What did you do in the Apiary today?

[GuyNir]

I know I hope it doesn't kill the tree, had neighbours from hell previously so can't risk the same happening again, very annoying and I love the tree

Sorry to hear. I look at my old Sycamores, Lime, Maple and Ash trees - so majestic. Will be here long after I’m gone.

 

[Boston Bees]

It won't - mature trees will survive a heck of a hammering

You can decapitate a sycamore, leaving just the trunk, and it will start merrily growing new branches from the top of the remaining stump. My neighbour did it.

Agree with Erichalfbee - get a tree surgeon in - it's too big to do yourself anyway.

I like sycamores too, but it has to be said that they are a pain ..... there are about a billion sycamore seedlings growing where they shouldn't be around my house as we speak. Making this one smaller won't hurt (apart from financially...)

 

[LeaBees]

Had a second bite at the apiary this evening - the choice was usual tripe on TV, being talked at by SWMBO or spend a few hours out in the evening chill having a sort out in the 'Super store' as I usually leave my Demarrees go to their full course I end up every year with a load of extracted 'wet' brood frames - a mix of pristine newly drawn comb and brooded comb in various stages of grottiness, I just seal all these up 'wet' in a stack of deeps and leave them over winter then, in the spring the intention is always to sort out 'clean' stuff for Demarrees and nucs and trash the oldest mankiest ones. But as you can guess, being a beekeeper I'm always reluctant to throw anything awayso every year during the triage process I end up at the end of the season with a box of the mankiest kept just in case of emergencies........which then just gets put to one side until next year.......
and so on..
getting drier and drier
So, this year it has to be addressed, the few manky ones has grown into a stack of deeps full of dry, moth succeptible frames and they've finally been 'got at'
basically I had about four boxes almost a solid lump of waxmoth 'cobweb' frames now piled up ready for the next bonfire evening. still got a massive stach of fresh 'wet brood frames for this year's demarrees though - and so the cycle starts again

How do you seal them up? Cling flim the box or just simply use a crownboard atop and on bottom?

 

[GuyNir]

Yes it’ll grow, but it doesn’t make it right IMO (unless a risk to people or property).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How do you seal them up? Cling flim the box or just simply use a crownboard atop and on bottom?

square plywood board top and bottom and two ratchet straps to cinch them tight, all in an open sided shelter for the winter.
same for all the supers

 

[Antipodes]

same here, -6 degrees C last night hard frost this morning, I'm glad I took the opportunity to super up, on Wed. Day time temp at present 5 degrees C, but hives are in the sun now, so may warm up, purchased a Min/Max Therm. today for the Apiary. 4 Fields of OSR nearby, less than 500m. Although this is getting rarer, because of lack of spraying and flea beetle attacks in my area.

I really need to get on, and paint all the supers, and plan for swarming, and bait hives.

Off to Abelo later this afternoon, to collect some dummy boards, and fondant!

That's incredibly cold❄ particularly considering your longest day is only a little over a month and a half away. What does cold like that do to fruit trees?

 

[GuyNir]

Today started really nice. Sunny and calm. Already seeing bees on the Sycamores, Laurels, Cherries & Bluebells. This time of year if the weather is nice, they’re really spoiled for choice

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m watching the sycamore flower buds just opening here and crossing my fingers in the teeth of the predicted Monday deluge and gales

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hail at the moment

Around that time I was in Market Weighton eating a sandwich sitting in my car with hail bouncing of the windscreen ☹

 

[Gilberdyke John]

April beetles having mating flights at large in the evening.. Night temps are from 7 to 12C, day temps 18-23C. After couple days of heavy rain and cold.. I continued with placing qe.. I was surprised how much stores bees gathered in horrid weather.. Something like Jesus.. from water they make.. honey?
Black locust seems scorched, but most of beeks are optimistic that it even didn't open flowers yet, so it would be record year.. Jesus, I wish I have their optimism.. I wish I am so so wrong.. One fellow beek said it could be something but he can't see buds up in the branches, he will get binocular to see ( I resisted to say - better try with microscope..).. Overall, whatever the outcome will be will be one awkward season. In the end, some honey will be at least to cover expenses of their maintenance.. The more than that I will gladly accept..
Bees as bees.. developing decently. What is worth is on 8-15frames of brood.. The ones below, will see according to black locust, if in some miracle bloom I think will merge.. If not will leave as they are to develop for later weak lime forage.. Still will decide upon conditions which will occur..

I'm hoping my Robinia and the Evodia Hupehensis come out of the frosts without too much damage.

 

[plain_hunt]

I had given those buggers tons of room as well, and they hadn't even finished drawing out all the frames. Completely unreasonable.

