What did you do in the Apiary today?

[North End Bees]

Inspired by the top dollar thread, I made my first trial jar of set honey yesterday. I decided I need a bigger pestle and mortar for when I do a full scale batch. But it worked pretty well.

Once you've got one good jar, you shouldn't need to grind any more with a pestle. Instead of eating that jarful, use it to seed the next ten. Then use 3 of the next ten to seed the next 30. Ad infinitum if you like..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Once you've got one good jar, you shouldn't need to grind any more with a pestle. Instead of eating that jarful, use it to seed the next ten. Then use 3 of the next ten to seed the next 30. Ad infinitum if you like..

Do you not find that you have to renew that seed every three years or so?

 

[Niv]

Once you've got one good jar, you shouldn't need to grind any more with a pestle. Instead of eating that jarful, use it to seed the next ten. Then use 3 of the next ten to seed the next 30. Ad infinitum if you like..

I did wonder of that would work. Looks like its time to buy a spiral mixer.

Its sourcing (or making) and storing a heating cabinet that will be the next challenge. Its not worth me spending much as I only have 5 hives.

 

[The Poot]

Yesterday, made my first batch of rendered beeswax. Not up to Swarm’s display, but his didn’t have Old Speckled Hen in it

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Said goodbye to my cherry at the Garn Cottage apiary
I should have listened to Mrs T who told me to cut it down when I felled the other unproductive cherry tree next to it that had slowly leaned over on to one of my hives, quite a few winters ago.
This one was a bit bigger and needed some precision felling

 

[Swarm]

Yesterday, made my first batch of rendered beeswax. Not up to Swarm’s display, but his didn’t have Old Speckled Hen in itView attachment 24579

And music while you work. I must make an effort.

 

[Amari]

Discovered that a left-to-die nuc is still alive. The colony in a Nat BB was badly attacked by wasps in the autumn and was reduced to about the size of a large grapefruit. I put it into a three-frame hemi-polynuc and moved it from the apiary to our garden with a slab of fondant and expected it to die out.

Today I noticed the bees were flying and visiting crocuses, hellebores and a sarcococca. A tiny bit of fondant has been consumed. I daren't open up yet - but let's wait and see. Too weak to withstand wasps yet it's survived the beast from the east2 with 3"-thick ice on the adjacent pond - so who knows what will happen!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Discovered that a left-to-die nuc is still alive. The colony in a Nat BB was badly attacked by wasps in the autumn and was reduced to about the size of a large grapefruit. I put it into a three-frame hemi-polynuc and moved it from the apiary to our garden with a slab of fondant and expected it to die out.

Today I noticed the bees were flying and visiting crocuses, hellebores and a sarcococca. A tiny bit of fondant has been consumed. I daren't open up yet - but let's wait and see. Too weak to withstand wasps yet it's survived the beast from the east2 with 3"-thick ice on the adjacent pond - so who knows what will happen!

It’s amazing how they can survive. My tree box hive threw a swarm one April which consisted of 20 bees. Those bees did the best for their queen and genes. That’s all that was left of the colony and they swarmed in desperation.

 

[pargyle]

Reply

Said goodbye to my cherry at the Garn Cottage apiary
I should have listened to Mrs T who told me to cut it down when I felled the other unproductive cherry tree next to it that had slowly leaned over on to one of my hives, quite a few winters ago.
This one was a bit bigger and needed some precision fellingView attachment 24581

 

[pargyle]

Said goodbye to my cherry at the Garn Cottage apiary
I should have listened to Mrs T who told me to cut it down when I felled the other unproductive cherry tree next to it that had slowly leaned over on to one of my hives, quite a few winters ago.
This one was a bit bigger and needed some precision fellingView attachment 24581

You see a cherry tree .... I see ... MORE TURNING WOOD .....

Mind you ... if I bring any more timber home I rather suspect 'er indoors might have a bit of a hissy fit !

 

[Boston Bees]

The problem is they eventually end up inside!

Are you seriously killing mice and voles in your garden? On the basis that they might come inside your house at some point?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You see a cherry tree .... I see ... MORE TURNING WOOD .....

I thought of you straightaway

Are you seriously killing mice and voles in your garden? On the basis that they might come inside your house at some point?

I'm hoping Beeno is just having a joke

 

[pargyle]

I thought of you straightaway

Cherry is a nice wood to turn ... i wa fortunate last year when they cut some down in the car park at work and I picked up quite a lot of it ... some of it is the crowns where five or six branches had come from the main trunk where they have been pollarded ... it's not quite ready for turning yet but I can see that there are going to be some lovely figured grain in there when I get round to it ...

A bit too far to come and collect some more I'm afraid ...

 

[Swarm]

I have all sorts of creatures in my garden, it's great to see them. Voles, Wood mice, even the occasional rat. Never been a problem, in fact often a source of amusement. Best of the lot was a rat I spotted while we were sitting enjoying a beverage. It walked along the edge of my little wildlife pond and disappeared from site so I got up and leaned to one side to see if I could see it under the perennial cornflower. As I leaned further I was met with a pair of beady, black eyes of the rat who was doing exactly the same and peeping to see if I was still there. Best laugh I've had in ages.

 

[The Poot]

The most annoying creature in the garden Is a deer. Two houses ago, we would often find all the flowers daintily removed from groups of perennial geranium, leaving just the stalks. Grrr!

 

[Erichalfbee]

At least they don't get into your loft

The most annoying creature in the garden Is a deer. Two houses ago, we would often find all the flowers daintily removed from groups of perennial geranium, leaving just the stalks. Grrr!

 

[Swn58]

I happily share my stuff with the wildlife. Look what we found in the veggie plot tool shed
https://www.dropbox.com/s/c67zadcopy8w8me/polecat ferret.mov?dl=0

Awwww....I love ferrets.....I used to breed them!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You see a cherry tree .... I see ... MORE TURNING WOOD .....

Mind you ... if I bring any more timber home I rather suspect 'er indoors might have a bit of a hissy fit !

I stacked it all up, some decent logs there, although my friend hasn't access to a lathe now, he may find a home for some of it.
After I left the weather turned, some pretty wild squalls actually, had a call from Tiddy at dusk, he'd been down to survey the work (they're having some serious renovation work done so haven't moved in yet - it was his mam's place) and found this

By the time I got there it was almost dark and the Gwydfan was in full spate, managed to get down the bank and rescued the one on the right (one of my top performing colonies) but the second started slipping and it was a choice of either me or the bees for a watery end. they actually floated away on the upturned roof, so you never know, they may be jammed under a bank somewhere not far away.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Awwww....I love ferrets.....I used to breed them!

It's a wild polecat, plenty in Wales

 

[beeno]

I thought of you straightaway

I'm hoping Beeno is just having a joke

I have not as yet, as I hope by destroying their tunnel network they might have moved on. The grey squirrels are a pest in the area destroying my strawberry crop. I would not mind if they ate a few, but they take the green ones and don't even eat them as well as destroying the woodlands in the area. The wood pigeons destroy kale, spinach and mange tout. The deer cannot access my garden any more, but they used to eat my neighbours roses. Culling it is called. Bunch of townies on the forum?