What did you do in the Apiary today?

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Removed all the feeders today as well as varroa treatment.
All the bees are calm, appear healthy, and have plenty of stores.
All I have left to do is add wood pecker protection and then leave them alone
 
It just goes to show that bees really don't mind what some beekeepers would consider comb that is past its best ... in the wild I think they build and rebuild comb as they see fit and recycle the wax. The trend for only having comb in the colony that is 'clean' seems to me to be totally unneccessary.
The post states that it's a small colony with evidence of deformed wing virus, so possibly other problems as well.
 
Had an interesting day today, I received an email from NBU regarding EFB within 3km of one of my apiaries. It was a nice day (16deg) so I thought I'd have a quick check for EFB. All 4 hives had no larva so I couldn't see if they are infected. Saw 2 queens, eggs, a few capped cells but no larva so I wondered if it would be worth vaping them in a week's time as I know they will have no sealed brood! Would it be better to do it now than mid winter?
 
Turned my entrance blocks to mouse guards and they weren't well pleased.
 
Had an interesting day today, I received an email from NBU regarding EFB within 3km of one of my apiaries. It was a nice day (16deg) so I thought I'd have a quick check for EFB. All 4 hives had no larva so I couldn't see if they are infected. Saw 2 queens, eggs, a few capped cells but no larva so I wondered if it would be worth vaping them in a week's time as I know they will have no sealed brood! Would it be better to do it now than mid winter?
That's a bummer.
 
Had an interesting day today, I received an email from NBU regarding EFB within 3km of one of my apiaries. It was a nice day (16deg) so I thought I'd have a quick check for EFB. All 4 hives had no larva so I couldn't see if they are infected. Saw 2 queens, eggs, a few capped cells but no larva so I wondered if it would be worth vaping them in a week's time as I know they will have no sealed brood! Would it be better to do it now than mid winter?
Yes, do it now. You'll never have a better chance this year and no need to vape in mid winter
 
Thanks Dani, that was my initial thought but I wondered if it might be too early. Looks like I'm Gasvaping next week as I can't get to them over the weekend and the few sealed brood will have emerged. 😀
 
Third and hopefully final vape but they are still dropping after last two in all four hives and one in particular. Around 100 each day for a week for that particular one each time and again today. Stubborn little blighters but the gauntlet is down.
 
Third and hopefully final vape but they are still dropping after last two in all four hives and one in particular. Around 100 each day for a week for that particular one each time and again today. Stubborn little blighters but the gauntlet is down.
That is what you should expect if vaping with brood present. You should vape 4 times, 4-5 days apart (total 12-15 days) to cover a capped brood cycle. The OA will not kill any varroa in the capped brood, you can only get them after the brood emerges. So you get drops each time.
 
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Great looking swarm just moved into one of my boxes at home.... Happy days...
 

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Had an interesting day today, I received an email from NBU regarding EFB within 3km of one of my apiaries. It was a nice day (16deg) so I thought I'd have a quick check for EFB. All 4 hives had no larva so I couldn't see if they are infected. Saw 2 queens, eggs, a few capped cells but no larva so I wondered if it would be worth vaping them in a week's time as I know they will have no sealed brood! Would it be better to do it now than mid winter?
#Yes
Thanks Dani, that was my initial thought but I wondered if it might be too early.
This is the usual mis correlation of actions :))) the only reason OA trickling/single vape is done midwinter is because there's a chance of finding the colont broodless - not because the colony needs a mite treatment at Christmas. I treat mine at the end of the summer and that's it. I only occasionally vape around Christmas if I'm bored and the weather is nice, and then only apiaries that I can drive up to - you won't catch me lugging heavy kit over saturated fields just because 'the book' says I have to OA the bees at the solstice.
 
Have a nasty colony. Genuine stingers and have been for a while. Been determined to kill the queen for a very long time. Loaded up the smoker and gave them an awful lot of smoke right in the entrance.... a vengeful amount. Opened the lid and........lambs.

Anyhow, decided to proceed with the kill "knowing" that their behaviour this time was just a one off. Followed all Beekeeping Forum recommendations (thanks), splitting the hive into parts and putting another box in its place.... and in due course found the queen, which was something I couldn't do with them this time last year.

Walking back across a couple of fields, I initially had half a dozen following and pinging me, and there was one persistent one zapping my veil until I was well across the second field. I was thankful for it actually, as it was reassuring me that I had done the right thing killing the queen.

Then I realised it was inside the veil trying desperately to get out.😁
 
Checked the second lot of allotment bees after their first varroa treatment. Virtually no mites at all. I last treated them back in the early spring, as I do with all my bees, every year. It seems to work very well and goes to show what a state the newly bought nuclei were actually in, from a varroa point of view! If I ever need to buy nucs again, I will treat them and not assume that they have already been done.
All my bees seem very busy at the moment. There still seems to be a lot of brood, at all stages, in most hives. There is loads of pollen going in as well. I hope the winter is kind!
 
Have a nasty colony. Genuine stingers and have been for a while. Been determined to kill the queen for a very long time. Loaded up the smoker and gave them an awful lot of smoke right in the entrance.... a vengeful amount. Opened the lid and........lambs.

Anyhow, decided to proceed with the kill "knowing" that their behaviour this time was just a one off. Followed all Beekeeping Forum recommendations (thanks), splitting the hive into parts and putting another box in its place.... and in due course found the queen, which was something I couldn't do with them this time last year.

Walking back across a couple of fields, I initially had half a dozen following and pinging me, and there was one persistent one zapping my veil until I was well across the second field. I was thankful for it actually, as it was reassuring me that I had done the right thing killing the queen.

Then I realised it was inside the veil trying desperately to get out.😁
So what have you replaced her with?
 
Busy trapping out a wild darker colony and one of them followed me back into my vehicle.....
These buggers are truly evil....... BUT make large amounts of honey.... (I think because they more than likely just rob out other colonies) Evil I tell you....
Going to set up an apiary closer to the mountains and away from people in an effort to preserve this strain / Bloodline......

IMG-20201021-WA0010-modified.jpgIMG-20201021-WA0011-modified.jpg
 

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