beekeeping. Who said it is not addictive

 

[Beekeeper Brownie]

Checked all hives after the rain and lunch.

In general things seemed steady however 6 hives had another super added.

Marker and clipped two queens. Found two mating nucs had absconded unfortunately.

Also knocked up another two boxes of brood frames for another comb change after this flow, as it was cool today handling the foundation was a lot easier than it would have been in the middle of last week.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Cold and not much activity.. When's the warm weather coming back??

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[Curly green finger's]

Hi Mark all good thanks and hope its the same with you. I didn't get it as yet as I have raised enough queens for this year. Still got the mating nucs going and they get topped with supercedure cells from my demaree. Will get one for next year.

What do you do with your queen's you don't use Jeff, do you sell them??

All good this end.. Busy with work, I've only used my incubator once as the queen's I gave to a friend all mated in apidea I've requeened some with f1s and f2 queen's of my own that I've raised.
I would love to find a supplier of F0 Amm queen's. As I'm buying f1 queen's in.

I've noticed that about 40% of my stock this season (queen's) have red abdomens but the workers and drones are all black.
I really want all to be black.

I suppose the more f1 queen's I introduce the better.
As a elderly beek said to me" just because you have red queen's it doesn't mean there not Amm queens" ill work that out one of these days!
Take it easy.

 

[shudderdun]

Up and out at 4am, needed to bring back to my home (from my out apiary, 7 miles away) apiary a successful Snelgrove swarm control I did, first one I have attempted, i am pleased with the result. The BB is in need of a super, good job I had my wheel barrow to transport it the 30 mts to my car ! Not ideal weather here for re-orientation flights but it had to be done, also brought back two supers, which I will hopefully extract tomorrow, also a third from home.

 

[Niv]

Was quite windy both Saturday and Sunday so couldn't inspect. Am I being too cautious? The rain wasn't too bad but the hives are fairly exposed so thought it best to leave it until the wind dies down.

 

[victor meldrew]

Was quite windy both Saturday and Sunday so couldn't inspect. Am I being too cautious? The rain wasn't too bad but the hives are fairly exposed so thought it best to leave it until the wind dies down.

I don’t know where you are but in Lancashire the weather is dire !
I’m leaving mine until Thursday , which is forecast to be the best day of the week!



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[The Poot in Somerset]

Was quite windy both Saturday and Sunday so couldn't inspect. Am I being too cautious? The rain wasn't too bad but the hives are fairly exposed so thought it best to leave it until the wind dies down.

I inspected two today - in the first I found two queen cells, both were damaged when removing frames as they were stuck to frames below. One was sealed, one unsealed.
I'm now at a loss as to what the bees will do.
The second was rammed full of bees in the top super, the second super was almost "cooked" and the third well under way. On removing the QX the bees just went banzai and were bouncing off my gloves, trying to sting my wrists and were suddenly very defensive - just as the supermarket delivery arrived!
I decided enough was enough and I needed to protect the delivery driver, so rebuilt the hive. The bees disappeared back into it really quickly, which made me conclude they were reacting to the cold and wind rather than me.
Clearing up, I didn't notice the bee on the smoker handle and now have a very swollen finger.
I shall leave them until a warm balmy day arrives and try again.

 

[Niv]

I inspected two today - in the first I found two queen cells, both were damaged when removing frames as they were stuck to frames below. One was sealed, one unsealed.
I'm now at a loss as to what the bees will do.
The second was rammed full of bees in the top super, the second super was almost "cooked" and the third well under way. On removing the QX the bees just went banzai and were bouncing off my gloves, trying to sting my wrists and were suddenly very defensive - just as the supermarket delivery arrived!
I decided enough was enough and I needed to protect the delivery driver, so rebuilt the hive. The bees disappeared back into it really quickly, which made me conclude they were reacting to the cold and wind rather than me.
Clearing up, I didn't notice the bee on the smoker handle and now have a very swollen finger.
I shall leave them until a warm balmy day arrives and try again.

I found I had a bad tempered hive a few weeks ago - shortly before a thunder storm - but at the time of inspection weather was 'fine'. They were in a similar mood to how you describe which is maybe why I am being a little cautious.

I am getting dangerously close to 'day 9' so am keen to get out there. Tomorrow is not looking great for rain but the wind is lower so will see what its like.

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you NEED to go into a colony then you have to ignore the weather but there are few times you do need to. Common sense really but if you have colonies that haven’t made any swarm preps yet you have to be on your toes when weather improves.
I’ve been into a hive to reduce queen cells in the rain and wind with a fishing brolly up. Equally ive looked early if a week of rubbish weather is on the horizon.

 

[Niv]

If you NEED to go into a colony then you have to ignore the weather but there are few times you do need to. Common sense really but if you have colonies that haven’t made any swarm preps yet you have to be on your toes when weather improves.
I’ve been into a hive to reduce queen cells in the rain and wind with a fishing brolly up. Equally ive looked early if a week of rubbish weather is on the horizon.

Thanks for the feedback. I do think that on balance they are at low risk of swarming which is partly why I am holding back, so as not to annoy for no reason. I have already split a couple of them this year and have found previously that does the job (although is no guarantee I accept), another was a slow starter first year queen, so again quite low risk based on how the hive has behaved so far.

You are probably right though, so will press on tomorrow lunchtime (day job pending!).

 

[Swarm]

Checked a few queens today, all seems well. Lousy weather, very cold and windy but sometimes needs must. The bees weren't that bad considering, hopefully Thursday will stay half tidy as well.

 

[drex]

Routine inspections, despite the wind, but my apiary is sheltered. All bees were lovely, bar one, and these were not too bad anyway.
At last ( for the moment) the bees are where I want a them to be. All now strong and one or two supers added. The Spring crop was poor and bees slow to build, despite coming out of winter well. Microscope for Nosema was negative.
One colony had one sealed queen cell and eggs and plenty of larvae, so I feel supercedure is a safe bet ( as safe as you get with bees).
Going through my stacks of supers, one or two frames had a few wax moth tunnels. None had ever contained brood, but we're old. So beware, you can get the moth in super frames.