What did you do in the Apiary today?

[MuswellMetro]

Perfect weather today (-12 at 8.00a.m to +3 at 2 p.m.) to attack the bramble hedge behind my apiary. With lots of layers on, it was quite pleasant work and of course, no bees to get in the way.
Cazza

depends what you call perfect

weather here 39C 89% humidity, night 27C 75% humidity, 5" of rain overnight

A/c in bedroom at 20C

just looked at a colony in a coconut tree of apis ceranae, alos found Apis Mellifera, ...where am i, four hours drive south of Jaffna Sri lank

nice holiday

 

[Pete D]

Check all colonies and added fondant to 6 out of 10 hives, Nuc's OK too. Reassuring to see bees taking fondant in all hives and nuc's.
Moved 4 hives yesterday so now all where I want them ready for spring.
Found a dead drone outside one of them..........would this be retained or one of this years brood, who knows, either I guess. Either way I best keep an eye on HM in that hive.
Pete D

 

[Swarm]

Moved some hives to a new site.

 

[susbees]

Checked all 17 for stores: gave a few some fondant, rest seemed fine. Could hear such a buzz thirty feet from the apiary could almost have mistaken it for a stray swarm. Many hives flying, clearing out the crunchy ones mostly.

Had put the boards back in out of interest: several with capping debris, a couple with wax scales and FIVE with mouse droppings (no signs before). Seems the local population have been warming up under the floors. Luckily all hives have proper mouse guards and secure floors.

 

[rink123]

Yesterday , No signs of any movement, so I tapped the hive still nothing so I decided to take a look inside ,happily they are still alive, they haven't taken the fondant so I covered them up again .An hour later they were busy removing the dead ,I actually watched one trying to bury one in the soil where I had just planted onions I didn't know that they did that .

 

[Hivemaker.]

I actually watched one trying to bury one in the soil where I had just planted onions I didn't know that they did that .

That would be the undertaker bees performing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Having weighed the cedar 14x12 on two occasions nearly two weeks apart and with no difference I took a tray up to monitor the cappings.
It was the first warmish day for 10 days, the snow has largely gone.
There were hordes of bees over the front

 

[Poggle]

No sign of bees coming from the hive that has swarmed twice last year and only three from the hive that was "attacked" the other week there. To me it looks like the bees were disoreentated leaving and coming back to the hive? They left the landing stage, kindova wandered back and forth in front of the hive for a few seconds then flew away, the bees coming back did the same before finally landing and going into the hive.

 

[browncow]

Dropped in on my hives this morning to check fondant levels and to my suprise all 5 hives were realy active, nothing going in to the hives but so pleased to see the bees out having a little flutter.
The tempreture was about 7 degrees C.

 

[victor meldrew]

Spent 15 mins repairing a veil damaged by my lighter when relighting smoker
I know H&S veils smokers etc.
.Found the best way was to trim the hole, stick a piece of veil material in place with clear nail varnish. When dry , sewing to secure; much simpler when the bits were stuck together
VM

 

[madasafish]

Observation hive had cluster where it was visible. No sign of it yesterday.. But then it's warmer.
Hefted all hives : most v light..

 

[Firefly]

Dropped in on my hives this morning to check fondant levels and to my suprise all 5 hives were realy active, nothing going in to the hives but so pleased to see the bees out having a little flutter.
The tempreture was about 7 degrees C.

The same; never mind the wind, never mind the snow under the hedges, never mind the black ice SWMBO was sliding around on at 08:30 this morning, never mind that there is no pollen to collect, they wanted to fly, so fly they did

 

[Skyhook]

My strong hive was busy (like middle of June busy!), with what looked like a lot of orientation flying. Now is that because I moved them a week ago, or have they been busy brooding?

 

[isc26]

Weather warmed up. All hives active

Checked varroa boards 4 colonies & 1 varroa between all of them after 12 days, Result!

Got agreement with a site for an out apiary.

That's the sort of day I like

 

[user 6228]

time: 7am outside: +4 yesterday: cloud
Alwaysfoam: floor 18 C top 22C

WasWood: top of brood bottomof super: 20c

 

[Pete D]

Used my recently home made garage work bench last night for an hour or so and started to assemble my Th's flat pack 14 x 12 that I picked up in the sale. Did a couple, 6 left to do this weekend, then fill, sand and protect. Got a load of supers to do then.......
Local blacksmith has made me a branding iron and once they are all ready and before I coat them I can whip them all down to his forge to brand them. Easier to get the iron hot enough was my reckoning behind doing them there ( 3 X 2" letters take some heating).
Then onto the frames.........
Pete D

 

[mystil]

Fed both our hives with fondant. when hefted they were very light. They were bringing in pollen and flying like crazy aswell.

 

[Luminos]

Foundation and sidebars + extra lift arrived this morning from T'ornes, all set to convert to 14 x 12

 

[sjt]

Lovely and sunny here today, 9C. The bees look as if they think it's mid summer. Masses of what looks like orientation flights, lots on landing board and front of the hive. Best of all not a single varroa on the inspection tray. There are a lot of dead bees on the floor in front of the hive so they must be having a good clear out.
This is my first winter keeping bees and although I know it's not over yet hopefully they'll make it through.

 

[Suzi Q]

Checked the bees on allotment today, lots of bees out and about, what a sight! And saw my first bee foraging on crocus. One hive was bringing in tiny amounts of pollen, white and yellow. What was a bit worrying however, saw a bee on top of the roof head down, almost like it was trying to stand on its head; because of the shape of its wings, like a 'K' probably CBPV?