What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Poggle]

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

No, there is lots of space behind the entance. I will leave well alone then until middle/late March .

 

[BBG]

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!!!!!!!!

Bad show, hope you nail them/him. Were there any tracks or circumstancials at the scene.

What infra-red camera are you going to install?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Damp mild day today, Put the new hive stand in place and moved one hive onto it - bees are a bit active today so I won't be moving the other one yet

 

[Poggle]

Bad show, hope you nail them/him. Were there any tracks or circumstancials at the scene.

What infra-red camera are you going to install?

Nothing to show who might have done it and the camera will be the trailsman I used last season to catch some losers that were stealing the fruit on the allotments.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Still have snow, gloriously sunny all day;5˚.
Some bees still throwing themselves onto the snow despite boards up against the entrances!
Watched for a while then gave up!

 

[johna]

All 18 colonies were out flying today here in the S.W of Scotland.Temperature soared up to 8 degrees plus with no wind and lots of sunshine.Must keep an eye on their stores-they've all got a block of Ambrosia candy on the top of the frames.The mist is starting to drop down now ( 4.00 pm) so the temperature is also dropping.Bees stopped flying about an hour ago.There might have been some pollen coming in from the snowdrops which are very thick this year.

 

[Davelin]

Went to check fondant supplies this afternoon and they're flying like it's the middle of summer. I told them not to be so silly and get back inside, just because there's a bit of sunshine...

 

[BBG]

Nothing to show who might have done it and the camera will be the trailsman I used last season to catch some losers that were stealing the fruit on the allotments.

Thanks for the info - will look at one.

Were the 'losers' older people or just youngsters scrumping?

 

[Poggle]

Thanks for the info - will look at one.

Were the 'losers' older people or just youngsters scrumping?

A family And, the film gave a few people that were involved in wanting to catch the thieves, a total shock

 

[hallshoney]

quite warm this afternoon most hive out flying. topped up fondant.

 

[kevboab]

Spent afternoon building more frames than i care to count !!! Was a good idea when i started.

 

[MuswellMetro]

checked one apiary that i saw a green woodpecker last time I visited but had not got around to adding chicken wire cages, no damage so far

It been thawing all day and a lots of the snow has melted, see photo

and yes they are facing the wall, it the farmer's condition if i have hives in his walled garden , so he can walk his dog down there .

The hives are north and west facing. But it does not cause a problem for the bees ( nice little suntrap, very early site)

 

[BBG]

A family And, the film gave a few people that were involved in wanting to catch the thieves, a total shock

Despite seeing how low people sink, we're always appalled by this sort of behaviour for what is merely a few pounds worth of other people's vegetables.

It really is a bat and ball situation.

Well the bat anyway.

Would you post a link for the camera please.

 

[drstitson]

MM - has the hive right at the back been very naughty?

 

[bees4u]

I've been asked for Langstroth plastic drone foundation, does anyone out there know who supplies it in the country?

 

[drstitson]

i would imagine no-one.

PIERCO in the USA offer plastic drone brood frames.

 

[MuswellMetro]

MM - has the hive right at the back been very naughty?

well actually yes, those are ones that i have combined after dequeening naughty bees

we have a very bad local drone pool, any local requeens are nasty, there are four beekeepers in the area and we are all experiencing the same problems ( one beekeeper ended up in hospital ..twice)

just dont know were the bad drone producer colony is.....four HMs from that site last year are no longer with us due to being naughty, doesnt seem to matter what the starting stock was,

could be ferral drones , it is mainly open countryside but surrounded on all sides by london suburbia, but bad mating is a problem in london as there is no local stock just imports

 

[user 6228]

Time: 7 am: outside -1C, yesterday: cloudy
Alwaysfoam:15C floor, 20C top
Waswood: 18C top of brood/ bottom of super

 

[Poggle]

Despite seeing how low people sink, we're always appalled by this sort of behaviour for what is merely a few pounds worth of other people's vegetables.


Would you post a link for the camera please.

Mmmmmm, if you knew the whole story you would be sick..........Anyway, here is the url for the company, as usual, different web sites have different prices.

http://www.bushnell.com/products/trail-cameras/trophy-cam/

 

[Stiffy]

Hive check after move

Checked on 8 hives I moved 100m from their original site two weeks ago. One or two bees at old site but seem to realise they no longer live there and appear to fly back where they now live. One hive has the 'squitors' which I am hoping is only stress related due to being moved. Will make a decision on what to do with it if and when it doesn’t improve and weather warms a little in a month or so.

In general at all sites there a lot of bees flying in the sunshine and even though temperature is 8C bringing in what I assume to be gorse pollen (yellow).
Birds starting to call and feels like spring is on its way, the joys of living in the beautiful far SW
S