What did you do in the Apiary today?

[RichardBeeW]

Yes, it's the typical Balsam stamp.

Thanks so much for that Swarm, it's so much appreciated. I haven't seen any Himalayan Balsam around here (we live just outside Llandrindod Wells) but have around Builth Wells, which is too far to be the source. We have a river close by which could be the source. I'm guessing our bees know much more about the area close by than we do

 

[Swarm]

It's worth having a little drive of the area you think your bees may cover, I would bet on the river as the likely place.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks so much for that Swarm, it's so much appreciated. I haven't seen any Himalayan Balsam around here (we live just outside Llandrindod Wells) but have around Builth Wells, which is too far to be the source. We have a river close by which could be the source. I'm guessing our bees know much more about the area close by than we do

If you're in llandod, I can guarantee you there's balsam around.
Comiserations by the way

 

[RichardBeeW]

If you're in llandod, I can guarantee you there's balsam around.
Comiserations by the way

Commiserations? Because of the Balsam or because I live near Llandod?

 

[RichardBeeW]

It's worth having a little drive of the area you think your bees may cover, I would bet on the river as the likely place.

Sounds like a plan. This is our first summer in our new house here and we're working out what bee-favourite plants to add into our garden (don't fancy Himalayan Balsam by the way, sounds like a thug). Have taken about 50 cuttings of the Purple Loosestrife we brought with us (don't know how many will take but usually do ok with them), plus we've got Japanese Spirea in bloom now which they're all over and, of course, the Sedem (?) shrubs. They also enjoyed our Geraniums, Cornflowers and Campanula. First season back with the bees after over 30 years away due to ill-health and already looking forward to next season. Thanks again for your info.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sounds like a plan. This is our first summer in our new house here and we're working out what bee-favourite plants to add into our garden (don't fancy Himalayan Balsam by the way, sounds like a thug). Have taken about 50 cuttings of the Purple Loosestrife we brought with us (don't know how many will take but usually do ok with them), plus we've got Japanese Spirea in bloom now which they're all over and, of course, the Sedem (?) shrubs. They also enjoyed our Geraniums, Cornflowers and Campanula. First season back with the bees after over 30 years away due to ill-health and already looking forward to next season. Thanks again for your info.

I have surrounded my hives with crocuses there are several thousand now. The bees are on them whenever they can. Willow gives them later forage before the dandelions appear.

 

[GuyNir]

I see Balsam for a 3rd summer now. Only discovered where it’s coming from 2 weeks ago...

 

[Swarm]

I demand a photograph next Spring, it must be stunning

I have surrounded my hives with crocuses there are several thousand now. The bees are on them whenever they can. Willow gives them later forage before the dandelions appear.

 

[Swarm]

Another thing to remember, Richard. Look at the trees, too many people overlook them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I demand a photograph next Spring, it must be stunning

We started planting them in 2012 and added 500 every year and of course they have naturalised.
Remind me

 

[RichardBeeW]

I have surrounded my hives with crocuses there are several thousand now. The bees are on them whenever they can. Willow gives them later forage before the dandelions appear.

I have surrounded my hives with crocuses there are several thousand now. The bees are on them whenever they can. Willow gives them later forage before the dandelions appear.

Thanks for the advice. We did plant about 200 crocuses which came up this spring but . . . Wow! We're a long way behind you. We were just talking about ordering some more this evening. I also planted 110 willows in the hedges here last winter. Some I put in too deep into the hedge and they didn't come but we must have about 50'ish and just before we moved in the last owner planted a new thornbull hedge - oh, and we planted a 12' tall weeping willow too. Need more crocuses though!

 

[RichardBeeW]

Another thing to remember, Richard. Look at the trees, too many people overlook them.

We have been checking out the hedges around our garden, mature hazel (and beech) mostly but have been planting willows (110) along our hedges and bird cherries (10) and have a maturing thornbull hedge too and . . . what I'm quite excited about . . . a very large, mature lime tree about 3 gardens away. I don't think it did well this year but fingers crossed for next. We did buy a 12" specimen for our garden then read they take 20 years to mature - by then I'll be too old to lift all the supers!!!

 

[GuyNir]

Some trees are investment for future generations.
Sycamores are great source of pollen and nectar here around May. Many trees around, flowering in succession, all together going for about a month.

 

[Beekeeper Brownie]

I've just put the clearer boards in at one site and one hive is getting hammered with wasps, I'm sure the 3 supers have nearly halved in weight. When I lifted the lid there were more wasps than bees in the supers . The mite board is a mess of legs from bees but on the plus side not many varrora mites.

Any suggestions on what to do with this hive after I've taken the supers off? I've never experienced a hive getting hammered like this before. The entrance is already at 1 bee space

EDIT: I've found this thread wasp tunnel mark two So i'm off to Screwfix this evening to get some cable trunking

 

[GuyNir]

Just spent time observing hives/nucs entrances. Lots of activity. Several on mass orientation flights (sun came out early afternoon), tones of pollen coming in, couple of big hives evicting drones. Not many wasps this year here.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yesterday eve, I cut up 4 boxes of fondant and have feed 6 kgs to 8 colonys each, I've feed them over a qx, super in place, insulation and then crown board more insulation then roof
Also finished cutting up new inspection boards, and making 10 new clear reversable crown boards using 12mm thick polycarbonate and a 50mm eke one side and double bee space in the other.
I did excelerated might drops on 18 colonys a few days ago.
Im going to continue with the OA vape on four colonys at 5 day intervals for the next three weeks, one colony might need four more as there is still lots of drones around.

I plan to OA vape all over winter.

The four colonys that have high ish varroa counts are colonys at the end of a row.. Is this because of drifting?? They are more in the shade?

 

[drdrday]

Just done the third OA vape on my colonies. I'm much more confident they get a full dose using the gas-vap than I was with the pan heater. One colony is still dropping a lot of mites but they are the one that has had no brood break of any form this year. The other two colonies have new queens this year so I'm guessing that the broodless periods at least knocked back the mite load a little?

 

[user 819]

I have vaped my colonies 3 times now and a 4th due tomorrow and Sunday, most are now down to < 40 mites dropping and one still showing 100+ dropping.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yesterday eve, I cut up 4 boxes of fondant and have feed 6 kgs to 8 colonys each, I've feed them over a qx, super in place, insulation and then crown board more insulation then roof
Also finished cutting up new inspection boards, and making 10 new clear reversable crown boards using 12mm thick polycarbonate and a 50mm eke one side and double bee space in the other.
I did excelerated might drops on 18 colonys a few days ago.
Im going to continue with the OA vape on four colonys at 5 day intervals for the next three weeks, one colony might need four more as there is still lots of drones around.

I plan to OA vape all over winter.

The four colonys that have high ish varroa counts are colonys at the end of a row.. Is this because of drifting?? They are more in the shade?

I get that. The colony at the end of the row always has the most honey and the most mites. Our prevailing wind blows across the hives.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Second round of treatment completed this evening. Made up a few splits, queens were in the post a total of 11 days this time after they took a detour.