What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Boston Bees]

I was thinking to do a demarree. What is your opinion?

Never done one!

But JBM is going to tell you that you are too late for that, and that a demaree is a method of preventing the swarm impulse developing in the first place, not dealing with charged queen cells. I would listen to him.

(The point being that if you do a demaree, you still have a queen, and all the foragers, in the brood box on the original site, full of swarm impulse and raring to go. All she has to do is lay a few eggs, get a new queen cell drawn, and off they can go)

 

[nettle]

I feel I ought to go and finish yesterday's job in the apiary today, but whilst temperatures here reached 20°C yesterday, so far today we've barely reached 10°C, it's so dull that the dandelion flowers aren't opening and the bees are all staying home.

James

I was hoping to do inspections today, but it's only forecasting a high of 9 . A cold easterly is keeping temps down for a good few days yet. I put a frame of eggs in a queenless hive last Saturday that I want to check on, and another hive that's so busy I'm worried I might miss swarm preparations if I'm not careful. I might go and pop a super on it just to give them more room meantime.

 

[SWHives]

Never done one!

But JBM is going to tell you that you are too late for that, and that a demaree is a method of preventing the swarm impulse developing in the first place, not dealing with charged queen cells. I would listen to him.

(The point being that if you do a demaree, you still have a queen, and all the foragers, in the brood box on the original site, full of swarm impulse and raring to go. All she has to do is lay a few eggs, get a new queen cell drawn, and off they can go)

I believe the demarree is sort of a vertical split almost making the queen think she swarmed. This is only my theory as don't have any practical experience.

 

[SWHives]

I think I will try a demaree first. If the queen still wants to swarm she is clipped so wouldn't get far and can do a walkaway split at that point in time.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was thinking to do a demarree. What is your opinion?

too late

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I believe the demarree is sort of a vertical split almost making the queen think she swarmed.

Not really, Demarree is a method of separating the queen from the brood before they think of swarming - remember that the queen has little say in when to swarm, it's a decision made by the flying bees, and in your case they've already made the decision
read this
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

 

[madasafish]

Quickly looked at the two hives for a seriously ill beekeeper - for second time. Windy - but sunny spot so quickly changed six brood frames (falling apart) for foundation, added a super to one hive,(no QEs) and left them to it.
Not treated last year iirc and signs of DWV - in weaker hive .. probably will vape next time with super removed.

 

[drex]

I think I will try a demaree first. If the queen still wants to swarm she is clipped so wouldn't get far and can do a walkaway split at that point in time.....

It won't work and then if you do a walk away you will have two hives that have to raise a queen from scratch. Look at Welsh BKA website. I suggest you read wally Shaws booklet " there are queen cells in my hive"

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just nuc the queen and be done with. Easy to do and you have her as back up should the new queen not get mated.

 

[gwt_uk]

Too cold for full inspections but had a quick check of the supers added last week - all rammed full of bees and felt heavy when hefted. Weather this week not looking particularly good in the Lothians for the coming week!

 

[Nannysbees]

Watched my girls pollinate my strawberries

 

[StephenT]

Took plastic tabs off a queen cage I put between 2 frames last Wednesday after removing the old queen at the same time. No EQC's on the couple of frames of eggs/small larvae but did spot a single small unsealed QC at the bottom of a sealed frame of brood a few frames away from the cage. Bit of a mystery. Supersedure maybe Removed it and am now keeping my fingers crossed

 

[thorn]

It was the old story. The brood box in one hive had sealed brood but no eggs or larvae. We'd inspected and put a super on last week. Had we somehow squashed the queen when doing so?
What a shame. There's a really good flow on. Look how they're drawing out this super.
Hang on a minute! What's that! There are eggs in this super. And look, there's the queen. Bloody bees. They're just doing it to wind us up.

 

[gwt_uk]

Went by the apiary today just to observe activity. Didn’t expect to see much as it is 9 degrees. Was surprised to see plenty of bees coming and going! OSR field next door.

 

[StephenT]

Did a Demaree on Greater London Mongrel Hive. They were on double brood so put all the empty frames + emerging looking brood + queen in bottom BB and all the rest of the brood in top BB. The two supers were heavy so added a third. Need to read up on next actions again for swapping frames Etc.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Just seen a bbc forecast half the usual April rain … and cooling down into may ….hmmm

 

[JamezF]

Just seen a bbc forecast half the usual April rain … and cooling down into may ….hmmm

I'd be very surprised if it were as much as half, here. My rain gauge appears to have died through lack of use, but from memory we seem to have had almost no rain whatsoever since I collected my son from university at the end of March and the ground is starting to crack through lack of moisture.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

Went to open up the association apiary today and found a hive covered in bees so they were swarming. I looked at the front and saw a cluster of bees on the paving slab with a white dot in the middle. Sure enough the queen had dropped to the floor while trying to swarm (good job I clipped her last inspection)
As I stood watching the dot wriggled free of the cluster, walked towards a leg and started climbing before she disappeared into the entrance. That was a first for me.
When the demonstrators arrived they made up a nucleus with their charges. Edit - that last sentence doesn't quite sound right!

 

[Nannysbees]

Inspected four hives today, weather glorious if not a little windy. Saw all four queensNumbers of bees building nicely, drones present in all four hives. We nadired one of our brood and a half,as the half was bursting with capped brood and the brood had plenty of room, hope that was the right decision!!!!
Rosies hive was the best though I wonder could it be the position of the hive, probably not but we have had three different queens in this hive and it's always done better than the other three!!!! The super is already full of nectar and being capped!!!!! Added another super again hope that was the right decision

 

[SWHives]

Just nuc the queen and be done with. Easy to do and you have her as back up should the new queen not get mated.

Right, removed the old queen to a nuc today and moved to new location. Left an almost finished/capped queen cell in the original hive. I assume I just need to wait now until the new queen gets mated and do weekly inspections.Thanks all for the advice.