What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

I'm listening to a blasted squirrel stomping around in my loft as I type. Next step is a socket up there to power an ultrasonic rodent repellent unit.

I tried one of those ultrasonic devices... either the squirrels in my loft were deaf or it's the rodent equivalent of heavy metal as they continued to party ! If you find one that works can you let us know please only success I have is with a humane trap baited with peanut butter and peanuts ...then you have to kill them humanely as it's illegal to let them go ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

then you have to kill them humanely as it's illegal to let them go ...

Is it?

 

[pargyle]

Under Schedule 9 of the WCA, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild, or allow one to escape. ... This means if you trap one, you are obliged to humanely dispatch it. You must not let it go as this act would be illegal.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Under Schedule 9 of the WCA, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild, or allow one to escape. ... This means if you trap one, you are obliged to humanely dispatch it. You must not let it go as this act would be illegal.

Ooops

 

[Swn58]

I was at the farm apiary yesterday. It was blowing a gale, with heavy, sharp gusts. For the first time ever, I discovered two hives blown off their stand and totally upside down. Amazingly I think it had only happened within the hour. It was also lucky that they were both tightly strapped.
It was typical that it was hives 1 & 2 that went over. Hive two is the 'naughty hive' that caused me such trouble last year! They will get a queen change asap. I managed to get them back up on different benches without getting stung, which was good.
I checked the rest of the hives. They are certainly getting going. There was a lot of activity, with a fare amount of pollen going in. Despite that, I fed most of them with Candipolline. It was too cold to do a full inspection, but it's early yet.
I then spent the rest of my time clearing the next section along, for the inevitable expansion that will take place.

Ironically, I got a call from my partner. One of the hives on her allotment was blown over as well! She managed to sort it out to an extent. I am about to go over to check them.

 

[masterBK]

Nice day today so visited the out-apiary on the farm to heft the hives. Not been since early december when I trickled Oxalic. No evidence of green woodpecker damage and all colonies flying (so no losses so far this winter) and all seem OK for stores (although 4 of them may need topping up in a few weeks time as they expand the brood nest: usually done by robbing frames of stores from other colonies who have more than enough). No evidence of dysentery. Checked the inserts under the OMFs to get an idea of the strength (only one was weak covering just 4 frames but not unexpected as contains 3 yr old Queen) from the debris field of chewed cappings. Surprised to find very few dead varroa on the inserts. Only one colony reacted to my presence and came out in numbers so had my first sting of the year. I winter on narrow entrances but two of them seem to prefer even smaller ones and had propolised them up leaving a few pop holes.

 

[beeno]

I was at the farm apiary yesterday. It was blowing a gale, with heavy, sharp gusts. For the first time ever, I discovered two hives blown off their stand and totally upside down. Amazingly I think it had only happened within the hour. It was also lucky that they were both tightly strapped.
It was typical that it was hives 1 & 2 that went over. Hive two is the 'naughty hive' that caused me such trouble last year! They will get a queen change asap. I managed to get them back up on different benches without getting stung, which was good.
I checked the rest of the hives. They are certainly getting going. There was a lot of activity, with a fare amount of pollen going in. Despite that, I fed most of them with Candipolline. It was too cold to do a full inspection, but it's early yet.
I then spent the rest of my time clearing the next section along, for the inevitable expansion that will take place.

Ironically, I got a call from my partner. One of the hives on her allotment was blown over as well! She managed to sort it out to an extent. I am about to go over to check them.

All is well that ends well.

 

[The Poot]

All enjoying the sun today. Don't bees get their water from the nicest spots?

 

[Boston Bees]

I was at the farm apiary yesterday. It was blowing a gale, with heavy, sharp gusts. For the first time ever, I discovered two hives blown off their stand and totally upside down. Amazingly I think it had only happened within the hour. It was also lucky that they were both tightly strapped.
It was typical that it was hives 1 & 2 that went over. Hive two is the 'naughty hive' that caused me such trouble last year! They will get a queen change asap. I managed to get them back up on different benches without getting stung, which was good.
I checked the rest of the hives. They are certainly getting going. There was a lot of activity, with a fare amount of pollen going in. Despite that, I fed most of them with Candipolline. It was too cold to do a full inspection, but it's early yet.
I then spent the rest of my time clearing the next section along, for the inevitable expansion that will take place.

Ironically, I got a call from my partner. One of the hives on her allotment was blown over as well! She managed to sort it out to an extent. I am about to go over to check them.

Great photo!

One for the next beginners' course at your association?

"Now, you are close to completing your Introduction to Beekeeping course. Your final test is - what is wrong with the beehives in this picture"?

 

[beeno]

All enjoying the sun today. Don't bees get their water from the nicest spots?View attachment 24618

I was so proud of some of my bees as they had decided to make a tupperware container filled with crystal clear rain water their watering hole. The rest of them are in the pond. They are collecting water with gusto at the moment so no doubt they are all brooding!

