What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

Love the polycarbonate CB's I got a couple of months ago as well. Really have to resist the temptation to have a peek to often though.

It's an urge that doesn't go away I'm afraid ...very reassuring having a peek through the clear CB ... mine are not as clean and shiny ...

 

[GuyNir]

It's an urge that doesn't go away I'm afraid ...very reassuring having a peek through the clear CB ... mine are not as clean and shiny ...

Full disclosure - pics taken in Sep, couple weeks after putting it on. Still excellent viewing now, with tiny bit of condensation underneath.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Watched the snow fall.

Slid about today looking at new out apiarys the snow hasn't melted here.
The long term forecast is looking pretty grim.. Also went to catherton and hefted some colonys all looking good through the clear crown board and heavy, some three box hives on 8 frames, colonys are still huge in these hives.
Removed inspection boards but I hadn't means to clean them so I used some snow and a hard brush I found worked a treat

 

[elainemary]

This is the first winter I’m using polycarbonate CB’s. Works really well.
View attachment 23688View attachment 23689

What do you use the small piece of sponge for? Is it for water? Elaine

 

[elainemary]

Checked all my hives yesterday across the 3 sites. Bricks frozen on top of hives and entrances frozen too. Varroa trays hard to pull out as metal frozen. But bees all looked toasty through the glass crownboards. Couldn’t see any bees in 2 hives but they were strong last week, could hear a gentle hum when I pressed my ear against the outer lifts and saw honey cappings and some brood cappings on the trays, so all’s well.

 

[GuyNir]

What do you use the small piece of sponge for? Is it for water? Elaine

Elaine, this is the Thymovar mite treatment used in Autumn.

 

[elainemary]

Elaine, this is the Thymovar mite treatment used in Autumn.

Oh thanks!

 

[Erichalfbee]

the snow hasn't melted here.
The long term forecast is looking pretty grim..

Same here.
Not worried about the bees but the owl box is empty. We threw some day old chicks inside but I fear after all this constant rain now snow the owls have perished.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Same here.
Not worried about the bees but the owl box is empty. We threw some day old chicks inside but I fear after all this constant rain now snow the owls have perished.

Where we're the chicks from? owllets?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Where we're the chicks from? owllets?

Sorry not clear
Weather has been atrocious here for two months giving the barn owls little opportunity to hunt. I’ve been going on and on at Stan to get up the ladder and throw some day old chicks in as the owl conservation trust says you can supplement their food.
He has resisted my entreaties as those of a hysterical townie trying to save everything. It’s the only thing we have fallen out over, ever.
We spotted one owl four days ago leaving the box in the pouring rain. Nothing since.
I think they have starved.

 

[GuyNir]

Hefted all colonies and cleaned the bottom boards. One nuc is a goner, was too small. All other colonies looking good.

 

[E&MBees]

Sorry not clear
Weather has been atrocious here for two months giving the barn owls little opportunity to hunt. I’ve been going on and on at Stan to get up the ladder and throw some day old chicks in as the owl conservation trust says you can supplement their food.
He has resisted my entreaties as those of a hysterical townie trying to save everything. It’s the only thing we have fallen out over, ever.
We spotted one owl four days ago leaving the box in the pouring rain. Nothing since.
I think they have starved.

Really sorry to hear of your fears for the owls. It’s been a tough winter for birds. The little song birds in my garden are eating through mountains of bird food that I have been putting out.

 

[pargyle]

Sorry not clear
Weather has been atrocious here for two months giving the barn owls little opportunity to hunt. I’ve been going on and on at Stan to get up the ladder and throw some day old chicks in as the owl conservation trust says you can supplement their food.
He has resisted my entreaties as those of a hysterical townie trying to save everything. It’s the only thing we have fallen out over, ever.
We spotted one owl four days ago leaving the box in the pouring rain. Nothing since.
I think they have starved.

You may be lucky, they could have found another place to live temporarily ... barn owls are adaptable creatures and they may be roosting in the roof of an open barn somewhere in the vicinity where there is plentiful supply of rats and mice in the dry ... you'll find they return when they want a place to rear some young.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You may be lucky, they could have found another place to live temporarily ... barn owls are adaptable creatures and they may be roosting in the roof of an open barn somewhere in the vicinity where there is plentiful supply of rats and mice in the dry ... you'll find they return when they want a place to rear some young.

Thank you for cheering this Southern softie up.
I really hope so
Meanwhile when the weather breaks a little we shall take the opportunity to replace the box

 

[The Poot]

Checked all my hives yesterday across the 3 sites. Bricks frozen on top of hives and entrances frozen too. Varroa trays hard to pull out as metal frozen. But bees all looked toasty through the glass crownboards. Couldn’t see any bees in 2 hives but they were strong last week, could hear a gentle hum when I pressed my ear against the outer lifts and saw honey cappings and some brood cappings on the trays, so all’s well.

WBC’s do look nice.
We had a quick flurry here today, but nothing to speak of. Just really cold, damp, foggy & dull.

 

[The Poot]

Sorry not clear
Weather has been atrocious here for two months giving the barn owls little opportunity to hunt. I’ve been going on and on at Stan to get up the ladder and throw some day old chicks in as the owl conservation trust says you can supplement their food.
He has resisted my entreaties as those of a hysterical townie trying to save everything. It’s the only thing we have fallen out over, ever.
We spotted one owl four days ago leaving the box in the pouring rain. Nothing since.
I think they have starved.

That’s really sad if proves to be the case.

 

[Antipodes]

Inspected hives at 3 sites. After two I felt quite dejected with no honey coming in, and to cap it off, the kookaburras were laughing cruelly at me from the gum trees as I trudged off.

The third site buoyed me. Busaria getting capped off now, with beautiful capping wax.

 

[GuyNir]

Inspected hives at 3 sites. After two I felt quite dejected with no honey coming in, and to cap it off, the kookaburras were laughing cruelly at me from the gum trees as I trudged off.

The third site buoyed me. Busaria getting capped off now, with beautiful capping wax.

Nice looking frame. Is your main flow now?

 

[Antipodes]

Nice looking frame. Is your main flow now?

There are two flows on at the moment. The busaria (Christmas Bush/Prickly Box) and the leatherwood. Prickly Box has peaked, but still going, and leatherwood just started. Leatherwood is a rainforest tree and hard to get at, whereas the Box is on dry hillsides close to urban areas, so the two don't occur in the same areas. The leatherwood lasts about 8 weeks

 

[Curly green finger's]

Me and Alfie are rolling 35kgs of fondant out to feed four colonys at the parks, hoping to use his new quad to take the ekes qxs, cbs and fondant down there insulation is some celotex 75mm.

Here's Alfie on his new quad Christmas day..