What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Parsonage Bees]

Today I did a lot of counting, got bored and estimated.

Over the 5 days since OAD one colony had shed 1000 varroa. Bet they feel better for it.

 

[masterBK]

Oxalic trickled 28 of my colonies at the outapiary today and hefted them. All colonies were very strong for the time of year (best they have been for many years) and all still had plenty of stores left so no need for a top up of fondant for any of them (I winter them on a double. Most were fed between 15 and 18 kg sugar (in strong syrup) back in september apart from four which at that time had enough existing stores). Put correx inserts under the OMFs to monitor the resultant V drop and will look at these in February (don't expect many as used Apitraz strips in late august) when I go back for another hefting session and net for green woodpeckers (although not had any woodpecker attacks in the last few years (used to be regular occurrence during the deep february frosts )

 

[hemo]

Today I did a lot of counting, got bored and estimated.

Over the 5 days since OAD one colony had shed 1000 varroa. Bet they feel better for it.

Did they have an Autumn treatment ?

 

[Antipodes]

This open air nest was up a tall tea tree and getting big enough to start drooping the branch. 5 metres up. So hard to get them off the little branches ...such a great tree for bee leg purchase and even worse in the dark. Even the little seed pods look like bees.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Did they have an Autumn treatment ?

Exactly. I checked the drop at the end of August and none of my colonies shed more than 3v/day. So I didn't treat. Obvsly a mistake. Damage is done.
Fingers crossed they make it through. Probably have to do an early treatment next year.

 

[hemo]

Easy to say now with hind sight, one should have confirmed mite load with a sugar roll.

 

[victor meldrew]

Went to check the farm bees on Friday, before the horrendous weekend weather struck. I took down fondant, in case they needed feeding. How wrong was I! They were behaving like it was a spring day. The hives were heavy and a check of a couple, that were not so active, showed that they had barely touched the super frames that I had left them. Unfortunately I am two hives down there, due to the sustained wasp attacks that I spoke of before. Hives always get attention from wasps, but I have never seen, what looked like, a full on assault by the stripey 's! Wasp traps all over for next year I think.

Set the traps early a wee bit away from the hives to trap the Queens searching for nesting sites close to your bees .

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Easy to say now with hind sight, one should have confirmed mite load with a sugar roll.

I've done alcohol washes in the past and they have always confirmed what I was seeing from the drop.
Weirdly this year I've seen very low varroa levels. Half my colonies have been small and sickly with chalk brood. The bigger colonies I've tried frame trapping in July. The last chemical treatment was OAD last December.

 

[Podilia]

"as the weather outside is frightful" (but no snow) I could only listen some colonies through a tube

 

[elainemary]

Exactly. I checked the drop at the end of August and none of my colonies shed more than 3v/day. So I didn't treat. Obvsly a mistake. Damage is done.
Fingers crossed they make it through. Probably have to do an early treatment next year.

I made that mistake last year too, didn’t treat 2 colonies due to v low drops, but spring had a problem. Fortunately both recovered well.

 

[gmonag]

I don't test for varroa at all, I just assume they are all infested and treat them.

 

[Murox]

I don't test for varroa at all, I just assume they are all infested and treat them.

As do I. Did my "mid winter" vaporising today and checked their stores as well. Seems good for now. Point of interest to some perhaps - the last long hive I built was with 80mm insulation as thats what was "in the skip"- noticeably more active today than the others who have 50mm of mineral wool.

 

[victor meldrew]

As do I. Did my "mid winter" vaporising today and checked their stores as well. Seems good for now. Point of interest to some perhaps - the last long hive I built was with 80mm insulation as thats what was "in the skip"- noticeably more active today than the others who have 50mm of mineral wool.

Mine have 100 mil , it’s what blew into my garden from a nearby building site .

 

[Murox]

Mine have 100 mil , it’s what blew into my garden from a nearby building site .

How fortunate.

 

[Arfermo]

Nuthin!!

 

[elainemary]

Another week on from my oxalic sublimation, checked varroa trays. All hives except one had no mite drops, one hive had 1 mite. Pleased. Will keep checking for another couple of weeks but hopefully all relatively 'clean' for Spring.

 

[Apple]

Nuthin!!

Spent all day in Tavistock Butchers Hall flogging the punters our delicious Cornish honey!

Just got warmed up!!
Nadelik Lowen

 

[The Poot]

Another week on from my oxalic sublimation, checked varroa trays. All hives except one had no mite drops, one hive had 1 mite. Pleased. Will keep checking for another couple of weeks but hopefully all relatively 'clean' for Spring.

Good one

 

[The Poot]

Just watched the rain. Again.

 

[Goran]

Tomorrow I am going to see the varroa falloff from last weekend. I have done OA trickling in "perfect" conditions, I expect to achieve that 98% claimed varroa kill in favored conditions..