What did you do in the Apiary today?

[rook66]

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.

Low mite fall today, heavy tomorrow seems to be the norm, be mindful of the feral colonies being robbed and all the treatment free sites and groups springing up on the net.

 

[The Poot]

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..

Here’s hoping

 

[Brendan14]

Did my last OA vapour yesterday and have had a very low mite drop so far.
Gave them some fondabee as hive feeling a bit light and have seen a lot of capping debris on the varroa floor so they must be hungry.
Was quite surprised to see as many bees as I did when I popped on the food.

 

[Arfermo]

Nuthin' bees-worthy again today. Really interesting isn't it? Actually, I am quite ecstatic really. 3 weeks ago my PC was locked by a scammer because I didn't submit to his demands for £6.99 and my Credit Card details and quickly switched my PC off before he got into any of my data and passwords and more cash probably. I now have the original SSD fully unlocked - by finding a workaround rather than just wiping it - back to where it was before the 'bar steward' effed it up. He may have thought he was smart but I have backup positions that he couldn't get at so he merely created a temporary hiatus with nothing lost. Just hoping he has a lousy Xmas!! This submission really needs to be in 'General' pages probably?

 

[beeno]

Unless there’s brood in there?

... or the bees are tightly clustered.

 

[StephenT]

Planned on trickling all 3 hives today but doesn’t look clustered enough (at all) for best results. May wait a few days when temps are forecast to drop a bit. And yes, vaping would be better in this situation.

 

[GuyNir]

Planned on trickling all 3 hives today but doesn’t look clustered enough (at all) for best results. May wait a few days when temps are forecast to drop a bit. And yes, vaping would be better in this situation.

Nice looking box of bees this

 

[Swn58]

Went to feed some of my colonies last week. 'Belt & Braces' thinking. They were so active, still feeding on ivy by the look of it. They seem to still have loads of supplies!

 

[Erichalfbee]

... or the bees are tightly clustered.

You don’t vape then

 

[victor meldrew]

You don’t vape then

Not if you want the vapour to penetrate the cluster !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Honey bottling and seeding another bucket of soft set this morning then up to the range this afternoon - I knew two hives would probably need fondant topping up as they had both resolutely refused to make much stores - One had cleared a whole lump and the other will soon need topping up, I'll be back there after boxing day as there is a bit of work for Mr Mr Husqvarna. all the other hives hefting dead heavy, bar one which will need a supplement when I'm next there.

 

[Goran]

I took pics of control boards with varroa fallen, but today I lift not little of ton over my shoulders and I am not really in the mood to count varroa.. It was really English weather today as the rest of past days ( thick fog, with periods of rain from fog) I am curing myself with some warm schnapps and beer afterward..
Not forget that about mileage on the hill I made with it.. My season starts now.. Soon we will start making fondants. Yesterday I closed one hive, during OA trickling I noticed one on 2 seams and thought wont last long and yesterday is gone..

 

[manek]

Added a second set of 1kg chunks of fondant to 2 of 3 hives. Goodness, they're getting through it. Must be the warmth...

 

[ericbeaumont]

Seems an endless round of bottling and deliveries at the moment, looks like everybody is trying to support local businesses by making up gifts and hampers from locally sourced products.

This is the best news.

As Murray McG said last week on the thread Honey Authenticity Project, our consumers are in the top 10% and willing to pay for authentic local produce. Such customers buy with the heart and bless them for doing so.

Today on the allotment I took £850 in 2 hours (and at 18% discount on market prices!). If at full price I'd have raked in just short of £1k.

After the rush I discovered a 5f nuc under attack by wasps, little ones, up in the feeder and all! Moved it off-site.

Back to bottling tomorrow.

 

[beeno]

You don’t vape then

This is a problem experienced in the US as they found the efficacy of vaping unsatisfactory when the bees were tightly clustered. Makes sense to me when you consider how a swarm can survive in the rain as it runs off the bees in the outer shell. I don't vape at all as you well know, but it something to consider if I were to vape. I would vape on a flying day when they are broodless. The efficacy of vaping seems less than optimum on the forum thereof repeat treatments and questions about why that is.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is a problem experienced in the US as they found the efficacy of vaping unsatisfactory when the bees were tightly clustered. Makes sense to me when you consider how a swarm can survive in the rain as it runs off the bees in the outer shell. I don't vape at all as you well know, but it something to consider if I were to vape. I would vape on a flying day when they are broodless. The efficacy of vaping seems less than optimum on the forum thereof repeat treatments and questions about why that is.

Yes I know.
When I said "You don't vape then" I meant that when the bees are in tight cluster I, you, anybody.....wouldn't vape.
As for repeat treatments, they are necessary in the presence of brood and folk who do vape as their autumn treatment know that.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't vape at all as you well know,

Therefore, maybe you shouldn't pontificate from a platform of ignorance

 

[Michael ECB's]

Quarantine colonies getting second brood boxes... Populations booming here ....
Great to see good strong colonies doing what they were designed to do...
Wild "Problem" colonies caught and given (In my opinion) more suitable housing.

 

[jool]

Put candy on every single hive. Stores have been used at an alarming rate. Still have large colony's with brood present. Gonna have to feed a couple more times befor6 spring. Couple of other beeks local to me in same situation. Never been caught out like this before with my autumn feeding regime6. Who knows what's going on?
Season greetings from their 4 Kent

 

[drex]

Not that far from you and all my wood hives are still good and heavy. I did have to give fondant to the one polyhive I have out. All started off the same