What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Moobee]

Always get plantain popping up in the front and back lawns and often see bees on them.
When we were kids we called the poppers - we used to pick them with as long a stalk as possible, then loop the stalk round so that we could trap the head in another little loop of the stalk, hold that firmly just below the head then pull the long piece of stalk which would then 'fire' off the flower head like a little missile

Hah! I remember doing that too #showingmyage

 

[elainemary]

Plantain came up in my pollen analysis last season. I was equally surprised!

Comes up in mine every year, the bees love the early season plantain pollen in our meadow. Don’t think it provides nectar though - usually too cool when they are collecting it.

 

[elainemary]

Visited my 2 out apiaries 4 days on from vaping. Only 2 out of 11 colonies had mite drops of more than 2 mites, 50% had none. One hive had a drop of 11 though and another next door had 3, could see brood cappings on the trays too. This means that there are probably another 40-50 mites in brood cells, assuming around 20% are phoretic in the one with the highest count. If left alone could increase to over 1000 by summer, assuming I take swarm prevention measures such as double brood / Demaree. Have decided to revap just these 2 again today, day 5. Will repeat between Xmas and new year.

What is your threshold of mite drops when vaping, to make the decision to repeat?

 

[victor meldrew]

Not a bee in sight today, very very chilly

0°C here.

 

[madasafish]

Warmer today No frost . At least 3C.

We rarely see thrushes - lots further down the hill- but today we saw two, bathing in our pond. Local blackbirds tried to chase them away. Quite amusing.

 

[Nannysbees]

Warmer today No frost . At least 3C.

We rarely see thrushes - lots further down the hill- but today we saw two, bathing in our pond. Local blackbirds tried to chase them away. Quite amusing.

Haven't seen a thrush in our garden for years!!!! Sad

 

[Nannysbees]

Visited my 2 out apiaries 4 days on from vaping. Only 2 out of 11 colonies had mite drops of more than 2 mites, 50% had none. One hive had a drop of 11 though and another next door had 3, could see brood cappings on the trays too. This means that there are probably another 40-50 mites in brood cells, assuming around 20% are phoretic in the one with the highest count. If left alone could increase to over 1000 by summer, assuming I take swarm prevention measures such as double brood / Demaree. Have decided to revap just these 2 again today, day 5. Will repeat between Xmas and new year.

What is your threshold of mite drops when vaping, to make the decision to repeat?

Are you more likely to use a double brood or demaree? We have bought a few brood boxes ready for the spring. Didn't do very well last year preventing a swarm so we thought we'd get the boxes in, in preparation. Not confident with a demaree, but not sure if a double brood will do the job. I know once they get the swarm instinct not a lot can stop them, but id like to prevent it if possible.

 

[Swarm]

Are you more likely to use a double brood or demaree? We have bought a few brood boxes ready for the spring. Didn't do very well last year preventing a swarm so we thought we'd get the boxes in, in preparation. Not confident with a demaree, but not sure if a double brood will do the job. I know once they get the swarm instinct not a lot can stop them, but id like to prevent it if possible.

Give them a second brood box, when she is running out of room to lay, swap the boxes around. Keep providing laying space in the top box and brood against the excluder, so move honey arc combs down.
If you then want to Demarree, you can shuffle your existing nest, putting sealed combs in the top and the queen and open brood in the bottom with the usual super set up between boxes.
Main point is don't restrict your queen.

 

[elainemary]

Are you more likely to use a double brood or demaree? We have bought a few brood boxes ready for the spring. Didn't do very well last year preventing a swarm so we thought we'd get the boxes in, in preparation. Not confident with a demaree, but not sure if a double brood will do the job. I know once they get the swarm instinct not a lot can stop them, but id like to prevent it if possible.

I tried both and none of my double brood colonies made swarm preparations. My bees always do on a single box I’ve found. So I’m going to move more colonies onto double brood as soon as weather permits to try and keep ahead of the bees.
I’m also going to checkerboard my supers (alternate foundation with drawn comb), I’ve tried this on selected colonies too and keeping young wax makers busy in May and June seems to help prevent swarming.
At the same time I’ll be queen rearing so I can get some new season young queens into colonies by June as I think this is the best way to keep swarming at bay.

 

[Nannysbees]

I tried both and none of my double brood colonies made swarm preparations. My bees always do on a single box I’ve found. So I’m going to move more colonies onto double brood as soon as weather permits to try and keep ahead of the bees.
I’m also going to checkerboard my supers (alternate foundation with drawn comb), I’ve tried this on selected colonies too and keeping young wax makers busy in May and June seems to help prevent swarming.
At the same time I’ll be queen rearing so I can get some new season young queens into colonies by June as I think this is the best way to keep swarming at bay.

