What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Well it has not rained today and it is not windy and it is a balmy 5c (yesterday 2c) so checked and fed nucs and mini nucs.
Two mini nucs and one nuc virtually dead. No signs of robbing, lots of food so assume badly mated queen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Moved it

The old greenhouses behind the Tŷ uchaf bees was almost wiped out by storms last winter and Fiona my landlady has decided (now that it's all been cleared away leaving only the base walls) she's going to build an artist's studio for a friend, so an even better site offered, right next to the track on fallow ungrazed land, started moving the hives this afternoon. The spot is sheltered from Westerlies and Northerlies by nearby mature hedges , is South facing and gets full sun from early morning until near dusk.
Next job is getting Fiona to go over the area with her quad towed topper to make it look really good
What's not to like?

 

[Nannysbees]

Bees out collecting water, lovely to see them out and about

 

[Moobee]

Hmmmmm. One hive has possible nosema. Looks a bit spattered at the front but wasn’t sure if it was bees on cleansing flights not going far as too cold?
If it is nosema, what’s the solution this time of year?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That's not Nosema - just the usual quick rush to get outside but the turtle's head was already popping out.
No real 'cure' for nosema at this time of year/weather. The only cure would be to s[ray them with thymolised sugar syrup

 

[user 819]

If it was, the hive would have a new colour scheme.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If it was the hive would have a new colour scheme.

Khaki?
Or Kaka!!

 

[Moobee]

That's not Nosema - just the usual quick rush to get outside but the turtle's head was already popping out.
No real 'cure' for nosema at this time of year/weather. The only cure would be to s[ray them with thymolised sugar syrup

Thank you! That’s put my mind at rest. I thought I was past the ‘worrying about my bees all winter’ stage

 

[user 819]

Khaki?
Or Kaka!!

Either I guess but the latter may be more in keeping with the issue.

 

[Dutchman]

Just did some weighing, most of my hives have collected another 2 Kg from the ivy during November and many are now 40-50Kg.I am going to have to take full combs out in springtime to give them space for laying, they wont be able to get through that. Great for making splits!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just did some weighing, most of my hives have collected another 2 Kg from the ivy during November and many are now 40-50Kg.I am going to have to take full combs out in springtime to give them space for laying, they wont be able to get through that. Great for making splits!

You'd better give them a bit of fondant - just in case

 

[drex]

Gradually working my way through cleaning up an repairing stored boxes. Cold wet and and windy but been doing it in greenhouse on the allotment, which has made it pleasant enough. Meant to do it last year, but never got round to it. Recycling tatty combs and frames. New frames all made up but foundation will go in as they are needed. Very satisfying.

 

[Etton]

Prepared winter (fondant) for feeding on (on a QE) top bars or in tubs above the crown board.

 

[The Poot]

Cut back overgrown hazel hedging, by some 20 feet t let in more Summer sunlight. Feeling very guilty after seeing all those developing catkins

 

[Goran]

Prepared winter (fondant) for feeding on (on a QE) top bars or in tubs above the crown board.

Why just not simply put onto top bars?
Anyway weather here.. MUDDY.. A LOT.. frosting and defrosting make it worse.. light snow/heavy rain.. nasty weather..
Watching analysis of my honey and there is mentioned Amorfa fruticosa 8%.. what is hard to me to believe to have any .. and 0% of Ailanthus altissima on which bees were all over this season.. I called lab and they said, they didn't make mistake.. It isn't polite to question them, but I still cannot believe in these results..
Anyway the rest was chestnut, linden, Rosaceae, black locust, Fabaceae, Cornaceae, Salix, Asteraceae, dandelion and..
Overall they say it very nice honey.. well it is indeed tasty..

 

[Arfermo]

Nuthin - as ever in winter.

 

[StephenT]

Checked the inspection boards on the 3 hives and still quite a lot of brood cappings so don’t plan to trickle yet. One hive has quite a large varroa drop despite being treated with Apivar like the others. Same hive is the only one not really clustered when I had a quick peak through the clear crownboard and were quite busy today, collecting water I guess.

 

[user 819]

Finished all the wood work in building a new bee store shed in the garden and was able to watch a few bees venturing out, all I have to do now is clear out all the debris from inside as I used it as the cutting area and to buy some butyl liner to cover the roof.

 

[Etton]

Why just not simply put onto top bars?

Two reasons , firstly I want to do it in seconds to avoid heat loss and placing a slab of fondant on the top bars can squish a load of bees ( yes... could smoke them, but takes time) and secondly the soft fondant can sit on the QE and it stops the fondant sliping between the frames. I use a thin eke on top of the QE.
Any one else sit the fondant on top of a QE or am I alone!

 

[Goran]

Usually bees are bellow top bars, but if they aren't I push forward and squish few or none. Fondants I use we make by ourselves and aren't too soft, they are more elastic and not slipping.. These days we should open our " fondant making season", but firstly have to finish with ( hazel)nut cracking and then to turn into bakery..