What did you do in the Apiary today?

[oldsalthouse]

Took the opportunity to move some of my hives on Thursday to another apiary I had set up on the farm with the cold weather last week

 

[drstitson]

looked at hives from the safety of indoors!!!

now busying myself with some 14x12s from the windsor sale.

 

[user 6228]

Time: 9am: outside 0C, yesterday: Sunny then cloudy 30mm snow
Alwaysfoam:15C floor, 20C top
Waswood: 16C top of brood/ bottom of super

 

[Poggle]

Went down the plot at 9am to have a look. Ice everywhere......One chap trying to dig the still frozen ground...BUT, some dirty stinking mother sassin fraasin rassen roossen has been in and taken the roof and insulation off of one of the hives!!!! Crown board soaking wet, frames wet on one side, bees all over the place, fondant block half melted and, this bit makes me think, one of my willow hanging baskets taken from the polytunnel and and left beside the hives..............................That is it, war is now declared and infrared camera system goes in today!!!!!!!!

 

[drstitson]

was the roof strapped on?

 

[Poggle]

was the roof strapped on?

No, coz I never needed it strapped on until now it seems

 

[Luminos]

Sorry to hear this, Poggle.
What was the significance of the hanging basket?

 

[Poggle]

Sorry to hear this, Poggle.
What was the significance of the hanging basket?

That is what Louise and I want to know. Was it some tw*t who watched a telly program and thought he could nick bees in a "Skep"? Was he or were they thinking of pinching honey and pouring it into the hanging basket??? Who bloody knows..............And I bet the scroat would say " yeh mate innit but dem fings only be bees dem are innit" with no thought of basically murdering several hundered insects.....................Sorry, guys I am STEAMING mad.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No snow,nice and mild/sunny after the severe arctic conditions,bees flying well and collecting lots of pollen,even the mini, and five frame ply nucs very strong, and active,saw the odd drone flying as well,so may need to requeen any with a problem next month.

 

[Russel]

Mine are out and about too?

 

[Nic Rhodes]

been around 5 apriaries today and all are flying strongly (a la June), they are taking advantage of the warm weather (here ). Only found one dead colony so far. Most look very healthy, just unsure about a couple of others.

 

[BeeJayBee]

.....................Sorry, guys I am STEAMING mad.

I would be too.

I hope your bees recover.

 

[BeeJayBee]

looked at hives from the safety of indoors!!!

Do you keep that many hives in your garden all year round?

And ... what are the little square block-like things on the roofs?

 

[Headnavigator]

Sorry you've been targetted, Poggle, what utter w....r did that? It's rotten because not only does it harm your blood pressure (and mine to read it) but it chips away at all our faith in human nature and make us suspicious and mistrustful of everyone.
Hope you meet someone in the next few days who is good to you and helps to redress the balance just a little.

 

[drstitson]

"Do you keep that many hives in your garden all year round?"

Intention is not too - the colonies present are a couple of small swarms needing nursing through plus some nucs from a walk away split which managed to make it up to full box size by late summer.

One is promised to a newbie at beeclub. The stronger ones will be going on a holiday in the spring to forage a different range of local OSR leaving the best at home for queen rearing duties and the swarms to be pampered if they survive.

"And ... what are the little square block-like things on the roofs?"

upside down plastic pallets that i use as hive stands (when i can't find nice half pallets in wood).

 

[fatshark]

Spent the afternoon building a Cloake board and a new open mesh floor, listening to Wales beat Ireland and Chelsea squander a three-nil lead to United

 

[drstitson]

just finished putting together 6 14x12 brood boxes. Box number 7 will have to wait until i can get to a workshop - the 2 end walls are around 1 beespace too deep - no hurry

 

[user 6228]

Time: 7 am: outside 0C, yesterday: cloudy
Alwaysfoam:17C floor, 18C top
Waswood: 17C top of brood/ bottom of super

 

[Poggle]

Went and had a look at that hive this morning. NO, I did NOT undo it!!!! I managed to get on my knees and look in through the reduced entrance. There is a pile of dead bees on the floor, doesn't look like many though. The other hive has a few dead ones on the mesh floor. As I was kneeling there a worker came out, flew about 2 inches, turned round and went back in. A few seconds later a larger "worker" came tottering out, fell onto the ground and was walking away, I noticed its wings were all chewed up. NOT deformed like in the images of that virus they get, just looking very beaten up. I gave the side of the brood box a sharp rap and there was a goodly amount of buzzing that went quiet quite quickly. Question, do I remove the mouse guard and use a stick to scrape these dead bees out?

 

[Erichalfbee]

There is a pile of dead bees on the floor, doesn't look like many though. Question, do I remove the mouse guard and use a stick to scrape these dead bees out?

No I wouldn't unless they are blocking the entrance.