What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Skyhook]

I'd have thought in this weather disturbing them like that is not a good idea.

I'm staying away from mine to avoid temptation. I'd have thought peep through the feed hole absolute maximum.

I wonder how long it took them to make the heat you just let out?

 

[Poggle]

I'd have thought in this weather disturbing them like that is not a good idea.

Needed to check the fondant levels. Both hives were not open for more than a minute and a half each, Next look will be March.

 

[Chris Luck]

I'm speechless, what on earth has happened to bee keeping?

Chris

 

[MuswellMetro]

poggle, if you can see bees at present then my view is they are in trouble,

At minus 10 they should be in tight cluster and not on the fondant nor near the top of frames

i understand that you need to open up to repalce fondant if it is direct on the frames but i would put at least 2.5k on in an api eke so that replacement is not very frequent or if at all

Although PH and many other recomend direct on the frames, i still prefer tubs above the crown feed hole that can easily be changed without loose heat ( sliding then across the feed hole)...i use a two 25mm insulation slabs with the lower slab with a hole to fit the tub or the cut insulation...

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Although PH and many other recomend direct on the frames, i still prefer tubs that can easily be changed without loose heat ( sliding then across the feed hole)...i use a two 25mm insulation slabs with the lower slab with a hole to fit the tub or the cut insulation

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'd have thought in this weather disturbing them like that is not a good idea.

I have one small colony eating fondant and I suspect I will lose them.
However I have a polycarb crownboard and fondant in a tub surrounded by EPS insulation: easy to check without opening up.
The other two are still very heavy but I do put my ear to the boxes now and then and check they are eating from the cappings produced.

 

[Salamagundy]

It's my first winter with bees and I'm anxious about my ability to get them through to Spring, so after a quick look around to check nobody was watching I decided to lie down and look at the hives from below to see what was going on.

The sides of the hives facing the sun were surprisingly warm to the touch, despite the temperature being -1 degree in the shade.

All four hives showered me with tiny bits of wax as I looked up into the frames. I wondered if they were opening stored syrup or just knocking bits of comb off as they moved around the frames.... (They all have fondant, two hives are actively taking it and two don't seem interested.)

There were between twenty and thirty dead bees on the omfs, which I hoped was ok.

The bees certainly weren't clustered, despite the temperature being -7.5 degrees here last night, and came down onto the omf to investigate when I coughed. I made a mental note to search the forum for more information about clusters.

I hoped the strong low background hum was a good sign, and a number of times I heard a higher-pitched squeek, very similar to the queen piping I'd heard on a Youtube clip, but shorter.

After an enjoyable and intriguing twenty minutes I went in to warm up, reassured that there is still a good number of live bees in all four hives, wondering why they weren't in a nice tight cluster and fairly confident that nobody had seen me....

 

[Poggle]

The bees certainly weren't clustered, despite the temperature being -7.5 degrees here last night, and came down onto the omf to investigate when I coughed. I made a mental note to search the forum for more information about clusters..

Thank you for your post. I have been waiting for someone else to say something about bees not being clustered. Mine have never "clustered" since I go them.
They have always been all over the tops of the frames (summer and Autumn) And have been below the tops of the frames right down to the bottoms since the cold weather really started. They have been out flying every day including today doing poo runs and I assume looking for water. I think we have a case or three of bees doing what THEY want to do.

 

[Salamagundy]

Thank you for your post. I have been waiting for someone else to say something about bees not being clustered. Mine have never "clustered" since I go them.
They have always been all over the tops of the frames (summer and Autumn) And have been below the tops of the frames right down to the bottoms since the cold weather really started. They have been out flying every day including today doing poo runs and I assume looking for water. I think we have a case or three of bees doing what THEY want to do.

Hi Poggle! Yes it's all a bit of a mystery to me. Do they cluster in direct relation to the temperature inside the hive? If I went up there now would they be clustered? (-9 degrees forecast tonight) Does the fact that I have no matchsticks but 50mm Kingspan on top of the hives and 25mm polystyrene on two sides reduce clustering? None of mine were out flying today but I noticed a marked difference between colonies earlier in the winter - no sign of life from two hives while the other two were out and about in large numbers. Lots for me still to learn!

 

[Erichalfbee]

and a number of times I heard a higher-pitched squeek, very similar to the queen piping I'd heard on a Youtube clip, but shorter.

I've heard this lots of times and just put it down to a particular bee being in a particular orientation for me to hear its wingbeats/buzz.
I have never considered it to be a queen piping.
Queens pipe under completely different circumstances.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thank you for your post. I have been waiting for someone else to say something about bees not being clustered. Mine have never "clustered" since I go them.
They have always been all over the tops of the frames (summer and Autumn) And have been below the tops of the frames right down to the bottoms since the cold weather really started. They have been out flying every day including today doing poo runs and I assume looking for water. I think we have a case or three of bees doing what THEY want to do.

Are they from New Zealand italain strain stock? i have had a KBS NZ imported queen do similar

 

[user 6228]

Time: 7.30am: outside -6C, yesterday: Sunny
Alwaysfoam:14C floor, 22C top
Waswood: 18C top of brood / bottom of super

 

[scuttlefish]

7 degrees outside but too wet to open the hives so just had a peek up their skirts, no piles of dead bees on the OMF. Sorted, cut and set aside to dry some scraps of timber that were lying in the yard, enough there for a couple of double hive stands. Checked my supers and spare parts, no mouse or wax moth damage

 

[drstitson]

Bees all tucked up. took advantage of enforced weekend stranded alone to get some long needed garden tidying done before the snow arrives. will probably spend tomorrow making up a few 14x12 brood boxes plus frames ready for spring.

 

[AndyJThompson]

New apiary

Today I took advantage of the cold spell and moved my colony from my parents to their new apiary. So rather than 10 miles I will only have to go about half a mile. A friend has let me use there wood area in their garden after a hour of cutting brambles and clearing out al was ready hive moved with no problems.

 

[Swarm]

Prepared a new site in the snow.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Yesterday in 3-5degs I watched a few bees flying for cleansing flights in the sun and then checked through al my stored Supers and most of the spare BB's frames for any sign of wax moth, luckily no sign of anything.

Today, didn't even visit apiary in the cold and snow!

 

[VEG]

Moved 6 of my hives into an old pigsty for cover as the farmer had a huge pile of stuff to burn. Back tomorrow to put them back on their stands.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

took thermal images of hives

 

[dickndoris]

Cleared the snow from all the entrances to all the hives as all were totally blocked! Glad I wasn't away for a week. The bees are a buzzing away inside nicely