What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Maybe a silly question, but in a good flow how long would it take to fill a super ? A week? Two ?

a good flow - a week, a very good flow, often less

 

[Erichalfbee]

Maybe a silly question, but in a good flow how long would it take to fill a super ? A week? Two ?

In the summer of 2018 I had six supers filled in a month on a couple of hives. It will never happen again..... sigh

 

[Curly green finger's]

One of the production colonys which I have dotted about. added another super.
Really good flow started at this apiary.

 

[pargyle]

One of the production colonys which I have dotted about. View attachment 26326added another super.
Really good flow started at this apiary.

Is that a sugar flow ? I thought last week you were savinvg them from starvation - to go to three supers from starvation in a week is a brilliant performance for that colony ...

 

[Newbeeneil]

Another interesting morning. I arrived at an apiary to see a lot of activity at the front of one hive and looked at the records. I had released a virgin queen on the 19/5 and knocked down all the q cells so assumed maybe the queen was out mating.
While chatting to the owner of the land I heard the roar of a swarm and looked above the hive to see a large swarm 30' up a beech tree - too high to retrieve - I went into the hive to see about 5 stubby queen cells dotted about. The existing queen was not brilliant so decided I would knock these cells down and introduce a cell from a better colony in the future.
I had to go to the next apiary so left and returned about 30mins later to set up a bait hive. When I looked up the tree the swarm had disappeared and bees were crowding around the hive and seemed to have returned. ( on inspection they had)
What had happened?
Had the hive communicated with the swarm to say it was now hopelessly queenless?
Who knows???

 

[gregior]

Inspected all mine today, they are recovering incredibly quickly from the terrible weather and are really piling in the pollen and nectar.I was worried about starvation and 1 hive did have some dead bees head down in the cells but not too many and there is about 3 frames of fresh nectar in the brood box already so they will be fine now. Incredibly 3 of my 4 virgins are mated and laying and I saw the 4th one returning from a mating flight which was nice. Weather looks superb for the forseeable and because of the cold spring everything is way behind so not too worried about a June gap. No swarming in any GET IN THERE!

 

[E&MBees]

Checked the bees today. Added a super to one. The other, which has a young queen in, have a tentative honey crop in a super. The frames are being filled and they have started to cap it. Feeling very fortunate as so many are struggling. The swarm I rescued last week appear very busy. They have found a good source of pollen. The better weather has started to make a difference.

 

[Boston Bees]

Another interesting morning. I arrived at an apiary to see a lot of activity at the front of one hive and looked at the records. I had released a virgin queen on the 19/5 and knocked down all the q cells so assumed maybe the queen was out mating.
While chatting to the owner of the land I heard the roar of a swarm and looked above the hive to see a large swarm 30' up a beech tree - too high to retrieve - I went into the hive to see about 5 stubby queen cells dotted about. The existing queen was not brilliant so decided I would knock these cells down and introduce a cell from a better colony in the future.
I had to go to the next apiary so left and returned about 30mins later to set up a bait hive. When I looked up the tree the swarm had disappeared and bees were crowding around the hive and seemed to have returned. ( on inspection they had)
What had happened?
Had the hive communicated with the swarm to say it was now hopelessly queenless?
Who knows???

Had the hive communicated with the swarm to say it was now hopelessly queenless? No, that's impossible obviously.

Either

a) it was a swarm, but the queen didn't manage to fly to where the swarm was clustering for some reason (check she hasn't ended up under the hive, or on the floor)

or

b) it wasn't a swarm, it was a mating flight - it is perfectly normal for a bunch of bees to leave with the queen in an excited way, cluster on a tree for a bit (the bees, not the queen), then go back to the hive - happened to me the other day

 

[GuyNir]

Had a visit from the bee inspector due to EFB detected in the area. He took samples from a couple of hives, we now wait. I was really hoping I don’t have to deal with this again this year (after last year’s nightmare)

The 2 samples are back, positive for EFB
That’s 2 more shook swarms for Sat, burning all frames (brood, supers, the lot) and disinfecting/sanitising all poly equipment. That’s 2 more hives done for the year.
Very frustrating, but we plow on…

 

[E&MBees]

The 2 samples are back, positive for EFB
That’s 2 more shook swarms for Sat, burning all frames (brood, supers, the lot) and disinfecting/sanitising all poly equipment. That’s 2 more hives done for the year.
Very frustrating, but we plow on…

Oh no. So sorry for you.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Had the hive communicated with the swarm to say it was now hopelessly queenless? No, that's impossible obviously.