Thank you, that's really interesting. With the new brood box these will not be drawn, is this OK? And is it simply putting this new box on top of the other? How early so you think these boxes will go on? How do you find inspecting supers and two deeps? Finally how tall did your hive get? And breathe

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Demarree involves separating the queen from ALL the brood leaving her in the bottom box with nothing but drawn comb and/or foundation so splitting a double brood isn't really a Demarree, there are numerous advantages of Demarree - in it's purest form you don't need to inspect the bottom box for a few weeks, and only the top box until all the brood is sealed, however be aware that this way you end up with a deep super. 'Rolling' it is a bit more work but essential with a really prolific queen, but you still have to decide what to do with the top box towards the end of the season.
Another advantage (to some) is that you go into winter on a single brood again.
It's also a good way of working out your older brood frames. I have three stacks of brood boxes full of drawn frames at the moment. In the spring, the newer (many 'virgin comb') cleanest frames will get used for the new season's Demarree's whilst the older, mankier stuff will get scrapped.
Don't be fooled, bees will swarm on a double brood, and then you will have more kit to muck around with to sort it.

 

[Arfermo]

Dammit - never got round to anything again.

 

[Nannysbees]

Than you

Demarree involves separating the queen from ALL the brood leaving her in the bottom box with nothing but drawn comb and/or foundation so splitting a double brood isn't really a Demarree, there are numerous advantages of Demarree - in it's purest form you don't need to inspect the bottom box for a few weeks, and only the top box until all the brood is sealed, however be aware that this way you end up with a deep super. 'Rolling' it is a bit more work but essential with a really prolific queen, but you still have to decide what to do with the top box towards the end of the season.
Another advantage (to some) is that you go into winter on a single brood again.
It's also a good way of working out your older brood frames. I have three stacks of brood boxes full of drawn frames at the moment. In the spring, the newer (many 'virgin comb') cleanest frames will get used for the new season's Demarree's whilst the older, mankier stuff will get scrapped.
Don't be fooled, bees will swarm on a double brood, and then you will have more kit to muck around with to sort it.

Thank you, I think I'll have to gen up quite a bit on the demaree to feel confident enough to do it. Sounds really interesting though and something is like to try.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thank you, I think I'll have to gen up quite a bit on the demaree to feel confident enough to do it. Sounds really interesting though and something is like to try.

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

 

[Moobee]

Last round of vaping yesterday, checked stores and varroa boards. Another hefty drop of mites from hive 3…. Not sure if this is a good thing or not? The other two had way less drop.
The greedy bees in hive two needed another block of fondant.
With temperatures set to rise again here, I’ve made up more fondant containers and ordered another 12.5kg box.

 

[The Poot]

Than you

Thank you, I think I'll have to gen up quite a bit on the demaree to feel confident enough to do it. Sounds really interesting though and something is like to try.

It’s the deep super at the top that prevents me doing this. I struggled with shallow supers last season when four high. I suffer with a shoulder issue though (and as my son tells me, getting old and frail) - but if you’re a strapping wench you should be ok

 

[Nannysbees]

It’s the deep super at the top that prevents me doing this. I struggled with shallow supers last season when four high. I suffer with a shoulder issue though (and as my son tells me, getting old and frail) - but if you’re a strapping wench you should be ok

Mmmm husband has trouble with bulging discs and I'm five foot 2

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mmmm husband has trouble with bulging discs and I'm five foot 2

I have three prolapsed discs and counting, as well as a compound wedge fracture and spondylosis but I manage, It's all to do with technique and building up core muscle strength (it's taken a few years though )
One of the things I found helped a lot though was doing away with the standard low hive stands or pallets, all my stands are now around 18" high - it makes a big difference.

 

[The Poot]

Mmmm husband has trouble with bulging discs and I'm five foot 2

Last Summer I recall some folks on here losing swarms when demareeing too late. Jenks is right that bees will swarm from double brood, they will swarm as that’s what bees want to do. As you‘re not a strapping wench, () I suggest you take Swarm and Elainemary’s advice and go double brood, maintaining space. I cant imagine the panic dropping a deep box full of bees and honey would make. Also do you have extraction equipment that can handle deep frames?

 

[Nannysbees]

Last Summer I recall some folks on here losing swarms when demareeing too late. Jenks is right that bees will swarm from double brood, they will swarm as that’s what bees want to do. As you‘re not a strapping wench, () I suggest you take Swarm and Elainemary’s advice and go double brood, maintaining space. I cant imagine the panic dropping a deep box full of bees and honey would make. Also do you have extraction equipment that can handle deep frames?

Yes good idea. We do have an extractor that takes both, when it arrived i grizzled a bit as I thought what's the point, but now....... glad we have it