What did you do in the Apiary today?

[JamezF]

I am praying for no calls today - not in this heat, please

Quite I believe it's hotter in the south east, but even here the maximum temperature was over 28°C yesterday and it's already reached that this morning. If I need to go out I'll be beekeeping in budgie-smugglers. There. That should ensure no-one calls me

James

 

[JamezF]

The best thing was actually standing in the middle of the swarm that left as they whizzed around me and disappeared over some houses.

Only once have I been right in the middle of the swarm as it swirls around organising itself before leaving. Usually they're above head height or I only get to see them from "the outside" before they disappear. It's an amazing experience

James

 

[Wilco]

Managed to get bee stuff done mostly in the shade and before it got too hot. Now to drive halfway up the country when I'd rather go and jump in a river...

 

[madasafish]

Hopefully finished grafting for this year.. done in shade but dripping with sweat by the time I finished.
The results of mating since I started this year have been poor : 2 out 8 so far have failed - one unmated, one MIA.

 

[Swarm]

Some very full looking hives today, they need extra supers next visit just for space. All going smoothly until the last hive and more cells. Last inspection found a sealed cell but BIAS so I removed it, today there were four sealed but also a couple charged, queen still present so popped her in a nuc. Resisted the temptation to check on a little mating nuc but the entrance looked happy so I have a feeling she has been successful.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Two unites started. Two queens going back to their colonies after two QC rearing rounds. I’ve left both top boxes with travel screens as it’s so hot.
Checked two new introduced queens. All good.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Checked most hives, running low on kit and time. Lime starting to get going but sadly no hives near it. Rest tomorrow. Bees generally settled down but need to do some uniting next week and get a few ready for the heather.

Delivered live inspection via video call followed by Q+A session for a client, over a hundred dialled in. Was then asked to possibly do another with what may be a significantly larger audience so seems to have gone ok.

Brilliant Will! More than they got with me!!!!

 

[Moobee]

Off to my out apiary now before it gets too hot again

 

[wessex4291]

A simple task for yesterday, inspect two hives.

I got stung on my ring finger which I didn't think about until I took my gloves off and realised that my finger was swelling and my wedding ring was constricting my finger. End result a visit to A&E to have it cut off!

Another lesson learnt the hard way, remove any rings before inspecting the bee!s

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm sure you won't notice the missing digit after a while

 

[wessex4291]

I'm sure you won't notice the missing digit after a while

Clearly should have been more specific, it made sense to me when I wrote it.

Thankfully only the ring was cut, not the finger!

 

[MrGoat]

Inspected my 4 Hives and 2 NUCs today.

Marked and Clipped 3 x Queens that I could find. One other one I found but she then vanished into the midst of her camouflaging workers - but happy with the 3 as 2 are AMM Queens which arrived in swarms.

My two large Buckfast hives have 2 supers each near full but nothing capped at all. One of the AMM swarms I caught have one super half full. Really need the wind to f##k off on the South West coast of Ireland for a few weeks.

I attempted to setup a Thorne's mating NUC last weekend, checked it today - major fail. About 5 bees left in it. Live and learn.

I made up some more under floor entrances today so next week's job is to swap out the regular floors for the Under floor entrances.

 

[drex]

Did a round of grafting. Probably my 3rd year. Previous years 20-40% success rate. I used to wear magnifying goggles but still had a problem seeing the larvae. This year I used an illuminated magnifier on a flexible arm, mains powered via an inverter. I could confidently see the larvae. Made it so much easier. I will report back uptake in a couple of days. Much happier this year

 

[gregior]

Checked in a few supers ,the hives I looked at were running on fumes 10 days ago and now have all filled either 2 or 3 supers completely with nectar from the bramble which is now in full flower! Weather looks good this week and all my supers are in use so i'll be doing some more extracting very soon.

 

[Nannysbees]

Two unites started. Two queens going back to their colonies after two QC rearing rounds. I’ve left both top boxes with travel screens as it’s so hot.
Checked two new introduced queens. All good.

How long had they been apart from their hive?

 

[Erichalfbee]

How long had they been apart from their hive?

2 weeks

 

[Nannysbees]

2 weeks

Can I ask how you did it? Had they made new queens? Is there a time limit for reuniting? Thank you

 

[Erichalfbee]

When you find queen cells nuc the queen and remove EVERY queen cell. Shake the bees off the frames.
Return in one week to remove ALL emergency cells. Again shake the bees off the frames.
Put in a frame of eggs/ young larvae from the nuc.
Return one week. Remove all the emergency cells and unite the nuc back to the colony.

 

[elainemary]

When you find queen cells nuc the queen and remove EVERY queen cell. Shake the bees off the frames.
Return in one week to remove ALL emergency cells. Again shake the bees off the frames.
Put in a frame of eggs/ young larvae from the nuc.
Return one week. Remove all the emergency cells and unite the nuc back to the colony.

The 2 I’ve done aka Hivemaker so far are doing really well. Not reunited so early in the season before. Respectively on 6 & 8 frames brood within 2 weeks of uniting back. I was fretting whether it would work so early in the season & whether they would have enough brood prepared for the heather. Back like a train and one on double brood already. Just hope no more ideas of swarming this season. How are yours doing to date?

 

[0bee-1]

inspections today all good. checked on nucs - promoted one to a hive another to do this week and added a fame of foundation to each of a couple of others. have a couple of BHP queens this year... amazed they have laid up entire 16x10 frames solid BIAS very impressed by these.