They do like to test us, don’t they.

 

[gmonag]

Unfortunately my neighbour has asked us to cut all the over hanging branches of our lovely 50ft sycamore tree in our garden....

Not your responsibility.
The neighbours may prune the tree to the property line and must offer you the prunings.

 

[Swn58]

Unfortunately my neighbour has asked us to cut all the over hanging branches of our lovely 50ft sycamore tree in our garden.Several boxes have blue ties nesting and it's a magnet for other birds and wildlife. They are under the misapprehension by cutting the overhang that there will be more sun in the garden but the height of the tree when it's in full leaf will make make very little difference, not something I'm going to fall out over but it will spoil the shape of the tree for very little gain

Has it not got a TPO on it? Tell them that you would have to apply for planning permission from the council/DOE to do any radical work on the tree. Also, remind them that it's SPRING and birds are nesting?
I often had to flatly refuse to do some jobs like this, when I was in the business. People are so ignorant sometimes!

 

[Swn58]

You can decapitate a sycamore, leaving just the trunk, and it will start merrily growing new branches from the top of the remaining stump.

You can pollard them, but as this tree has never had that done to it, it would look awful for a long time? I still maintain that it's the wrong time of the year. I used to pollard a line of trees in a property-dividing hedge, years ago. I used to do one in two of them every November on a two year cycle.

 

[Nannysbees]

Not your responsibility.
The neighbours may prune the tree to the property line and must offer you the prunings.

Yes I know the legalities of it

 

[GuyNir]

Demareed my strongest colony. On 7 frames of brood and I thought they’ll start thinking about it soon (if not already). No charged cells yet.
2 more colonies are getting closer to being demareed, reckon I’ll call it within a week or so.

 

[pargyle]

You can pollard them, but as this tree has never had that done to it, it would look awful for a long time? I still maintain that it's the wrong time of the year. I used to pollard a line of trees in a property-dividing hedge, years ago. I used to do one in two of them every November on a two year cycle.

Major tree surgery needs to be carried out when the sap is not rising, when the tree is dormant ... latter part of Autumn at the earliest. At present there will be so much sap going up the tree if you stick a stepthoscope in it you could probably hear the sap running.

I'm not a great fan of sycamores - they are non-native and considered a weed in most circles - they provide nice bland wood for wood turning but there's very little grain pattern so you tend to have to introduce interest into the piece with colour or form.

We have sycamores in neighbours gardens (huge ones) and the seedlings are a real PITA but ... when they flower they are a bee magnet ... rough and smooth I reckon.

Perhaps the best plan for this tree would be to agree with the neighbour a plan to have the tree crown taken out in the autumn and it re-shaped - it's a tree surgeon job so several hundred pounds of cost involved - perhaps agree to share the cost ?

 

[Nannysbees]

Major tree surgery needs to be carried out when the sap is not rising, when the tree is dormant ... latter part of Autumn at the earliest. At present there will be so much sap going up the tree if you stick a stepthoscope in it you could probably hear the sap running.

I'm not a great fan of sycamores - they are non-native and considered a weed in most circles - they provide nice bland wood for wood turning but there's very little grain pattern so you tend to have to introduce interest into the piece with colour or form.

We have sycamores in neighbours gardens (huge ones) and the seedlings are a real PITA but ... when they flower they are a bee magnet ... rough and smooth I reckon.

Perhaps the best plan for this tree would be to agree with the neighbour a plan to have the tree crown taken out in the autumn and it re-shaped - it's a tree surgeon job so several hundred pounds of cost involved - perhaps agree to share the cost ?

Think it's an odd job man and wants more sun in the garden ASAP, but it's not going to make a difference

 

[thorn]

Unfortunately my neighbour has asked us to cut all the over hanging branches of our lovely 50ft sycamore tree in our garden.Several boxes have blue ties nesting and it's a magnet for other birds and wildlife. They are under the misapprehension by cutting the overhang that there will be more sun in the garden but the height of the tree when it's in full leaf will make make very little difference, not something I'm going to fall out over but it will spoil the shape of the tree for very little gain

We have a tree surgeon prune our silver birch every third of fourth year. He has a colleague on the ground directing him and keeps the shape of the tree very well.

 

[The Poot]

Today became very irritated by the weather.
I need to look at two colonies re swarm prep checks. This morning was lighting the smoker when very dark clouds came over and large drops of rain descended. Postponed until the afternoon. At half past two, outside temp in the shade was 12.5c and the hives were in the sun. Got kitted up, smoker lit, took roof off the first one and started looking in the super (was half brood) to ensure queen was not still in there. Clouds came over, the temperature dropped significantly and rain started. Quick reassemble and I gave up.