What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Made 2kg of fondant. Went outside in the sun - biting wind after overnight frost - and saw two bees.

Went back to the garage and continued making a honey press..

 

[Greatbigchicken]

Hives hefted and fondant checked, all ok. Then finished branding my spare supers.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Yesterday,
Morning: Checked hives and added fondant, where necessary.

Afternoon: Bottled another 41 lbs honey.

 

[mocko]

Opened up the two hives for some fondant feeding. roughly 12 degrees C

1st hive (in pictures), the bees were totally disseminated throughout the brood box and in huge number! lots of flying bees around.

2nd hive, more clustered, less bees but more stores. odd few flying in and out.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Branding supers.

Ain't life fun!

D

 

[For want of a better word]

Picked a few dead bees out of the mouse guards

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had a look at the hives this morning - nothing going on, they are definitely not coming out to play in this weather.
Went back to the chamber of secrets to carry on making new Dartington type floors and roofs

 

[susbees]

Topped up fondant on those that needed it around the apiary: all 17 still alive and kicking (yes I know it's two months to go)...some out of cluster and flying a bit in spite of the light sleet we've had, others taking a well-earned break.

Saw bees on gorse here just two days ago, snowdrops waiting patiently!

 

[For want of a better word]

Buzzed in and out !

 

[victor meldrew]

Opened up the two hives for some fondant feeding. roughly 12 degrees C

1st hive (in pictures), the bees were totally disseminated throughout the brood box and in huge number! lots of flying bees around.

2nd hive, more clustered, less bees but more stores. odd few flying in and out.

Wigan 5C this morning and dropping all day .
Must be a subterranean fire in your part of Manchester
VM

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Just lifted off the roofs to check fondant consumption. One hard to tell, one steadily munching their way through, and the last seem to have lost interest in it, though I could see them clustered under the feed hole. Few could be bothered to come and investigate in the 6 degrees

 

[theeggman]

Put 4 wasp traps out, there are a few around, with a protein bait to try to get the queens.
Then spent too much in T**s sale.

Tim

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Then spent too much in T**s sale.

Tim

Me too.

Good job I'm on holiday next week and can intercept the post.........

.........except it will probably arrive the week after.

Bum.

Any good divorce lawyers out there?

Dusty

 

[drstitson]

i'm sure if you email Gil and tell her she'll get cited as co-respondent then she might expedite the order!!!!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You should arrange an alternative mail drop - I've heard some cunning people do that

 

[MuswellMetro]

I did a round tour of my hives this morning, all quietened down with the lower temperature,

just one that needed more fondant, bees all up on the top of the frames on that one , took a sample of bees for testing from hives in that apairy at the same time as feeding becasue one tested positive last autumn for Nosema and were treated with fumildil B

The tests were ok, only pollen found in their guts not Nosema

varroa drop was also very low, some hives not dropping any in 5 days, Varroa boards will now be out until next time i monitor perhaps in two months time

 

[beestie]

Latest inspection of the weakest hive reveals smallish cluster over 2 frames and stores beginning to look low.

Fondant has been over the crownboard hole for 2 weeks now but untouched...

Worried in this cold spell that they might not get to it - should I be introducing something to encourage them, or make it easier to access?

 

[dpearce4]

Been to check on out apiary, all hives ok, 2 still quite heavy, the others already fed fondant must be bringing in something as they seem to have got a little heavier???? havent eaten much fondant put on them either but are all ok.

 

[dpearce4]

Latest inspection of the weakest hive reveals smallish cluster over 2 frames and stores beginning to look low.

Fondant has been over the crownboard hole for 2 weeks now but untouched...

Worried in this cold spell that they might not get to it - should I be introducing something to encourage them, or make it easier to access?

you need to get the fondant ontop of frames if your worried about them not getting to it.

 

[scuttlefish]

Hefted hives & fed fondant.

Latest inspection of the weakest hive reveals smallish cluster over 2 frames and stores beginning to look low.

Fondant has been over the crownboard hole for 2 weeks now but untouched...

Worried in this cold spell that they might not get to it - should I be introducing something to encourage them, or make it easier to access?

I read somewhere recently you could try drizzling a small amount of syrup between the frames to get them going enough to feed - can't remember concentration though, anyone else?