What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drdrday]

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

I realise they're sold separately, but I still think that for the price of a whole nuc box (over £45 from Maisies) they should automatically come with a CB. I made my own because I was too disgruntled to pay over £3 for a small sheet of plastic. Should have looked closer before ordering

 

[North End Bees]

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?

I never take the feeders off. Not really a problem.

 

[rolande]

Quick look at a few of the mini mating nucs that we keep to take spare cells when the other kit is in use.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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?

personally I don't think they should have changed from the old roofs. Nothing wrong with them. Just got convinced to change by the usual chattering class.

 

[DaveG23]

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

User error... I have a few of those but not enough to go round, will have to make a bodge version

 

[Murox]

Whilst many have had rain here it has been warm and settled. Today was very warm and sunny so I combined a strong nuc with a weaker queenless hive this afternoon. The nuc was put together two weeks ago with a new queen who is laying really well.

 

[madasafish]

Today was the first day since Friday when it was not raining in the afternoon.( Or morning But it did rain overnight. A lot)
So made up mini nucs for virgins (last Nicot ended up with 3 out of 9. Bad)
Fed some nucs
Grafted some more - today seems easier I don't know why. I could see better.

Decided to hive a nuc of 2 x5 frame jumbos . But then it started raining again.
Saw a couple of wasps. Wasp measures next week.

 

[GuyNir]

personally I don't think they should have changed from the old roofs. Nothing wrong with them. Just got convinced to change by the usual chattering class.

I only use the old style (except a couple of deep ones I use only in winter).
Perfect for feeding when building up or have low/no foragers (slow, continuous feeding)

 

[drdrday]

Moved a swarm, caught at the end of May, from their nuc into a full size hive. Every frame has brood, the Queen is laying really well and over the last week they've started to look crowded.

Filled the extra space in the hive with a couple of insulated dummies but hopefully with a little feed they'll get the foundation frames drawn out quickly.

In fact, I didn't have any deep frames complete with foundation ready to put in their new brood box straightaway, so I'd just put in four empty frames. Went off to put foundation into some frames for them and when I went back in fifteen minutes later to swap them out a couple of the empty frames were already full of festooning bees eager to get building!

 

[Wilco]

Checked one of my queen's I'd recently moved earlier, most frames of brood looking OK. Much more in the way of inspections tomorrow!

 

[drdrday]

I know I'm a few weeks later than ideal, but I had my first attempt at grafting today!
Funny how you start out thinking you'll never be interested in things like queen rearing - you just want to keep a hive or two and maybe get some honey - then the whole beekeeping thing starts taking over your life and before you know it you just can't resist the temptation
Not expecting a lot of success, but I thought it would at least give me a bit of hands on practice and a better idea of what I'm doing next year. Very exciting!!

 

[pargyle]

I know I'm a few weeks later than ideal, but I had my first attempt at grafting today!
Funny how you start out thinking you'll never be interested in things like queen rearing - you just want to keep a hive or two and maybe get some honey - then the whole beekeeping thing starts taking over your life and before you know it you just can't resist the temptation
Not expecting a lot of success, but I thought it would at least give me a bit of hands on practice and a better idea of what I'm doing next year. Very exciting!!

I've not done any grafting yet - I think I'll need some thicker lenses before I try but good luck - might be a bit late in the season but what's the worst that's going to happen ... and it's all experience !

Perhaps next year ... with a winter to get everything sorted in my head ...

 

[rolande]

I know I'm a few weeks later than ideal, but I had my first attempt at grafting today!

I reckon that the first half of July is a fine time to have a go at grafting. The real mistake is starting too early. Anyway, as pargyl says, what's the worst that can happen.

 

[madasafish]

I've not done any grafting yet - I think I'll need some thicker lenses before I try but good luck - might be a bit late in the season but what's the worst that's going to happen ... and it's all experience !

Perhaps next year ... with a winter to get everything sorted in my head ...

Grafting is quite easy to do badly.
Some decent magnification (2x) and lighting - adjustable - are essential for the aged and inform like me.

I grafted yesterday .5 took out of 13- a pretty poor result for others.. but it's so easy to do (compared to most alternatives) - you can always decide now to do another round and fill in the gaps of the grafting bar where the first try failed. Minimal preparation needed except for your cell raiser .

I treat it as a challenge where I know I will not get perfection but as long as I get some queens from my chosen mother, that's all I want.

And it is very satisfying.

 

[drdrday]

Grafting is quite easy to do badly.

Pretty sure I'll be able to prove that tomorrow when I check for acceptance!
I only did 10 grafts. I'd be really chuffed if I just managed to get a couple of accepted larvae, but the ultimate outcome would be getting two successfully mated queens at the end of everything! I'm pretty realistic about it though - just considering it a dry run for next year really

 

[madasafish]

Pretty sure I'll be able to prove that tomorrow when I check for acceptance!
I only did 10 grafts. I'd be really chuffed if I just managed to get a couple of accepted larvae, but the ultimate outcome would be getting two successfully mated queens at the end of everything! I'm pretty realistic about it though - just considering it a dry run for next year really

Trouble is: next year is so far away, when you start - unless you are exceptional (unlike me!) - it's like starting from scratch.

(and in my case one year older and therefore less continent competent .)

 

[Angry_Mob]

My grafts are definitely getting better with practice, my first try was poor at like 3/20, the next go at 0/30 was terrible. Next try they seem to had 13/20 but when I checked back on the day they sealed them they had all but 3 torn down and some cased in the comb. Last try was better at 14/20 which I was very pleased with.

This afternoon I went down to the Orchard prepared to do a unite; did a test frame on Saturday so was pleasantly surprised when I found no queen cells. A further look and found some eggs and young larave; managed to spot the new queen so get her marked up.

Whilst I was there did an inspection on the other hive, placed a super with foundation on Saturday and they had the entire box drawn and filling with nectar. They got another drawn super to work on.

 

[boywonder]

Enjoying the last few comments on grafting. I too thought I'd never give it a go, but thought I'd have a speculative try this year (to get my hand/eye in, so to speak).

I've just moved my first attempt (below) into a finisher colony. In my estimation, that's 3 possibles (4 if I'm wildly lucky) out of 10.

To be honest, I've been in a huge grump about it, until I read some of the experiences above, and realised I'm in good company

Practice makes perfect, and all that. Addictive, this strange pastime of ours!

 

[Swarm]

Had a look into the mating nucs at the farm and found eggs/larvae. My mate checked two other sites with mixed results, three out of three now laying at one but only one from four at the other.
I considered collapsing the last Demarree, haven't swapped frames since June 11th. Looking to see how much backfilling was going on, I found honey arcs. Second frame stuffed with young brood and a beautiful queen casually strolling the comb.
I enjoyed the moment and said 'they've kept quiet about you'. She ignored me and stuck her snout into a cell of nectar
Strange observation today, every colony was runny.

 

[pargyle]

Enjoying the last few comments on grafting. I too thought I'd never give it a go, but thought I'd have a speculative try this year (to get my hand/eye in, so to speak).

I've just moved my first attempt (below) into a finisher colony. In my estimation, that's 3 possibles (4 if I'm wildly lucky) out of 10.

To be honest, I've been in a huge grump about it, until I read some of the experiences above, and realised I'm in good company

Practice makes perfect, and all that. Addictive, this strange pastime of ours!

View attachment 27144

You've done well with those ... I think there's an element of luck involved until you get proficient (and quick) at doing the grafts ... I suspect that the failures are probably more to do with clumsy manipulation or chilling in the process as much as the bees fault ....