What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Antipodes]

So that’s what Mick Jagger had in his pants and made him prance about like a demented earwig.
”Jumping Jack Flash, it’s a gas, gas, gas....”

Sounds like me when I slid down a bank in my fishing waders ...unfortunately over a nest of them

 

[fizzle]

Checked the bottom board for water as was having damp issues. Killed a few wasps knocking about and went to put a half dead wasp on the landing board to see the reaction and got stung a couple of times for my troubles.

 

[Ian123]

I checked a few at home today some had obviously had a short brood break but saw some eggs others larger nuc/colonies had bias. We’ve still got plenty of ivy here and if the weather allows will expect to see bees working it all this month and brood rearing to continue with it.

 

[pargyle]

Weather for the coming week is going to be drier and warmer and less windy than the week just past for us in the balmy South. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are the best days ... although it was very mild today and in between the showers (and in some of them !) bees were flying. Still the smell of ivy around the hives - usually finished by now down here.

 

[Swn58]

Not so much 'what I did in the apiary today,' as what those bees were doing! They seem to be acting out summer still, though most of the pollen going in is from Ivy.

 

[victor meldrew]

Been busy with a leaf blower . This is the third green bin full . I think I’ve broken it’s back now, an apple tree is hanging onto its leaves . An Alder looks like an evergreen .
no sign of any chemical change in any of its leaves . The gales haven’t touched it !

 

[beeno]

Hefted some hives and they felt very heavy. Must have been tired - check again tomorrow.

 

[manek]

They came out to greet me as I added fondant and installed mouse guards. How lovely!

 

[Hachi]

Received a text from one of my out apiary farmers, these strong winds had brought down a thick, 10" oak branch onto my hive. He went on to say he'd tried to sort it without a bee suit and reading between the lines, he took a bit of a clobbering. Decided on an extended lunch break and made my way up there. Branch had fell just right of the hive smashing the stand and thankfully, as I always strap my hives up the hive was intact. A £4 strap saved the entire colony from a certain death. Picked up the hive and out they came........ they were a tad feisty beforehand and today, were in full combat mode. cobbled together a set of new legs from a old BB on its side and will fix at the weekend.

 

[madasafish]

Stopped raining at lunch and at 10C warmest day for about 10 days so fed fondant to my five overwintering mini nucs, (4 x Kieler,1 x Apidea). Spare queens for 2021

 

[elainemary]

Took out Apivar strips yesterday, out of colonies at home. The double brood colony was a breeze, despite my earlier worries of disturbing & lifting off it's top box to get at strips in lower one. Hoping for sunshine on Thurs, to quickly do the same in out-apiaries, only 1 colony still dropping varroa, 5 a day. Will follow up with oxalic acid after a cold spell.

 

[madasafish]

Took out Apivar strips yesterday, out of colonies at home. The double brood colony was a breeze, despite my earlier worries of disturbing & lifting off it's top box to get at strips in lower one. Hoping for sunshine on Thurs, to quickly do the same in out-apiaries, only 1 colony still dropping varroa, 5 a day. Will follow up with oxalic acid after a cold spell.

Glad it went well.

 

[Michael ECB's]

36 deg C here today....
Too hot to do anything outside.....
These high temperatures got me thinking today....
I better start behaving myself because i'm really not going to do well if I end up going to HELL.

 

[The Poot]

Took out Apivar strips yesterday, out of colonies at home. The double brood colony was a breeze, despite my earlier worries of disturbing & lifting off it's top box to get at strips in lower one. Hoping for sunshine on Thurs, to quickly do the same in out-apiaries, only 1 colony still dropping varroa, 5 a day. Will follow up with oxalic acid after a cold spell.

Good. They never fail to surprise!

 

[The Poot]

Hefted and checked weights with scales for the first time. I think I need more practice!
Added fondant to two out of four, others still munching.

One colony H2, appears too light and will need watching, others largely ok.

H1 had a supercedure - found the new queen (big and beautiful) on the 4th September and all seemed well.
Concerned at the general lack of activity from the colony when compared to the others. I just hope she was properly mated but can only live in hope through the Winter.

 

[StephenT]

Weighed all 3 hives. All looking lovely through their polycarbonate crown boards. Just need to figure out what the hardware etc weighs and then I can try and figure out what they have in stores. My hunch is that one is fine, one a bit light and another needs a few kilos more.

 

[beeno]

They came out to greet me as I added fondant and installed mouse guards. How lovely!

Mine weren't too keen either maybe it was because they did not get any fondant!

 

[beeno]

Hefted my hives again today. The felt heavier than previously maybe it's because they are all at home.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hefted my hives again today. The felt heavier than previously maybe it's because they are all at home.

Perhaps they were all out shopping before lockdown yesterday and now they are back all stocked up?

 

[beeno]

Perhaps they were all out shopping before lockdown yesterday and now they are back all stocked up?

Well, I did and wish I hadn't. Two car accidents and traffic jams everywhere.