What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Bluetractorman]

I felt I had to add some space under two of my full OMF BN colonies on Tuesday (a really warm day here in mid-Wales) and removed the two existing first attempts to cobble together two ordinary OMFs into the JBM take on under floor entrances and replaced with new UNE floors. This is how the old floors came off. I was expecting to see dead bees and lots of detritus but both seemed perfectly clean. I then very quickly swapped two six frame nucs (all six frames crammed with bees and brood) into two separate BBs and used these floors under them.
BUT - - - just looking at the picture a moment ago and I first noticed - A HIVE BEETLE! Except my wife told me it was just a beetle on the hive. It's on the frame on the right hand side of the pic. After my blind panic it does look like a ground beetle. Any thoughts? View attachment 25181

That may be an alder beetle. Trout love'em. Alder Leaf Beetle | NatureSpot

 

[GuyNir]

Haven't seen any sign to date, though I haven't gone right through that hive yet - she is in a well insulated (wood and 80mm kingspan sandwich) long deep hive - just realised I said she was green dot in fact she is from summer 2020 so BLUE dot.

I lost 2 nucs overwinter. One of those was Jon Getty’s Q. Despite lots of attention since June 2020, they didn’t build up properly and went into winter too small. I have 2 more on order this year, we’ll see how that goes.

 

[RichardBeeW]

That may be an alder beetle. Trout love'em. Alder Leaf Beetle | NatureSpot

Hell's Bells! I missed the trout completely!! I'll check that photo again and all my other hives immediately! And thanks, I followed the link you supplied and could be

 

[Antipodes]

I had planned to do a fair bit with the bees today, but it got really hot and then windy, so I gave up until tomorrow. It was a April record maximum of 32.3 C. I wasn't too keen to get into the bee suit...

 

[Arfermo]

I had planned to do a fair bit with the bees today, but it got really hot and then windy, so I gave up until tomorrow. It was a April record maximum of 32.3 C. I wasn't too keen to get into the bee suit...

Skinnydip instead?

 

[Murox]

I lost 2 nucs overwinter. One of those was Jon Getty’s Q. Despite lots of attention since June 2020, they didn’t build up properly and went into winter too small. I have 2 more on order this year, we’ll see how that goes.

I noticed mine was a bit "slow" last autumn, I just dummied the hive down vaporised them and left them with a kilo of fondant for the winter after giving syrup. Other than just checking the fondant (they hadn't touched it) I have only just looked into the hive and still have yet to do a real inspection.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Do you find his queens Chalky at all?

Haven't seen anything of exemoor queens lately. Is Pete ok?

 

[GuyNir]

Yes ... either the slot needs to be bigger or the board needs to be thinner .. as I no longer bother with the original set up I've not gone anywhere looking for an alternative material. You might consider white faced hardboard - available in 8' x 4' sheets. I would give the hardboard side of it a coat of varnish though to stop it aborbing any moisture.

https://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-Gen...rdboard-Sheet---3mm-x-610mm-x-1220mm/p/110403

Thanks for the tip Philip. This board works a treat. I reckon it’s ~1/3 the thickness of the original Paynes bottom board.

 

[pargyle]

Thanks for the tip Philip. This board works a treat. I reckon it’s ~1/3 the thickness of the original Paynes bottom board.

Yes ... I figured it would be about right ... glad it worked. Now all you have to do is find a use for the original correx boards !!!

 

[madasafish]

11c and no wind: time for a quick inspection of three hives: one nuc - which should have had a Blue queen had an unmarked Queen - so apparently superceded late Aug/Sept last year -. Laying like a train: need to rehive it asap..

 

[Swn58]

Min temp is 15° though so probably not warm enough yet

Lucky I bulk-bought a load from Simon the BK, as it looks like the first proper application for this year will be a bit of a disaster. 2/3 Apiaries last week had treatment in the nice warm weather. I missed one, but now it's freezing out there! This week will be too cold for the last lot and to finish the others.
My aim is to use at least half my hives for queen rearing and increasing colony populations this season. I want to create as many nucs as possible, as early as I can. As these nucs will not be producing honey, I may have to treat them individually through the summer. It will allow me to kick things off as quick as I can, weather finally permitting. Hopefully, it will make any over-wintering nucs even stronger through next winter.

