What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

Managed to go through all hives. Moved a few frames in the Demarees. Dabbed two queens. Checked a box with supersedure cells two weeks ago. Cells gone and old queen at home. Added a super.

 

[TomH]

Picked up two swarms today (like London buses!).

Amazingly both had been out overnight, with frost on the ground here. Both hived now, fingers crossed they stay put.

 

[Loxley]

I had a quick look through the top box of the demaree I started last Sunday, looks like several QC's developing but none ready for capping yet so I'll have another look Monday.

 

[jeff33]

Managed to do the other 2 apiaries. 1 apiary all on 14x12 are strong but nothing in the supers. Its a new site so I really don't know what to expect with forage. They all need to be demaree but with empty supers I am reluctant to put a new 14x12 BB as it will be a lot of unused space. I may just add a 2BB below and they can decide if they want to use it.

2nd apiary was a bit of a chaos. I had set-up a hive ready for a cull and placed the queen in an empty BB with Qx and old BB on top. On inspection I found a virgin running in the upper BB and the old queen still happy and laying well in the bottom one. I squashed the virgin and let them to it on dble brood as they were more pleasant. She will be getting another chance!

I demaree another hive a couple of weeks ago and thought I had removed all Qcs...unfortunately not. I couldn't see her but she was piping so left them to it again. She will have to go as it is a sister of the above grumpy hive and not having another one like this.

2 other hives seem to be superceding or could be swarming, who knows. There were a few capped cells in each but as the queens haven't performed well and laid much this spring I am tempted to say they are being superceded....I may be all wrong but the weather is on my side for the next few days!

 

[Swarm]

No mayhem today just busy bees. Went through some very strong colonies adding laying space and a brief check downstairs on the demarree. Spotted her laying on a comb and brood on nine frames so happy with that, Monday is day 14 for the cell upstairs.
Ran the virgin from yesterday into a little nuc, fingers crossed for her.

 

[The Poot]

Went through three out of four today, all good - no queen cells. Bees well behaved, but general lack of eggs and young larvae in all three. Lots of sealed brood and plenty of capped drones in all three. Enough stores too. Phew!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Steve your swarm looked a good size what a surprise to behold.

Briefly.
Demarreed a three year old today and managed to find her one of my own queen's that I haven't seen in two seasons not marked but hey ho!
Changing comb out on some as well as splitting the brood with comb on others.
Oo removed some brood frames of dandelion honey.

 

[BigAshW]

Checked mine today. Dropped some empty frames down from the demaree into the brood box on two.

One hive is just not building and I can see chalkbrood mummies on the floor so new queen needed there.

Took the snelgrove colony down to two QC

The last colony was completely dry of stores. Not a scrap anywhere. So will put fondant on them first thing tomorrow.

 

[Swarm]

Steve your swarm looked a good size what a surprise to behold.

Briefly.
Demarreed a three year old today and managed to find her one of my own queen's that I haven't seen in two seasons not marked but hey ho!
Changing comb out on some as well as splitting the brood with comb on others.
Oo removed some brood frames of dandelion honey.

Oh it was a big 'un but the outcome was fantastic. I thought I'd worry about how I would get to them later, for them to all come back home was brilliant
Don't buy marking discs from Abelo, they don't sit as well as the ones from Thornes. Three marked queens have obviously lost their disc, probably the rest as well. All those marked with Thornes discs are still in place.

 

[jeff33]

Oh it was a big 'un but the outcome was fantastic. I thought I'd worry about how I would get to them later, for them to all come back home was brilliant
Don't buy marking discs from Abelo, they don't sit as well as the ones from Thornes. Three marked queens have obviously lost their disc, probably the rest as well. All those marked with Thornes discs are still in place.

Yes it looks massive and taking over the apiary!!

 

[Hachi]

Hived a swarm from a nuc that owing to this damn weather, went the moment the sun hit it. It was emotional and took most of the afternoon to put into two hives. Dont ask. Will go back in an hour or two and move the hives to a new apiary. Hopefully they'll stay put.

 

[TomH]

The two from today:

10ft up


And wrapped around a fence!


Not sure how to put a video up, but would guess the second one was fairly well on with the selection process, plenty of bees waggle dancing on top. Could also occasionally hear the queen piping/tooting, above the hum.

 

[Antipodes]

The two from today:

10ft up
View attachment 25866

And wrapped around a fence!

View attachment 25867
Not sure how to put a video up, but would guess the second one was fairly well on with the selection process, plenty of bees waggle dancing on top. Could also occasionally hear the queen piping/tooting, above the hum.

A video upload button has recently been added next to "attach files". It would be nice to see your video.

 

[TomH]

A video upload button has recently been added next to "attach files". It would be nice to see your video.

So there is, thank you. No piping/tooting noises in the video unfortunately, but here it is anyway.
View attachment IMG_0872.MOV

 

[Antipodes]

So there is, thank you. No piping/tooting noises in the video unfortunately, but here it is anyway.
View attachment 25878

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks TomH. I am only getting audio, but it sounds nice. I can hear a distant blackbird and some bees as well. I thought I heard a Aussie magpie too, but realised it was outside here I couldn't add text to my previous message and it seemed to be trying to download your video at the same time. A bit strange. Edit: actually, when I clicked view attachment 25878 that came up on my rely to you, it downloaded your video and I was able to view it. Nice!...(I can't see the queen however...she's probably buried under them).

Anyhow,..in the apiary this morning I needed a bee brush and marvelled at how ideal the feathery and fresh little branch of a silver wattle is for the purpose.

 

[Nannysbees]

So there is, thank you. No piping/tooting noises in the video unfortunately, but here it is anyway.
View attachment 25878

 

[Nannysbees]

Unable to see the video

 

[Nannysbees]

Glorious weather here yesterday. Bees very busy and lots on the landing board. Spotted something different flying around the queenless hive, thought it was a hornet until I got closer. To my amazement I think it was a queen but with no attendants with her so made me think twice was it actually a queen. Definitely not a bee or a drone. Not sure if she was coming home or going out to party!!!!

 

[Hachi]

Its been a while since I've been moving hives in the dark but they're in there new location with a little thin syrup to help with the wax production.