What did you do in the Apiary today?

[BugsInABox]

We live in inland, not on coast. I am more for mountains and forests than sea.. Difference is huge, housing and land in inland is couple times cheaper, but the salaries as same smaller.. I have seen little of the world, I could adapt and live in different areas and styles ( either some rural areas with vast arable land or city with few millions of people).. but often was dreaming of our hills when was living " abroad".. Covid 19 slowed a bit emigration from Croatia but people are still leaving from here ( complete families) due to poor salaries and widespread corruption/system failure .. Won't write any deeper to it doesn't look that I have any political agenda - I am not member of any political party.. If we don't have bees and hazels.. I don't know how would we cope..

Spent the summer before last up in the Croatian mountains - fantastic!

 

[Antipodes]

Inspected two hives. First hive rammed with brood on 8 frames and even making drones up against the crown board. Moved them onto double brood with kingspan dummy boards to limit the space a bit. Second hive not far behind but will leave that one a couple of weeks. Not a huge amount of stores on each so will need to be careful when temps drop. About a frame of capped on each and some nectar. Will check the third hive tomorrow as it was heavy with stores still when I weighed it a week or so ago and may need some taking out.

Nice brood. Smashing it in London by the looks

 

[Antipodes]

I've made sure queen "Houdini" is ok , and I've photographed her just now, accepted by her new workers (first photo).

The next photo is one of my own queens from a recent (Italian) supersedure. I think she looks nice and seems to be laying well enough despite the very late season mating. Still drones around in the Italian hives, although I haven't seen any in the mongrel hives for months and you can see one next to the supersedure queen...that is not one she produced, as I gave her Italian bees from another colony.

 

[StephenT]

Inspected hive 3 today which is on brood and a half. Not as much left over stores as I thought so didn't need to replace any excess stores frames with foundation. They are sticking nectar in the brood area and the super was pretty full so put another one on. This one seems like a prime candidate for a Demaree in due course but how would I do this with brood and a half? Headed by a London Mongrel Queen who is really going for it. Bit scary in a good way.

 

[GuyNir]

Sunny 15c and calm, finally. Inspected most of my colonies today & marked 7 Q’s. good flying today and tons of pollen brought in.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Inspected hive 3 today which is on brood and a half. Not as much left over stores as I thought so didn't need to replace any excess stores frames with foundation. They are sticking nectar in the brood area and the super was pretty full so put another one on. This one seems like a prime candidate for a Demaree in due course but how would I do this with brood and a half? Headed by a London Mongrel Queen who is really going for it. Bit scary in a good way.

You could put the "half" between the QXs and let them fill it with honey after the brood emerges?

 

[StephenT]

You could put the "half" between the QXs and let them fill it with honey after the brood emerges?

That would work and then get them to double brood afterwards. I’d be left with a super full of stores on 2 year old apivar treated brood frames with a bit of left over sugar syrup stores. Could just take it away before they cap it to avoid them wasting too much energy on it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You could put the "half" between the QXs and let them fill it with honey after the brood emerges?

put it just underneath the top box

 

[Ian123]

Now that’s a lovely frame and a lovely ark of pollen. These horrible exotics that can’t survive the winter

 

[jeff33]

You could put the "half" between the QXs and let them fill it with honey after the brood emerges?

I will third that, works for me every spring.

 

[Swarm]

Another nice day for it, called back at the apiary to add a super on Blossom before heading off to check the next site. Similar picture, very laid back bees and a decent flow judging by the dripping frames.
Marked a couple of queens with nice shiny discs.

 

[elainemary]

Opened up 1 hive today which I was concerned with - weak on 2.5 frames? Lots of dead bees. Lots of stores. No signs of disease/varroa. Q and some capped brood.
Placed in 4 frame poly nuc and fed/sprayed with HM recipe..

What is HM recipe pls?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What is HM recipe pls?

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/thymol-recipe-against-nosema-fermentation-of-syrup-feed.6513/

 

[elainemary]

Fabulous weather last 2 days so did first quick inspections on my 12 colonies. All come through winter, plenty of stores left, bringing in loads of pollen and some nectar coming in, think from goat willow. All queen right with worker brood, 3 hives with some small patches of drone brood.
Swopped WBC hives in 1 apiary to polyhives, they reoriented quickly. Moved a poly hive to a WBC in another, so at least same kit is in each apiary now. Swopped round nadir supers in the strongest hives.
What struck me was how few dead bees there were on the floors of the hives. Only did a couple of different things last season - checked all colonies for Nosema & changed comb on 2 of them & sprayed with Nosevit in the Spring & Autumn. Seems to have worked well, will check again for spores in a couple of weeks.

 

[elainemary]

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/thymol-recipe-against-nosema-fermentation-of-syrup-feed.6513/

Thank you

 

[Swn58]

I'm off to the farm tomorrow.

It was loverley yesterday; warm, birds singing, bees going crazy down at the farm. I gave them all a bit of smoke, before sorting them out for Apilife Var treatment. Some of the colonies had been left super frames over the winter. Others had been given Candipoline later on.
It was a mixed bag really. All the candy had been used. Some of the colonies had cleared their frames. Some were filling them up again! I removed as many frames as possible, before applying the 'black biscuits.' I marked the ones I left, as they will possibly get tainted. (LOL...I can almost feel the ghost of Beeno stirring )
Given the weather forecast, I don't know how effective the treatment will be, or if I will be able to repeat it in seven days time. I hope it all works out though, as I have a lot of plans for early Spring!
Incredibly, Hive 2.....the naughty hive from last season was fairly well behaved! More feisty than the rest, with a few more 'bombers,' but not that bad at all. There is hope for them yet

 

[Swn58]

Marked a couple of queens with nice shiny discs.

Haven't used my shiny discs yet. It looks like fun!

 

[elainemary]

It was loverley yesterday; warm, birds singing, bees going crazy down at the farm. I gave them all a bit of smoke, before sorting them out for Apilife Var treatment. Some of the colonies had been left super frames over the winter. Others had been given Candipoline later on.
It was a mixed bag really. All the candy had been used. Some of the colonies had cleared their frames. Some were filling them up again! I removed as many frames as possible, before applying the 'black biscuits.' I marked the ones I left, as they will possibly get tainted. (LOL...I can almost feel the ghost of Beeno stirring )
Given the weather forecast, I don't know how effective the treatment will be, or if I will be able to repeat it in seven days time. I hope it all works out though, as I have a lot of plans for early Spring!
Incredibly, Hive 2.....the naughty hive from last season was fairly well behaved! More feisty than the rest, with a few more 'bombers,' but not that bad at all. There is hope for them yet

Sounds you had a busy day. How long do you put the Apilife Var treatment on for - not used that one before? What criteria do you use when deciding whether to put it on? Interested as I have just one hive I’m concerned about, but waiting for the next warm spell before doing a sugar shake & deciding what to do...

 

[elainemary]

Oops duplicated message, removed

 

[North End Bees]

Sounds you had a busy day. How long do you put the Apilife Var treatment on for - not used that one before? What criteria do you use when deciding whether to put it on? Interested as I have just one hive I’m concerned about, but waiting for the next warm spell before doing a sugar shake & deciding what to do...

Biscuits go on for one week then repeat according to mite drop.
Min temp is 15° though so probably not warm enough yet where you are. Forecast for next week here in balmy Essex is about 10°c. So much for spring!
Can't be used with supers. I've already had to put supers on some of my hives here.