What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

Just to take limelight away from ivy flows here's a video of isolation.


Don't you just love using a feather.

I use the Red Kite feathers I find in the garden.

 

[Swarm]

Started putting stuff into storage today and realised there was a board still out. I remembered the 'will they, won't they' colony had an empty super to come off, they had five frames of honey in the brood and nothing in the super. I can take a hint.
Gave the board a twitch and the whole lot landed like a deep pan pizza on the top bars. I was quite surprised by numbers to be honest and it took a while for them to trickle down into the seams. Popped a feeder and a swift four pints on them and checked the feeders on the rest. Another mixed bag, some were empty, some hardly touched. Distinct smell of ivy today which is good news.

 

[gregior]

Checked a couple of wet supers I put on last week for cleaning-full of balsam! Bit of a pain as I thought I was done with the extracting for this year.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I use the Red Kite feathers I find in the garden.

I wonder who thought of using a feather to brush bees of the frames?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wonder who thought of using a feather to brush bees of the frames?

A goose wing is the traditional feather

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wonder who thought of using a feather to brush bees of the frames?

Someone who realised it was a lot better than those ridiculous brushes.
If I need to brush them off I just grab a leafy twig from a nearby bush.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Someone who realised it was a lot better than those ridiculous brushes.
If I need to brush them off I just grab a leafy twig from a nearby bush.

I agree - the bees hate those brushes

 

[Curly green finger's]

A goose wing is the traditional feather

Is the lady in the video using a wing it looks to big to be a feather?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is the lady in the video using a wing it looks to big to be a feather?

The mating station is on an island
Gull?

 

[Curly green finger's]

I agree - the bees hate those brushes

+2 they burrow there bottoms into them trying to sting the brush maybe they think there an animal of some kind.

 

[Curly green finger's]

The mating station is on an island
Gull?

It's very big, ill have to watch it back. a good video though.. I think there Carnica bees do you?
Very gentle bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Carried on the treating/feeding round. Up at the range this afternoon, ivy bursting into bloom all over now, strong smell of ivy honey and hives putting on weight.
Just finished when the rain started, bit of luck really as I have a nuc up there with the last mated queen of the season which I want back at the home apiary over the winter (easier to keep an eye on), the bees all quickly scrambled home in the rain so I could close them up and load them into the truck - no need for a special journey.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Was inspecting a hive Saturday and found this hornet dead at the front of the hive. I would have loved to have seen that contest!

 

[StephenT]

All three garden hives very busy, lots of nectar coming in, nice rich smell coming from the entrance (Ivy?) and the hum of bees inside the hive drying nectar in the evenings. Have noticed a lot less pollen coming in during the last few days. Would they make a concerted effort to focus on nectar for a while?

 

[Curly green finger's]

All three garden hives very busy, lots of nectar coming in, nice rich smell coming from the entrance (Ivy?) and the hum of bees inside the hive drying nectar in the evenings. Have noticed a lot less pollen coming in during the last few days. Would they make a concerted effort to focus on nectar for a while?

Yes, I've also seen this when bees are on a flow.

 

[E&MBees]

Yes, I've also seen this when bees are on a flow.

I noticed this with one of my hives too. Very strong smell of ivy and very busy at entrance, but no noticeable pollen going in.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I noticed this with one of my hives too. Very strong smell of ivy and very busy at entrance, but no noticeable pollen going in.

I look at it like making a pie or pasty.. the filling has been prepared ( pollen) but now you have to roll out the pastry and wrap the pastry round the outside of the filling.

 

[beeno]

I noticed this with one of my hives too. Very strong smell of ivy and very busy at entrance, but no noticeable pollen going in.

Same here, no pollen fest yet! Some year's counting 100 bees and 98 pollen carriers. Tasted some ivy nectar and it was much milder than the smell of it - could have been mixed with syrup though. Has anyone mixed it with OSR I wonder?

 

[E&MBees]

Same here, no pollen fest yet! Some year's counting 100 bees and 98 pollen carriers. Tasted some ivy nectar and it was much milder than the smell of it - could have been mixed with syrup though. Has anyone mixed it with OSR I wonder?

A few days ago I’m surprised the bees could fly, they were loaded with pollen, now they must be focusing on the nectar instead.

 

[gmonag]

I noticed a pretty foul smell coming from my hives yesterday. I can only describe it as poo. Is this Ivy? Or is it more likely to be something from the chicken farm 400m away or from the muck the farmers have spread on the field next to the apiary?