 

[Swn58]

A HIVE BEETLE! Except my wife told me it was just a beetle on the hive.

Nooooo......it's Ringo!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Haven't seen anything of exemoor queens lately. Is Pete ok?

I've heard he's not well, but know no other details. It might be just the rumour mill.

Haven't seen anything of exemoor queens lately. Is Pete ok?

I know he was ill around Christmas time - Amblamanse job, but seems back in the swing of things now

 

[Swarm]

Do you find his queens Chalky at all?

Nope, don't know who told you that. Never had a chalk brood problem with any queens from Jon and no sign of the problem down the line either.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nope, don't know who told you that. Never had a chalk brood problem with any queens from Jon and no sign of the problem down the line either.

One or two reports.
I have two on order. That hasn't changed. Happy to give them a go.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nope, don't know who told you that. Never had a chalk brood problem with any queens from Jon and no sign of the problem down the line either.

well you've been pretty lucky is all I can say - I've been trialling his bees for three or four years now and varying degrees of chalkiness is apparent. got two genetically separate ones here now and I'm clearing literally piles of chalkbrood mummies out.

 

[Arfermo]

I had planned to do a fair bit with the bees today, but it got really hot and then windy, so I gave up until tomorrow. It was a April record maximum of 32.3 C. I wasn't too keen to get into the bee suit...

Spent a month touring Tassie back in 2007 in a 31/2 ltr Bluebird hire. Loved every minute except for Port Arthur. Just one more blot on UK's history of course. Play about "The Boat that Never Was" was really clever!! Afterwards crossed to mainland and did a 3-4 day Murray River cruise, then to Perth, north to Murchison Gorge and 45C in the shade and south to Albany and around. Fantastic. That was our third 3 monther in Oz but too old to do it again - just wish I had had the courage to chuck it here back in 1965-ish and opted for the £10 POM passage.

 

[Markthebuilder]

Painted /stained all boxes Black inc a paynes nuc now converted to 8 frames 14 x12 and an abilo poly hive.
checked inside the abelo it was broodless a few weeks ago . they were all flying so i had a quick look .I opted to treat with OAas bees had polished up all the old comb. Pleased to report there are now 3 14x12 mainly caped brood in a nice pattern. Really pleased to note how calm and friendly my bees are. As it was only when I swapped out the last of the old standard brood frames for a 14x12 and i Shook the bees off I realised I hadn't put my veil on . I also removed the super that had some honey in for winter stores as they haven't touched it and have plenty in the the brood box , I thought that still being only a few seams they may be struggling to keep the hive warm even though its poly.
Today I started making up some bait hives from 40l storage boxes from Argos they take a national frame nicely and will just take a 14x12 £10.

 

[Michael ECB's]

Been hectic busy here but remembered promising to post some pics of honey frames showing colour variations.
Have started our harvest from Dark bees. All Lang brood boxes used as supers - Back killing me... Getting too old for this....
Heaviest box = 35.8kg
Lightest = 20.8 Kg's
The black darker strain bees are really producing well.... Worth dealing with the more aggressive behaviour

..

 

[BigAshW]

Warm and sunny here in Essex today.

Checked my colonies all settled into their new apiary it seems.

Five out of five through winter.

All on commercial boxes

Three colonies already have 6+ frames of brood and are packed with bees so put supers on them.

My very strongest colony ten seams of bees 8 frames of brood had two bees I saw with DWV which gives me a bit of concern.

The six frame nuc was packed out so upgraded to a full box although dummied down to 8 frames.

The fifth is a bit behind the rest and likes a little light on stores so left fondant on them. They were a bit aggressive so I'll have a see how they are when there is a full flow on.