What did you do in the Apiary today?

[understanding_bees]

6 frame radials are better than 10. In a 6 frame you can spin 2,3,4, or 6 frames at a time. With a 10 frame you can only spin 2,4,5 or 10 otherwise they don't balance.

Are 6 frame radials better than 10?
If you numbered the slots in a 10-frame extractor (from 1 to 10) a bit like the numbers on a clock face, you could also spin 6 or 8 frames at a time.

To spin 6 frames, you could use slots 1,2,3, and 6,7,8, and keep the extractor balanced.

Similarly, you could spin 8 frames, in slots 1,2,3,4, and 6,7,8,9.

To summarize, with a 10-frame extractor it would be possible to spin 2,4,5,6,8, or 10 frames and keep the extractor balanced. With a 12-frame extractor it would be possible to spin 2,3,4,6,8,9,10 or 12 frames..

 

[Goran]

Yesterday.

 

[Goran]

Today.

 

[madasafish]

A calm dry 6C so checked fondant on hives, nucs and mini nucs. Just as well - mini nucs had nearly finished all stores.
Fox has been excavating lawn near hives - earthworms I assume,

 

[The Poot]

Dug a small, but stubborn tree out, including roots, with a spade and a mattock, ten feet away from hive 3 with bees coming and going. I was completely ignored.
So pleased as a new queen was raised in August and I am unsure of the colony’s temperament.

 

[Nannysbees]

Dozens of bees out looking for water, I'm my troughs of soil that I prepared for planting, water butts and the pots of stones I filled with water for them, I could hear the buzz from meters away, I hadn't expected to see h that

 

[gmonag]

They do seem to like digging in flower pots

 

[GuyNir]

Calm 8c & sunny. All colonies flying, pollen brought in but not full baskets. All colonies now have fondant and pollen sub, which are being consumed nicely. First overwinter with polycarbonate crown boards, it’s great

 

[Nannysbees]

First cut of the season

 

[Codford]

Well done - as fine an example of perfectly camouflaged hives as I have ever seen...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Finished moving my last colony out of the garden apiary yesterday afternoon and ended up watching the sun coming down over at lineside apiary.
One of the colonys over there that I reduced down to one box two weeks ago are bomming and covering all 11 frames I removed two out side frames and replaced with honey frames rather than giving them fondant condensending this hive down to one box was the right thing to do and sometimes you have to do things that are best for your bees even if it's out of season.
I love my sunset scenes.
10 c and sunny yesterday no wind.

 

[Nannysbees]

Finished moving my last colony out of the garden apiary yesterday afternoon and ended up watching the sun coming down over at lineside apiary.
One of the colonys over there that I reduced down to one box two weeks ago are bomming and covering all 11 frames I removed two out side frames and replaced with honey frames rather than giving them fondant condensending this hive down to one box was the right thing to do and sometimes you have to do things that are best for your bees even if it's out of season.View attachment 24808View attachment 24809
I love my sunset scenes.
10 c and sunny yesterday no wind.

Beautiful photos

 

[StephenT]

Popped out into the garden to have lunch in the sun and watch the bees. All the hives were very busy bringing in lots of pollen and nectar I assume (lots of flowering cherry around us). Definitely need to have a bit of a rearrangement as two of the hives are facing into the middle of the garden and had a few bees bouncing off me (not aggressive). Noticed more poo on the landing board than usual. Any concerns here or just the bees relieving themselves on exit?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Noticed more poo on the landing board than usual. Any concerns here or just the bees relieving themselves on exit?

All normal there - nothing to worry about

 

[Nannysbees]

Checked the fondant today, has been untouched for weeks,half of it gone since last week

 

[The Poot]

First cut of the season

Apparently it’s the deepest...

Love the pink wheelbarrow

 

[Antipodes]

I estimate a virgin queen in one of my hives to be at about day 8. If she doesn't mate today, I'd be surprised!
Perfect autumn day for it.....

 

[E&MBees]

I estimate a virgin queen in one of my hives to be at about day 8. If she doesn't mate today, I'd be surprised!
Perfect autumn day for it.....

Beautiful!

 

[Tigger]

Watched about a dozen of my bees fly into the poly tunnel where they spent time pollinating my apricot tree. Lovely.

 

[gregior]

Put down some old carpet around the hives for weed control and had a peep under the crown boards on all 15 colonies. All still looking ok with clusters ranging from 4 to 8 frames. Stores ok and not gone down much atall the last month.