What did you do in the Apiary today?

[deemann1]

I brought some nucs with super extensions to my heather site this year just to see how they would get on ..I was happy with results yesterday all but one had drawn out the comb and filled the supers.

 

[BigAshW]

Checked our main apiary today. United a couple of nucs and got the second tray of apiguard on everything. Pollen packs on because this apiary really seems to struggle for pollen at this time of year.

Fed a small amount of 1-1 syrup to those that seemed a bit dry.

 

[Nannysbees]

I’ve just stuck a clearing board under 4 supers on a hive that I’ve previously taken the top one .
signs of autumn are becoming very obvious, this colony is a large one in a 14x12 box . There is forage aplenty still to be had . Time to leave it for the colonies to pack their larders methinks !

Will you have time to treat?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Nightmare .... was that one of the square buckets ? I've never had one of the ones we use give me any concern with the handles ... do I have to worry ?

Yes!

 

[victor meldrew]

Will you have time to treat?

I treat once annually around Christmas time . I use OA vaping.
I’ve been fighting varroa since 1994 . First with bayvoral. As this began to loose its effect , I have used a succession of treatments and methods including inserting a shallow frame into each brood box to encourage the building of drone comb to be sacrificed!
I now manage to keep the mite load at numbers that the colonies would appear to tolerate with no adverse effects !
This annual treatment has been the status quo for a good few years now .

 

[Newbeeneil]

Started a run of jarring last night and had a handle break on a bucket as I was carrying it across my patio. 2/3 of the bucket spilled on the paving so spent 1/2 hour in the gloom last night scooping it up and washing down. I'll know just how successful I was when the scouts get out this morning!

I was obviously very good with clearing up last night as hardly a bee seen. A few wasps looking but very quiet.
My bucket was a square bucket from Ampulla (which they don't seem to stock anymore) with 30lb in it. I lost about 20lb

 

[Nannysbees]

I treat once annually around Christmas time . I use OA vaping.
I’ve been fighting varroa since 1994 . First with bayvoral. As this began to loose its effect , I have used a succession of treatments and methods including inserting a shallow frame into each brood box to encourage the building of drone comb to be sacrificed!
I now manage to keep the mite load at numbers that the colonies would appear to tolerate with no adverse effects !
This annual treatment has been the status quo for a good few years now .

That's really interesting we use apiguard now and an oa vape around Dec also, do you know the mite drop when you oa?

 

[victor meldrew]

That's really interesting we use apiguard now and an oa vape around Dec also, do you know the mite drop when you oa?

I do a rough count of natural mite fall followed by another after treatment, then apart from hive hefting , that’s it until spring time .

 

[pargyle]

Yes!

That is a bit of a concern .... I've been lugging those buckets around all week with full tubs of honey ... whereabouts did the handle break ?

 

[Newbeeneil]

That is a bit of a concern .... I've been lugging those buckets around all week with full tubs of honey ... whereabouts did the handle break ?

The handle pulled out of the rim! I was extremely pissed off. But as I said they don’t stock that anymore. Maybe they had problems?

 

[pargyle]

The handle pulled out of the rim! I was extremely pissed off. But as I said they don’t stock that anymore. Maybe they had problems?

I'll watch out and have a close look at the ones I have - I've been very confident of them so far - I like the square tubs as they are so much more convenient but I'll be ultra careful carrying them by the handles in the future. The loss of honey is bad enough but it's the clearing up a spill that is the real nightmare.

 

[Swarm]

The handle pulled out of the rim! I was extremely pissed off. But as I said they don’t stock that anymore. Maybe they had problems?

I once had a handle snap, no spillage thankfully. Lesson learned, never rely on the handle for carrying the bucket.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just boxed off my DASH accreditation, this must be the latest I've inspected hives. All the home colonies are doing superbly for this time of the year (bar one, which may have a DLQ but may also have superseded her as there was fresh brood which looked like worker), just coming out of a brood break for most, quite a few of the colonies have already superseded their old queens as I hoped, but the biggest eye opener was one of my nucs - from an apiary which has all dark bees, raised from an AMM queen, but we saw the new queen and she's a lovely and impressive gorgeous GOLDEN ORANGE! I have never seen such a colour on any of my queens before (even when I had Buckies) so she's definitely a sport.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’ve had one like that last year. Even my Buckies have never been that colour. She’s done well and always great to spot b

 

[Michael ECB's]

Just starting spring inspections and going through some winter die outs....
Never seen so much drone brood on one frame before.... Thought you guys may be interested to see..

 

[Michael ECB's]

The beginnings of a new mountain apiary....
Close enough for the bees to fly and forage but far away enough for the Baboons to stay away - hopefully.....

 

[The Poot]

The beginnings of a new mountain apiary....
Close enough for the bees to fly and forage but far away enough for the Baboons to stay away - hopefully.....
View attachment 28347

Should be nicely sheltered too

 

[pete darbyshire]

Jarred heather honey today.....200lbs from 4 hives in three weeks. I wish that I had taken more up there.

 

[Moobee]

Girls in 2 & 3 very unimpressed with addition of Apilife Var yesterday!
Took 12lbs of honey from my main hive before treating - didn’t think I would get any honey from these girls as they’ve been a long time queenless and bee numbers have been steadily dwindling (and what with the poor start to the season) but happy with 30lbs in total and left them with a super rammed with stores.

 

[kevp]

United friendly nuc with angry monster queenless colony. Took the honey early August as everyone was recommending, but now have to do it all over again as they have filled another two boxes. First world problems eh...