Either

a) it was a swarm, but the queen didn't manage to fly to where the swarm was clustering for some reason (check she hasn't ended up under the hive, or on the floor)

or

b) it wasn't a swarm, it was a mating flight - it is perfectly normal for a bunch of bees to leave with the queen in an excited way, cluster on a tree for a bit (the bees, not the queen), then go back to the hive - happened to me the other day

Interesting comments Boston Bees,
I agree. communication between the bees in the hive and those in the swarm would be unlikely but impossible? 100 years ago we only just found out how they communicated the whereabouts of forage.

Point A - the first place I always check when I suspect I have lost a swarm is under the hives. Then walk the locality to see if she managed to make it 10-20 yards away. No sign in this case.

Point B - All the mating flight "swarms" I have witnessed have always been a loose clusters of bees with lots of bees swirling around. This was was a tight ball of bees, size of a football and only a few bees buzzing around it, very typical of a swarm,

 

[Newbeeneil]

The 2 samples are back, positive for EFB
That’s 2 more shook swarms for Sat, burning all frames (brood, supers, the lot) and disinfecting/sanitising all poly equipment. That’s 2 more hives done for the year.
Very frustrating, but we plow on…

Sorry to hear that Guy. It must be so frustrating knowing that somewhere around you is a hive/nest of bees that is the source and not being able to eradicate it.

 

[Boston Bees]

The 2 samples are back, positive for EFB
That’s 2 more shook swarms for Sat, burning all frames (brood, supers, the lot) and disinfecting/sanitising all poly equipment. That’s 2 more hives done for the year.
Very frustrating, but we plow on…

Nightmare. SBI coming to see me on Wednesday. My first inspection.

Were you asked what method of EFB treatment you wanted i.e. Shook swarm or just destruction? Is the SBI doing the shook swarm? What follow up checks do they do?

If you don't mind me asking of course

 

[GuyNir]

Nightmare. SBI coming to see me on Wednesday. My first inspection.

Were you asked what method of EFB treatment you wanted i.e. Shook swarm or just destruction? Is the SBI doing the shook swarm? What follow up checks do they do?

If you don't mind me asking of course

Good luck on Wednesday, you’ll be fine I’m sure.

2 options really, as you said, shook swarm or destroying the hive. I normally go for shook swarm, as I’d like to save the bees if I can. I know some think infected hives should be destroyed.

the SBI mentioned shook swarm if the sample/s come back positive. The sample results letter specifically says ‘recommended action: shook swarm’. I don’t know if this correlate to the level of detection or not.
I was with the SBI, it was very subtle (very few suspected larvae), he wasn’t sure if it would come back positive or not when collecting the sample.

I do the shook swarms (unfortunately I’m becoming quite good at this ). I’ll do both on Sat, as the weather tomorrow is rain pretty much all day. Burning all frames, disinfecting/sanitising all hives poly equipment.

I got a standstill notice, not allowed to move any equipment out of my apiary. Standard practice is they come again in 8 weeks for a follow up check.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was with the SBI, it was very subtle (very few suspected larvae), he wasn’t sure if it would come back positive or not when collecting the sample.

I hate that waiting for the lateral flow to give a result. Looking over SBIs shoulder
Thankfully mine was negative.
Good luck.... a horrid thing

 

[Curly green finger's]

Is that a sugar flow ? I thought last week you were savinvg them from starvation - to go to three supers from starvation in a week is a brilliant performance for that colony ...

Different colonys.
My production colonys haven't needed feeding Vid_20210527_103614.mp4.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

SBI inspection today failed to find any EFB. Or any cells worth testing.
Couple of hives destroyed and more shook swarmed 500m away (not mine). No obvious reason for new infection so the source could still be out there.

 

[pargyle]

Different colonys.
My production colonys haven't needed feeding

#
Yesterday at 5:33 PM
"Sycamore in full flower here and the crab apple..
Ive put two supers on two 14x12 colonys that are brimming with bees.
I also have supered up 15 single brood colonys with comb that's the end of my drawn comb now. I've stopped feeding now ."

Brilliant to see how much change there is in 24 hours though ... I wish my mongrels were as productive in this dreadful weather down here on the Costa del Fareham ... all my supers are pretty much empty at present ...although they still do have stores in the brood boxes.

 

[Curly green finger's]

#
Yesterday at 5:33 PM
"Sycamore in full flower here and the crab apple..
Ive put two supers on two 14x12 colonys that are brimming with bees.
I also have supered up 15 single brood colonys with comb that's the end of my drawn comb now. I've stopped feeding now ."

Brilliant to see how much change there is in 24 hours though ... I wish my mongrels were as productive in this dreadful weather down here on the Costa del Fareham ... all my supers are pretty much empty at present ...although they still do have stores in the brood boxes.

I don't have many colonys like the video.. I have come to the conclusion though that I do like my 14x12 which are mainly for rearing from.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don't have many colonys like the video.. I have come to the conclusion though that I do like my 14x12 which are mainly for rearing from.

Thought you said it was a production colony?