 

[Swn58]

Great photo!

One for the next beginners' course at your association?

"Now, you are close to completing your Introduction to Beekeeping course. Your final test is - what is wrong with the beehives in this picture"?

Yes....very good. In my case.....if the hive has a 'smiley face,' it's upside down!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Under Schedule 9 of the WCA, it is illegal to release a grey squirrel into the wild, or allow one to escape. ... This means if you trap one, you are obliged to humanely dispatch it. You must not let it go as this act would be illegal.

A few years ago when they were trying to eradicate the american squirrel on the isle of the mad to protect our native reds, the RSPCA intervened and gave advice on a humane method of despatching trapped squirrels to appease the fluffy bunny brigade - it was pretty simple really.
Shake out squirrel from the trap and into a sturdy hessian sack
Close sack
take a piece of 4"x2" timber
beat squirrel to death.
wash sack

 

[Swn58]

Sometimes I wish I still smoked! Got to my partners allotments to see the stricken colony there. A ceder national in this case was on it's side with the floor off, so exposing the bees. She had managed to move the floor a bit and then covered them with a tarp.
'Mr Organised' here had come with full bee-suit, and hive tool at the ready.....but no lighter or matches to light the smoker. There was no one on the site. Duhhhh!
The bees were pretty happy till I removed the tarp. They were not happy at all then, so I decided to re-cover them till tomorrow. The hive floor seems to have broken, so I will bring in a spare one as well. I also moved the colony next to them, half a hive width sideways, so I can get better access.
A plan is now in place to rescue them. A lighter is already in my jacket!

 

[Goran]

This climate went nuts! Since I wrote here last time, the flow of goat willow and cornel don't stop. Today we had cozy 20 Celsius. I was working in orchard and got neck burnt.. Whole hill smells on willows.. I have flow in winter.. Fruits almost opened buds, I have to rush with spraying before they open.. madness.. BUT there will be frost after and all fruit flowers will be scorched.. I am concerned about this season ( both for honey forages and fruits).. If wild cherry open its buds.. and get scorched.. I believe in foot of the hill will hear me yelling how pissed I will be..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Chainsaw day today, had to take some time off work to get my leave balance down by the year end, clearing a lot of trees away from behind the hives at the range which may cause an issue in a few years - also getting rid of some of them means a lot more evening sun on the top hives and a nice clear area away from the other hives where I can put any mating nucs.
Popped in at Garn cottage on the way back to have a proper look as to what could have happened to the hives that ended up in the river looks like some escaped sheep got into the garden around that time - plenty of hoof marks and sheep lala's (as my auntie Olive called sheepsh!t) around the hive site, so maybe it was that, I'll go down Sunday and, as the stand is free at the moment (the rescued hive is on a spare stand I use for nucs in the summer) I'll take it home for a refit and leave a new one down there.
It was a lovely sunny late afternoon, there are thousands of snowdrops around the orchard and further downstream and the bees were all over them piling in the pollen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Sometimes I wish I still smoked!

Funny that - SWMBO says that now, nearly twenty years since I gave up the oilies I have more lighters lying around than ever I did when I smoked - one in the ashtray in the truck, a reserve one in the glove compartment, one in the bee suit and always one in my pocket!!

 

[Boston Bees]

More foliage cut back in garden, and two new concrete hive stands put in place, to allow room for spring splits. The apiary just keeps getting bigger .....

 

[pargyle]

A few years ago when they were trying to eradicate the american squirrel on the isle of the mad to protect our native reds, the RSPCA intervened and gave advice on a humane method of despatching trapped squirrels to appease the fluffy bunny brigade - it was pretty simple really.
Shake out squirrel from the trap and into a sturdy hessian sack
Close sack
take a piece of 4"x2" timber
beat squirrel to death.
wash sack

Yes that would work ... probably saves on tenderising the squrrel meat as well ...

 

[Goran]

Yes that would work ... probably saves on tenderising the squrrel meat as well ...

Get dozen of cats.. reduce squirrels. I was surprised how less I saw them last year, but later saw one of our tom cats dragging one.. Well, more hazelnuts for us.. Just to be more efficient with woodpeckers, they do manage to get some but here are sooo maaany woodpeckers that it is annoying..

 

[Gilberdyke John]

A few years ago when they were trying to eradicate the american squirrel on the isle of the mad to protect our native reds, the RSPCA intervened and gave advice on a humane method of despatching trapped squirrels to appease the fluffy bunny brigade - it was pretty simple really.
Shake out squirrel from the trap and into a sturdy hessian sack
Close sack
take a piece of 4"x2" timber
beat squirrel to death.
wash sack

I think I'd just shoot it through the bars of the trap then tip the corpse into the general purpose rubbish bin.