What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Newbeeneil]

I inspected 20+ colonies this afternoon in my normal attire of bee jacket and jeans. Got to the last hive which I haven't inspected for about 5 weeks as it has requeened and I was letting it get on with it.
As I lifted the two quite heavy supers off my thighs and nether regions were hit by about 20 stings! I put the supers down rapidly and retreated to re assess the situation. After finding I didn't have the Ozarmour suit in the van I braved another dozen or so stings to put a 3rd super on and close up.
I think this one is a candidate for requeening when I return from my holiday in a couple of weeks!!!

 

[Swarm]

Checked the mating nucs at the farm apiary, two weeks since the last virgins were run in. Queens all laying
One from 1st June has failed. Added full compliment of frames to another that has four frames of brood.
New queens from today ...

 

[The Poot]

Stole two supers from H3 - one showing the fat/thin characteristics recently posted.

 

[tonyofarr]

The incubator gives you a bit more certainty than allowing a colony to look after them.
I mark my virgins before introduction to a nuc but, unless you do that, you can choose your time to make up mating nucs (usually the day before they're due to emerge) secure in the knowledge that the cells are safe - a stray queen won't enter your cell builder and tear down all your cells, and the colony won't brace them together so you have trouble working out where the cell ends and the brace comb begins. I collect mine as soon as they're sealed (which gives me a few days to play with if the weather isn't very good). If the weather is consistent, you can usually get away without an incubator unless you have a lot on the go at the same time.

I had that happen last year, I went to collect 32 cells from my cell builder to find them all torn down and the virgin queen responsible (I knew which hive she must have come from) was never seen again.

I have also had problems separating the queen cells from the lacing, one false move removing the lacing and the queen cells are history.

I might have to wait for the incubator though, the wife got back late yesterday from apiary checks and as she pulled up to the house the ball joint failed on the front drivers side wheel and the car collapsed onto the road; she has been complaining about the noise on the driver's side and was told it was the dry bushes and was nothing to worry about. Thank God she was not driving at speed on a busy road when it happened.

 

[DaveG23]

The day managed to give enough warmth and a slight gap in the low cloud for some inspection s at my father in law's, had a swarm there the other day so wanted to deal with the relevant hive. Took down quite a few QCs after seeing a few virgins emerge.

Soft bugger that I am, I now have 3 virgins caged but no real use for them

 

[GuyNir]

Showers am and mostly sunny pm, 19c. All hives flying and busy.
added more supers (in anticipation )
moved a couple of strong nucs a few meters, to strengthen adjacent production colonies (foragers).

 

[pargyle]

Checked the mating nucs at the farm apiary, two weeks since the last virgins were run in. Queens all laying
One from 1st June has failed. Added full compliment of frames to another that has four frames of brood.
New queens from today ...

They are lovely looking queens Steve ..... and my goodness that's a brilliant frame of capped brood ...

 

[Newbeeneil]

Spent the morning striming around the hives in my main apiary, it looked much better after I'd finished with paths cut in the 2" high grass and at the hive entrances. The bees were not quite so impressed and showed their displeasure in the dozen or so stings to my hands through work gloves and nitriles!!!!!

 

[Murox]

Showers am and mostly sunny pm, 19c. All hives flying and busy.
added more supers (in anticipation )
moved a couple of strong nucs a few meters, to strengthen adjacent production colonies (foragers).

Still waiting for the 'promised' rain here, another dry albeit cloudy day.

 

[GuyNir]

Still waiting for the 'promised' rain here, another dry albeit cloudy day.

More coming overnight I believe

 

[rolande]

These are a group of 2-way mating nucs that we built this past winter, replacing one group that were 4-way. Trying to increase the return of queens from their mating flight. 2-ways painted with different colours, with better wind protection and landmarks than the old location. we'll see....

As someone who likes 2way mating nucs (albeit on shallow frames in my case) but who's also been converting old dadant supers into 4way boxes I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts you have on how things are going with this project.

 

[DaveG23]

Checked my garden hives, the QC on the double brood has emerged so I left them alone, need to get them back down to 1 box when she is mated, have barley touched their super, all the nectars going in to the top BB.

Hived a double nuc, had intended to use them for queen rearing but as that's not happening I decided to put them in a hive and give them a super. They had a nuc super, 5 frames packed out and some wild comb in the maise roof cavity

Next hive have packed out their first super so got a second. Their new queen was piping very loudly.

Even the tiny cast I picked of a bench at the marina are going well, busy cleaning the old frames I had given them. Gave them some frames with stores, hopefully they survive. HM was looking very impatient on the frame.

 

[Michael Palmer]

As someone who likes 2way mating nucs (albeit on shallow frames in my case) but who's also been converting old dadant supers into 4way boxes I'd be interested in hearing any thoughts you have on how things are going with this project.

As I said, the first catch with the 2-ways was 113/128. Second catch was 109/128. I'm very pleased with them and anything over 80% is a bonus. After years of this, each successive catch seems to yield fewer queens. If the third...and last...catch of the year stays high, I'll convert another group to 2-ways.

 

[rolande]

As I said, the first catch with the 2-ways was 113/128. Second catch was 109/128. I'm very pleased with them and anything over 80% is a bonus. After years of this, each successive catch seems to yield fewer queens. If the third...and last...catch of the year stays high, I'll convert another group to 2-ways.

I'd already started to form the opinion that providence, in the form of my old table saw finally giving in, had saved me from a mistake early this year as I had a stack of about 40 old dadant supers that I was going to convert but by the time a tempoary replacement saw was purchased there was far too much other stuff to do. I quite like the 4way boxes but definitely prefer the 2s, maybe it's just what I'm used to.

I'm interested in your overwintering plans. We can get away with just pulling the division here on the sunny jurassic coast but I expect you'll need a lot more thought than that in your climate.

 

[Dutchman]

Checked my 10 production colonies, all now on brood and a half with 2-4 supers. And filling them nicely. Noticed most of them are throwing out the drones so no more risk of swarming, just nicely working away, all we need now is for the warm weather to hold .

 

[Boston Bees]

They had a nuc super, 5 frames packed out and some wild comb in the maise roof cavity

They shouldn't sell those things without a perspex sheet included

 

[Nannysbees]

Inspected four hives today,donated brood and stores from one hive to our swarm hive,not a lot of resources at all.Saw a live hive inspection yesterday afternoon with Roger Patterson,really interesting,picked up lots of tips.Recorded if anyone wants to see it.

 

[GuyNir]

Moved another Q to a nuc due to swarm cells. This colony is a bit feisty, so this Q days are numbered. Just kept as insurance at this point.
Another production colony had an egg in one Q cup, so will watch closely now.

finding extremely difficult to keep colonies intact on one national brood box. Need to do some thinking…

 

[drdrday]

They shouldn't sell those things without a perspex sheet included

Exactly! Couldn't believe I had to make my own. Surely it would only cost them pennies to include a thin plastic CB.

 

[Boston Bees]

Exactly! Couldn't believe I had to make my own. Surely it would only cost them pennies to include a thin plastic CB.

To be fair, they do sell them separately, so you don't have to make your own, but you have to order them specifically.

Personally, given they can't really be used without a perspex sheet, unless the feeder is on, I think one should be included. Perhaps some people never take the feeders off?