What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Murox]

Well today is the first day for weeks that its got above 2-3 degrees and no rain - 6 degrees in the SUN at midday - popped the weakest hive and found them just starting on a slab of fondant. Amazing given the rubbish weather we have had up here, I had expected the worst so was delighted to see life, roll on warmer weather.

 

[drex]

Sunny all day and about 10 degrees. All colonies flying and I saw a tiny drop of pollen coming in. All hefted ok. Snow expected in a couple of days.

 

[E&MBees]

Rubbish weather again here. It’s either cold and dry & the bees are clustering or warmer and wet and they are still stuck indoors!

 

[Michael ECB's]

Hot as hell here....
Caught another two swarms at home today..... on top of old office and under the old oak tree.... Same places always produce....
I think it's because of the constant food supply here,,, old comb being worked / cleaned, robbed out boxes, feeding trials, etc etc etc...

 

[The Poot]

We hear of these things... probably journalistic sensationalism or merely fake news.
The Lady PSCO with the "team of officers" did say to me that they had quite a few doggers traveling 25 plus miles to walk their cockerpoo pooches!

When I got to the bees they did not need any more fondant anyway!

Chons da

So if they didn’t need fondant, you made an unnecessary journey and can expect a retrospective fine of at least £2000

 

[Apple]

So if they didn’t need fondant, you made an unnecessary journey and can expect a retrospective fine of at least £2000

Not at all
I have a sticker in the front screen of the Defender that says

Beefarmers' Association
Professional Beekeeper
Essential Animal Management

​

 

[Apple]

Hot as hell here....
Caught another two swarms at home today..... on top of old office and under the old oak tree.... Same places always produce....
I think it's because of the constant food supply here,,, old comb being worked / cleaned, robbed out boxes, feeding trials, etc etc etc...

Check out the Ley lines... sure bet they intersect where you get the annual swarms!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not at all
I have a sticker in the front screen of the Defender that says

Beefarmers' Association
Professional Beekeeper
Essential Animal Management

​

I Just carry my warrant card around - I suppose the Home Office pass on the windscreen helps as well

 

[Michael ECB's]

Check out the Ley lines... sure bet they intersect where you get the annual swarms!

If thats the case, the old ancestors here must have been smoking weed as these lines must cross over everywhere here....
Playing snakes and ladders maybe..... ????
Or perhaps dived a bit deep into the old bottle of Hooch.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well it was last week, and due to Covid it was the virtual apiary but thanks to my broadband woes it's only now I'm getting to the bottom of my Bees Abroad in tray.
Last week was the launch of the Mwangongo Village beekeeping project - an idyllic remote village on the shores of Lake Tanganyica north of the Gombe National Park, as well as the initial classroom teaching last week, Innocent and Juma (my in-country trainers) worked with the village carpenter and shipwright to build the first twenty African Top Bar Hives.
Juma really rubbed salt in the wound by phoning me for a chat during their lunchbreak where they played footbal on the beach and the kids tried to teach them to swim!

 

[victor meldrew]

We hear of these things... probably journalistic sensationalism or merely fake news.
The Lady PSCO with the "team of officers" did say to me that they had quite a few doggers traveling 25 plus miles to walk their cockerpoo pooches!

When I got to the bees they did not need any more fondant anyway!

Chons da

Think the lady pcso should have educated you about doggers ?

 

[jeff33]

Today I finished another lot of mini mating nucs. They take 3 frames (half shallow frames) and the food compartment can be removed when established to fit in 5 frames in total. If I want to bank the queens or overwinter them I can remove the floor to stack 2 boxes together.

 

[pargyle]

Yesterday was lovely - bright and sunny but cold ... lots of bees flying and yellow, red and grey pollen coming in (Crocus & snowdrop - not sure about the bluey/grey stuff but we have gardens around us with some fairly exotic plants and bulbs so they have found something).

Been cold and overcast all day today and very breezy - a few hardy souls trying their luck and bringing pollen back .. I think only the toughest were venturing out today though.

No sign of the snow that was forecast ... I noticed my neighbour fitting the rear snow chains and front skis to his Skoda Octavia last night so they must have thought we would get a few centimetres ... anything above a heavy frost is considered deep snow down here and brings everything to a grinding halt ....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Quick spin out to the range and Garn Cottage for a hefting round, apart from the two earmarked as problematic since the autumn, all hives are still pretty heavy - shows one that if you feed properly in October you can rest easily intil late February/March

 

[beeno]

[QUOTE="pargyle, post: 748378, member: 9418"
No sign of the snow that was forecast ... I noticed my neighbour fitting the rear snow chains and front skis to his Skoda Octavia last night so they must have thought we would get a few centimetres ... anything above a heavy frost is considered deep snow down here and brings everything to a grinding halt ....
[/QUOTE]
Most continentals have winter tyres whilst the Brits use their summer tyres in winter conditions causing havoc on the roads. I guess snow chains are a cheap alternative. Snow is not expected until tonight in my part of the UK.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

[QUOTE="pargyle, post: 748378, member: 9418"
No sign of the snow that was forecast ... I noticed my neighbour fitting the rear snow chains and front skis to his Skoda Octavia last night so they must have thought we would get a few centimetres ... anything above a heavy frost is considered deep snow down here and brings everything to a grinding halt ....

Most continentals have winter tyres
[/QUOTE]
Because 'most continentals' know almost to the day when the snow will start and it will sit for a few months, unlike in the UK where it may not come at all and then in patches that will last 24 hours

 

[Erichalfbee]

Finally got this down without mishap and over to the apiary

 

[Newbeeneil]

Finally got this down without mishap and over to the apiary

Stan still in one piece I hope?

 

[Swarm]

Finally got this down without mishap and over to the apiary

Oh dammit!!! I was doing a cartoon of this. Well done anyway, glad you managed it safely.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh dammit!!! I was doing a cartoon of this. Well done anyway, glad you managed it safely.

Hey Steve bring it on. Do the cartoon. It couldn’t possibly do justice to the nightmares I’ve been having about this