What did you do in the Apiary today?

[victor meldrew]

Took advantage of a sunny day with no wind and no rain/snow or ice to check stores on all colonies and add fondant as required.
One mini mating nuc dead of isolation starvation: everything else fine..Bees actually flying and bringing in snowdrop pollen.

I’m a little further North . Bees flying first time since early November . All hive active ( I’ll bet they’re relieved)
18 second vid . Too long
View attachment IMG_3077.MOV

 

[The Poot]

All colonies flying today. Removed mouse guards to help the dead be removed. Checked fondants.
Bought and planted two more hellebores for pollen supply.

 

[E&MBees]

First time seeing the bees fly in ages. Bringing in bright orange pollen. Checked fondant, they have only nibbled a little, so no more required currently.

 

[Nannysbees]

Very pleased to see our girls flying today wasn't sure whether or not to remove the mouse guards

 

[Somerford]

I have an Abelo honey creamer.
It doesn't whisk the honey as you might first imagine.
It stirs the honey (not fast) for 15 minutes every hour.
As the honey starts to set/crystalise the machine ensures that the small crystals from the seed honey are evenly mixed in.
It's easy to use, easy to clean, and works well.
I only use mine twice a year. It will never pay for itself, but it does produce excellent soft set honey free from air bubbles.
Mine was purchased for me as a gift. Not sure I could have justified the expense otherwise, being as I am just a hobbyists beekeeper.

What size is it Steve ? Is it the premium model or standard one ?

 

[Goran]

We a bit frozen for about a week, unfortunately dry frost.. no snow.. ground is hard as a rock.. When temp rise we will stuck in a mud.. Bees.. had their 1st fondant before this cold spell.. One colony less on the list ( nothing mysterious, varroa and checkmite ineffectiveness, my preoccupation with hazelnuts at time needed for bees..). However, for now is reminder that varroa ( devil) never sleeps, and to have to work accordingly and if it stays at this stage it was small price to pay. Bees seems more resilient than I feared.. and with these " losses" I lost the ones which handled varroa the worst..

 

[Dutchman]

12 degrees and a hint of sunshine and all 11 hives are busy cleaning up and clearing out, even a bit of pollen going in but there isn't as yet much to be found.

 

[The Poot]

Very pleased to see our girls flying today wasn't sure whether or not to remove the mouse guards

Nice sight

 

[thorn]

I was a bit surprised to find a drone warming itself on the house wall today.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Checked about half of my colonies over the last 2 days all but one looking good and only 2 need some fondant added.
Popped into my honey room to find that I'd forgotten to turn off the water at the mains and the the cold had cracked the body of the sink tap and was spraying water all over the room.
Not a great problem as the whole room is sealed with a resin but had to sweep the water out!

 

[drdrday]

Short story: Put a crown board on my poly nuc.

Long story: Was really disappointed when the Maisemore poly nuc I bought last summer didn't come with one of those clear flexible crown board sheets (my Paynes nuc came with one). I guess they expect that with the feeder on top you don't need one, but I don't have the feeder on over winter (just fondant directly on top of the frames). I've really missed being able to peep in through a clear crown board to check on them. Wasn't going to pay the nearly £6 postage from Maisie's just to get a £3 CB, so got a £4 national poly CB from STBK instead (along with a few other essentials of course ), and chopped it up to make two nuc CBs.

 

[steve1958]

What size is it Steve ? Is it the premium model or standard one ?

Standard one. 50 litres

 

[GuyNir]

Not cold, but windy and wet throughout. I’m not aware of a single day bees were out flying since early Dec...

 

[masterBK]

Took this photo a few days ago of the bee cemetery (=concrete slabs) after the undertaker bees had dumped the dead (from two colonies and 2 maisie nucs) that had accumulated on the floors over several weeks of cold weather.

 

[gmonag]

I hardly ever see dead bees in front of my hives. I think the tits/pigeons/blackbirds hoover them up before I make it outside.

 

[simonforeman]

16 degrees.... roof off fondant on if required roof back on and left them to it. All 12 hives flying well bringing in different coloured pollen.

 

[drex]

All hives flying. Took lid off to check pollen patties. They need some more. Will make them up tonight and put them on tomorrow as it is going to be very mild again. Only saw one bee bringing in pollen, crocus snowdrops and hellebores out. Hazel not producing yet

 

[Goran]

Fantastic day - today.. A lot of sun, a lot of bees everywhere around the hill working hard on goat willows and cornel. Few bumped me in a head in a hurry and moved on, like themselves can't believe recently were freezing and now to make every second of nice weather worthy.. Admire and respect.. In fact is expected at least next 7 days of such weather.. Unbelievable, there is great chance they can use goat willow and cornel at large..
One year before the forest offers flowers they already started to cap comb with goat willow honey and were almost stuck with pollen.. Not just hives, the apiary smelled on willows.. I had impression if I watch enough into hive I could see it grows before my eyes.. Amazing.. Bad side to this all other plants can start opening buds too soon and frost will scorch all of them.. Well, on that I have no influence..

 

[GuyNir]

Again today horizontal rain with 40-50mph winds. Monday could be the first flying day since early Dec.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Temperatures between 12-14 degrees so I made sure that the light hives had enough stores for the next few weeks. The light ones with only 3 or 4 frames had enough stores and did not concern me but I had some with 9 or 10 frames of bees and not a lot of stores. slapped a couple of containers of fondant on those!