What did you do in the Apiary today?

[E&MBees]

Did an preemptive split on one colony today after spotting neat rows of play cups along the bottom of multiple brood frames in the top box. Decided the intention to swarm was building and as the Queen strolled across the frame I was holding it seemed daft not to take action. Safely in a nuc now. Will review next week.
Should have a couple of queens emerging next week. Looks as though the weather is going to be settled which is good. It’s a new site, so it will be interesting to see what the local drone population is like.

 

[SWHives]

Started working on a 5 frame nuc today. Not sure whether I should go for a solid or OMF floor or combination of both. What is everyone using?

 

[Anduril]

Looked at a nuc I was equalising with another. Both full up to the gunnels and now split into 2 nucs with the strongest one with an additional nuc body.

 

[JamezF]

Decided to have a look at the colonies from a couple of weeks back that had no sign of brood.

The first had brood but no eggs and I found a few emergency queen cells, one of which definitely had a larva in, so I guess the queen is failing and they've decided to replace her. I'd like to leave them alone for a while to get on with things, but on the other hand I'd like to be sure they're progressing ok. Could be a bit of a fight with the temptation to go back and see what's going on, but I really must try to leave them a few weeks.

The other seems to have sprung back into life, so I'll be making up some frames tomorrow (it's supposed to rain most of the day) to replace a few of the manky ones.

Then I just need to come up with a solution for the colony that swarmed into a stack of brood boxes containing empty frames so I can get them onto a sane arrangement of frames. Not at all sure how to handle that at the moment. I've got two brood boxes to deal with. I'm tempted to start by splitting them, putting a QX between the two and leaving them for long enough for all brood in the queenless one to emerge. Hopefully it will be obvious which that is and I could then ditch it (or move it above a crown board so they can remove the stores?), leaving me a slightly simpler problem to deal with.

James

 

[Wilco]

Started working on a 5 frame nuc today. Not sure whether I should go for a solid or OMF floor or combination of both. What is everyone using?

Personally I prefer solid if overwintering nucs.

 

[Murox]

Started working on a 5 frame nuc today. Not sure whether I should go for a solid or OMF floor or combination of both. What is everyone using?

If I was making one I would use OMF and provide a place for an 'inspection tray' below it so I could shut off the ventilation if needed; and I would make it with 'feet' so it could sit flat but raised by an inch(ish) Then I have options. Its personal preference of course.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Has anybody tried poly nucs with solid floors?

 

[Newbeeneil]

Has anybody tried poly nucs with solid floors?

If I need one I just gaffa tape the OMF

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a few solid nuc floors with UFE
Just wondered how they would do this way over winter.

 

[SWHives]

If I was making one I would use OMF and provide a place for an 'inspection tray' below it so I could shut off the ventilation if needed; and I would make it with 'feet' so it could sit flat but raised by an inch(ish) Then I have options. Its personal preference of course.

Thanks, I was thinking exactly the same. Just need to figure how to do it.

 

[Swarm]

I'd stick with OMF and save the wood. I didn't find any difference in colony strength, in fact I'd say the OMF were probably looking better on first inspection and the solid floors were damp.
A strip either side will act as runners for your inspection board to slide under.

 

[Moobee]

Spent the afternoon at the Wisborough Green apiary learning about various methods of queen rearing and colony increase.
Fascinating to watch Roger Patterson working the bees in just a veil with no other protection.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Spent the afternoon at the Wisborough Green apiary learning about various methods of queen rearing and colony increase.
Fascinating to watch Roger Patterson working the bees in just a veil with no other protection.

Roger has taken the time to get rid of any stingy bees so when you work in his apiaries the bees rarely pester you.
Did you notice when he pointed out the point when he was stung?

 

[Moobee]

Roger has taken the time to get rid of any stingy bees so when you work in his apiaries the bees rarely pester you.
Did you notice when he pointed out the point when he was stung?

Yes! Very calm reaction to a bee hanging off his arm by it’s sting. Interesting that no other bees bothered either.

 

[drex]

Yippee. Put my first supers on at last

 

[StephenT]

Checked the hive where we released the @Black Mountain Honey queen last Wednesday and all looking good with eggs being laid already. We’ll be able to spot her easily with that big yellow spot! There were plenty of QCs in the top BB of the Demaree we did last weekend but resisted the temptation to make up a nuc as 3 hives is ample in our garden.
View attachment trim.221EEF73-F71B-4480-B4BD-56F636D206E1.MOV

 

[madasafish]

Started working on a 5 frame nuc today. Not sure whether I should go for a solid or OMF floor or combination of both. What is everyone using?

Most of my nucs have solid floors or if mesh, only 1/4 of the length. Too cold in winter with Open mesh left open..
(My comments are relevant only to coolish parts: SE England will be different)

 

[SWHives]

Most of my nucs have solid floors or if mesh, only 1/4 of the length. Too cold in winter with Open mesh left open..
(My comments are relevant only to coolish parts: SE England will be different)

Thanks Madasafish and all sharing your thoughts. I went for a half OMF half solid at the end (as I already cut the pieces and assembled the nuc prior deciding). If I make up another nuc I will try and test a full OMF and see how it fairs.

 

[JamezF]

Most of my nucs have solid floors or if mesh, only 1/4 of the length. Too cold in winter with Open mesh left open..
(My comments are relevant only to coolish parts: SE England will be different)

On the basis that I am finding my mesh floors heavily propolised up more often these days, I'm seriously considering changing what I do as regards floors and even find myself debating the possibility of going back to solid floors.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Most of my nucs have solid floors or if mesh, only 1/4 of the length. Too cold in winter with Open mesh left open..
(My comments are relevant only to coolish parts: SE England will be different)

all my nucs and hives have full floor OMFs didn't see any difference when I was running them alongside solid floor hives/nucs