What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

Just sign up to their newsletter and you’ll get the nod. I bought one two or three months ago

They usually come up around April/May time ... but you have to be quick because the Home Brewing fraternity use them as well and they go like hotcakes ...

 

[Wilco]

Just sign up to their newsletter and you’ll get the nod. I bought one two or three months ago

They usually come up around April/May time ... but you have to be quick because the Home Brewing fraternity use them as well and they go like hotcakes ...

Been checking their offers on the site on a weekly basis plus going in regularly to look bit not seen them this year.

 

[Wilco]

Still on holiday so only able to watch one site from afar and think about the extra hive stands I need to build...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi yesterday afternoon we started removing supers on some colonys and I'm going to start treatments in the next week to 10 days.
Anyone else looking at there colonys and thinking the same?

 

[Anduril]

I'm giving mine, another week, they have only just started capping.

 

[mbc]

I've now cleared two sites (another couple of dozen to do) and the weights on the supers is very pleasing.
It's going to be a long extracting season.

 

[The Poot]

I will be as soon as it stops raining and the winds ease, but only six more supers to take, so no real hurry.

The MET Office are now doubting the heatwave they promised will occur before the end of August, that’s if it occurs at all. The Portuguese Weather Office are predicting it will happen for the Bank Holiday. Yeah right!

 

[Curly green finger's]

I pulled some lovely capped brood frames yesterday, from demaree colonys I've only just taken down, it seems an age since I started them.

Im not the only one then, some colonys have really contracted over the last week or so and didn't need the space, still nectar about and I have left supers on for this.
I still have a few towers with 5 supers on but these are right near clover fields that are coming into flower.

 

[jeff33]

Same as Ceri. All my honey is capped. Cleared and extracted 1 apiary (58kg) and got a 2nd apiary on clearer boards. Planning to go and get the supers today once the monsoon has ceased

 

[The Poot]

What a lovely looking frame!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hey up?? Did I not start a thread up or was I dreaming it?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Still on holiday so only able to watch one site from afar and think about the extra hive stands I need to build...

What çamera are you using there Will?

 

[Wilco]

What çamera are you using there Will?

It's a Neos Smartcam. Not designed for outside use but it's sheltered from the worst of the weather there. I have an old smartphone with a cheap Internet only SIM tethering in the stable to provide wifi. Can be set for audio and/or motion alerts, night vision is pretty OK for the price and I can often see the bees flying on live feed. Think I've got a memory cad in each so as long as the camera isn't nicked, I get a few days worth of footage recorded continuously in case anything is stolen.

Another company does a similar one which is battery based although still needs WiFi. Edit: IIRC the company doing this type is Ring.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Just topped these up, number 10 Mating nuc and number 3 mini Mating nuc.
The mini Mating nuc are drawing comb and both cells are to emerge tomorrow.
Both cells have emerged and I have two more lovely looking virgins from the old girl .

 

[pargyle]

Hey up?? Did I not start a thread up or was I dreaming it?

Probably dreaming ... but I think you are now at the top of the leaderboard for the number of threads started in the shortest period ...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Probably dreaming ... but I think you are now at the top of the leaderboard for the number of threads started in the shortest period ...

'Probably' isnt a diffinitive answer.
The thread was called (any one else taking supers of)
But I've had minimal sleep as I've been doing a vidual, because I'm going away for three days wow....
Do I get a gold star for that for being at the top of the leader board... Or at least a silver one

 

[elainemary]

Got a break in the weather at 4.30pm, been raining here all day and yesterday & the day before. Finished the prep for the colony I'm taking onto to the heather moor, to hopefully get some nice pure stuff rather than a blend. 9 good frames brood. Saw HM, put frames with eggs / young larva to the outsides & sealed brood in the middle. So outer brood doesn't get filled with stores & this years queen keeps laying in the middle. Nice strong colony. Replaced the last frame with pollen with a very good one, jam packed.

Only taking it initially with one super, they have just about finished drawing out unwired comb, taking 10 combs in castellated super, so combs will be nice and straight for cut comb if I get good enough sealed stores (equiv to 11 in National as WBC). Swopped 2 outer combs for 2 full unsealed blossom honey from supers above and put Rhomboid board on. They can have the blossom honey back for winter and I will keep the heather. Was reflecting back on my first season, when I had the best ever heather sealed combs (see pic) & reflected that it was because I only had one super on, so I'm doing that again. Can always swop out sealed combs for empty ones later on if they do well. Will give them good insulation above the clear crown board.

Rubbish weather again tomorrow, so will take them up then. Gets better from Tuesday. What could go wrong (apart from the weather).... it's under 2 direct 'bee' flight miles away, so I suppose they could come home

 

[elainemary]

Took my colony to the heather this morning. Landowner given me a nice sheltered spot down his private track, facing south east a few feet from the stance but protected from the wind.
Old shooting butt still in place, could hear a shooting party about 1/2 mile away. Beautiful purple heather and the weather is improving - 6 days of 19-21c from Tuesday.
Bees less happy with me as I’ve taken most of their blossom stores but I’ve left sufficient plus good pollen to make sure they’re ok. They will get their blossom honey back when I bring them home.

 

[Moobee]

View attachment 27729
I pulled some lovely capped brood frames yesterday, from demaree colonys I've only just taken down, it seems an age since I started them.

Im not the only one then, some colonys have really contracted over the last week or so and didn't need the space, still nectar about and I have left supers on for this.
I still have a few towers with 5 supers on but these are right near clover fields that are coming into flower.

Gorgeous frame of honey

 

[Curly green finger's]

Gorgeous frame of honey

Its taken them a while to cap that brood box but 90% were fully capped and I had 44 lbs from it.