What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is it worth opening too entrances in an abelo poly hive?

No

Just wondered if opening the top entrance would help. Instinct is just to leave them be…

Your instinct was bang on

 

[nettle]

Did my first inspection of my hive that lost its queen over winter, after giving it a frame of eggs and brood on the 16th of April (without much hope so early in the season). Well, it worked, there were eggs and brood in there... and two open queen cells with larvae in them!! That's the last thing I was expecting to see today. There wasn't a huge amount of brood or eggs, she can't have been laying long. They're still on brood and a half as they had a lot of stores I wanted to leave them with, so they have loads of space. I removed the cells as I wasn't prepared to deal with that today, plus they don't seem strong enough yet to deplete with a split, and it's forecast rain for the next few days and I don't want them swarming before I get a chance to open them up again. How weird! I'm not sure what best to do with them now

 

[Erichalfbee]

They might have been superseding her?
You said yourself
“(without much hope so early in the season)”

 

[nettle]

They might have been superseding her?
You said yourself
“(without much hope so early in the season)”

Oh damn, I never thought of that. Now I've gone and removed them . If that's the case maybe they'll try again since they have eggs.

 

[blackcloud]

Little more than vegetation management around the hives.
Got into a set-to with the God botherers over the mower.
I thought it was better than their singing.

Couldn't you have waited until after worship?

No ,and belly-aching for an hour a fortnight isn't going to make up for what you lot get up to.

The vicar gave me a cheeky grin as she skirted past so I think I'm ok with the boss despite the flash mob she was entertaining.
Was it that they didn't get any free honey last year perhaps.....

 

[Newbeeneil]

Most of those are drones.

Sometimes a hive will decide that it can't sustain the number of drones it has, and will kick some out. They hang around the entrance until they starve and die. I suspect that's a large part of what you are seeing.

That’s interesting, As some will know I am bleeding off bees from a couple of hives that were falling to bits. One hive is dragging out hundreds of drone brood and dumping them in the box I have the cones on.
I assume this is because they have no nectar coming in!

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s interesting, As some will know I am bleeding off bees from a couple of hives that were falling to bits. One hive is dragging out hundreds of drone brood and dumping them in the box I have the cones on.
I assume this is because they have no nectar coming in!

Thanks for the update. I’m on tenterhooks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh damn, I never thought of that. Now I've gone and removed them . If that's the case maybe they'll try again since they have eggs.

Yes they likely will if that’s what they were up to.
Just look in again next week.

 

[Boston Bees]

That’s interesting, As some will know I am bleeding off bees from a couple of hives that were falling to bits. One hive is dragging out hundreds of drone brood and dumping them in the box I have the cones on.
I assume this is because they have no nectar coming in!

Yes, probably

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Did my first inspection of my hive that lost its queen over winter, after giving it a frame of eggs and brood on the 16th of April (without much hope so early in the season). Well, it worked, there were eggs and brood in there... and two open queen cells with larvae in them!! That's the last thing I was expecting to see today. There wasn't a huge amount of brood or eggs

Sealed brood? was it all worker?

 

[nettle]

Sealed brood? was it all worker?

No, just open cells of eggs and larvae so far. I'll check again next week.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

No, just open cells of eggs and larvae so far. I'll check again next week.

take a photo and share on here when you do.

 

[JamezF]

The colony I thought was queenless is definitely queenless, so I have done the necessary and they can find their way into another colony. A touch irritating that it's happened, so I might make up a nuc or two from some strong colonies to replace them.

James

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Is it worth opening too entrances in an abelo poly hive?

Would usually put it in the unnecessary fiddling category… especially after watching them propolise up the crown board vent they clearly don’t appreciate a draft above them.

Only reason I ask is it’s a big colony, over a national deep and three shallows (no queen excluder). Lots of fanning as they’re trying to dry out and cap the supers.

Just wondered if opening the top entrance would help. Instinct is just to leave them be…

I suggest listen to your instincts. I'm an abelo poly national fan but I stick the plugs in the extra holes when I put them in my apiary and there they stay full stop. I also glue down the outer poly discs on the crown board. I keep the centre one accessible for sitting a round rapids feeder on the crownboard when required.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I glue and paint over the plugs too.

 

[JamezF]

I also glue down the outer poly discs on the crown board. I keep the centre one accessible for sitting a round rapids feeder on the crownboard when required.

I don't know if they're the same as on my much older Abelo poly hives, but the only explanation I've come up with for those is to allow the crown board to be used for ventilation when moving the hive. Only the grilles in mine are now mostly propolised up, so they're not even much use for that.

James

 

[madasafish]

Was enjoying a post prandial double (? quintuple?) G&T when local pest controller arrived with swarm in a correx box. He had collected from under a wardrobe in a bedroom - entered through airbricks. Half dead due to heat and being in car for at least an hour - the collection was 30 miles away.
Shook into a national nuc with a comb of honey and a liberal sprinkling of sugar water -very few were flying and a pile of dead bees in the bottom of the box. By 5 pm they appeared to have recovered, orientated and started bringing in pollen.

Apparently they have a Queen: hopefully she has survived. (they behave as if she has)

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Was enjoying a post prandial double (? quintuple?) G&T when local pest controller arrived with swarm in a correx box. He had collected from under a wardrobe in a bedroom - entered through airbricks. Half dead due to heat and being in car for at least an hour - the collection was 30 miles away.
Shook into a national nuc with a comb of honey and a liberal sprinkling of sugar water -very few were flying and a pile of dead bees in the bottom of the box. By 5 pm they appeared to have recovered, orientated and started bringing in pollen.

Apparently they have a Queen: hopefully she has survived. (they behave as if she has)

I've been out all day at a one day event with granddaughter and pony but I received a message from a pest controller trying to contact a beekeeper to collect a swarm in South Milford. He was otherwise engaged and despite trying to contact nearby associations for help it seemed no beekeeper was available either. He's hoping to get to the swarm tomorrow if it's still there. One of the good guys who deals sympathetically with swarms.

 

[magor]

Is it normal to get approx a handful of dying or dead bees at the hive entrance a week? It looks like they can't make it
inside rather than being kicked out and takes a long time for them to die. Can't recognize any disease or reasons.
Am new so wonder if there is reason to worry or not.

i dont like picture one those deads with no feathers

 

[E&MBees]

Busy day today. Added a clearer board under one super which is so heavy I can only just move it. The comb is sealed so it’s ready to be extracted. Moved a 2021 queen which was split due to swarm preps back into a full size brood box as she is rapidly building her colony back up. Marked a new 2022 queen, she’s beautiful. I’ve posted a photo of her on Swarm’s blog. She is now laying with sealed worker brood present.
Should have another queen due to emerge later this week.
After the sadness of seeing a colony destroyed last week, an altogether much happier weekend.