What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The more I think about it, I’m leaning more towards destroying those 2 colonies. Looking at my notes, one of those two was already shook swarmed end of summer last year… so my faith in shook swarm to clear EFB is dwindling.

Not just your faith, a lot of bee farmers are gravitating to the same conclusion, as are many Bee Inspectors.
I think a lot of the reason the NBU seem to plug on with it is there seems to be an obsession with shook swarming in general near the top of the NBU hierarchy (you'll probably also find there is a predilection for matchsticks and 'ventilation' - I'll let you draw your own conclusions)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Their ideal solution is actually destroying the positive hives + shook swarm all other hives in the apiary.

I don't think that is a solution either, I would just say destroy the infected colony and monitor the rest. It doesn't matter whether you just shook swarm one hive or all, what you get with either is an apiary with thousands of bees milling around thinking 'What the f....on earth is happening?!', many of those bees will feel lost and will end up begging their way into other colonies, those colonies who are also in a state of chaos will accept them, so what you actually have is a major cross contamination event. - really going to help isn't it?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Break out the supers, the bees are going nuts. If you think they need a super, give them two.

Yep I agree give them two if there strong and the flow is good.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Good to see. Well done on getting the colony to a good size to bring in nectar, despite the weather. Looks like decent fresh green growth there.

Thanks, how's it going over there?

 

[GuyNir]

I don't think that is a solution either, I would just say destroy the infected colony and monitor the rest. It doesn't matter whether you just shook swarm one hive or all, what you get with either is an apiary with thousands of bees milling around thinking 'What the f....on earth is happening?!', many of those bees will feel lost and will end up begging their way into other colonies, those colonies who are also in a state of chaos will accept them, so what you actually have is a major cross contamination event. - really going to help isn't it?

This is exactly what I intend to do. Destroy the two confirmed and monitor all others. No equipment/frames sharing between colonies + very strict bio safety regime. Any confirmed colony going forward gets destroyed.

 

[Murox]

Break out the supers, the bees are going nuts. If you think they need a super, give them two.

The gods must be smiling on you, mine are carrying their today. Yesterday perked them up a little☀ and I gave them room to store nectar in anticipation of next week.

 

[Murox]

This is exactly what I intend to do. Destroy the two confirmed and monitor all others. No equipment/frames sharing between colonies + very strict bio safety regime. Any confirmed colony going forward gets destroyed.

Hope it al works out well for you.

 

[GuyNir]

SBI said they see EFB in ‘pockets’ across the country. I’m in one of those.

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks, how's it going over there?

Good thanks. Good snow yesterday up in the high country and some frosts coming over the next few days. Been very dry with only 23 mm in April and 12mm in May, but the magnificent blue gums are just starting to flower and are a fantastic bee tree. They are our floral emblem here.

 

[victor meldrew]

Thought you said it was a production colony?

Producing Queens !

 

[madasafish]

Set up my Q rearing colony : Ben Hardman setup on top of a very strong Lang jumbo colony with two supers.
Grafting tomorrow.(I hope - weather dependent)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Took a chance in between showers to pop up to the range apiary to check on a Demarree which is nearing queen emergence as Sunday (the usual inspection day) might have been cutting it fine, chosen frames taken out into a nuc and all other QCs taken down, that hive (which is really powerful) is doing fine with the bees already busily backfilling frames in the top box as brood emerges (will be doing a proper inspection Sunday).
Gave two earlier nucs a frame of stores as they were getting low. Bit early to expect the queens to be laying but both nucs look very healthy albeit a bit low on stores. I cast my eye over the other hives in case there was something seious that wouldn't wait until Sunday and notived one hive very quiet and with a few dead bees in the 'lobby', unfortunately for this colony, very strong, good stores and packed with bees, the long awaited opening of the hawthorn up there was too late for them, they'd stripped out all the stores and starved - probably just happened in the last few days, but it's a sad sight with most of the frames in the brood having a dead bee tucked well in to each cell, by the number of emerged cells I reckon that a recent, further population boom had overstrained them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Took a chance in between showers to pop up to the range apiary to check on a Demarree which is nearing queen emergence as Sunday (the usual inspection day) might have been cutting it fine, chosen frames taken out into a nuc and all other QCs taken down, that hive (which is really powerful) is doing fine with the bees already busily backfilling frames in the top box as brood emerges (will be doing a proper inspection Sunday).
Gave two earlier nucs a frame of stores as they were getting low. Bit early to expect the queens to be laying but both nucs look very healthy albeit a bit low on stores. I cast my eye over the other hives in case there was something seious that wouldn't wait until Sunday and notived one hive very quiet and with a few dead bees in the 'lobby', unfortunately for this colony, very strong, good stores and packed with bees, the long awaited opening of the hawthorn up there was too late for them, they'd stripped out all the stores and starved - probably just happened in the last few days, but it's a sad sight with most of the frames in the brood having a dead bee tucked well in to each cell, by the number of emerged cells I reckon that a recent, further population boom had overstrained them.

God how awful JBM. Just shows how quickly a big colony can starve. A few days of rain and that’s it.

 

[Curly green finger's]

God how awful JBM. Just shows how quickly a big colony can starve. A few days of rain and that’s it.

I saved a colony that was very almost a goner, I poored a little syrup over the frames and put a feeder on, in a couple of days they can be gone I've learnt that from the winter spring loss.
There hasn't been two days the same this spring no consistent weather is a pain.

 

[Moobee]

Grrrrrrr! Went away for a couple of days to visit friends not seen for over a year and missed a swarm in a friends garden. Typical! That’s the second time that’s happened this month. Told the OH we’re staying home until August!

 

[The Poot]

First swarm in the garden this year. Took me eight trips up the tripod ladder to get them as gathered along a branch with ivy twining around it. Prime swarm put into a double brood nuc.

Another myth for JBM’ s collection: “Swarm bees don’t sting”.

 

[Erichalfbee]

First swarm in the garden this year. Took me eight trips up the tripod ladder to get them as gathered along a branch with ivy twining around it. Prime swarm put into a double brood nuc.

Another myth for JBM’ s collection: “Swarm bees don’t sting”.

They don't if they are gently handled. My party trick to entertain onlookers was to put a bare hand in a swarm cluster

 

[The Poot]

They don't if they are gently handled. My party trick to entertain onlookers was to put a bare hand in a swarm cluster

Agreed - it was difficult to “gently“ shake them out from above head height I just had to “go for it” and the bees rained down on me more than I intended.
Happy days...

 

[GuyNir]

First swarm in the garden this year. Took me eight trips up the tripod ladder to get them as gathered along a branch with ivy twining around it. Prime swarm put into a double brood nuc.

Another myth for JBM’ s collection: “Swarm bees don’t sting”.

Normally not a myth, but some don’t read the books…

 

[Erichalfbee]

Agreed - it was difficult to “gently“ shake them out from above head height I just had to “go for it” and the bees rained down on me more than I intended.
Happy days...

Well then...............