What did you do in the Apiary today?

[MrGoat]

I made my first concerted attempt at grafting larvae today.
I set up a box overflowing with bees containing sealed brood stores and a blank frame of foundation to keep them ammused.
I placed a new cell frame in the box having brushed diluted honey over the cells and frames to get the bees to clean and accept it.
Last evening I tried to graft sat in the car it was a disaster. I was unable to move things efficiently. So I abandoned the attempt.
This morning I rose early and set everything out on the table in the cool of the garden.
I retrieved the grafting frame from the cell raiser box and a frame of young larvae from my favourite home hive.
I grafted 30 larvae in the cool of the new day, placed them in the cell raiser and put it safely in an apiary.
I am now awaiting an inspection in 3 days to see if I have been successful. I have had poor success in the past and relied on B+ last year to provide some grafts for me.

Looking forward to see how you get on.

I have an incubator arriving today. Don't think I'm going to attempt grafting until next year as I've a lot of reading and youtubing to do first on it but I'll hopefully have a few queen cells to pop in and experiment with.

 

[Goran]

I have to reduce this hive from 3 boxes in 2.. I feel sorry for them, but what must be done will be done ( preparation for q rearing). Also picture of Inula helenium ( elf dock). All are today's pics..

 

[Swarm]

Queens all laying well, nice to see full frames of capped brood, especially on freshly drawn wax. I need to get more supers out and I'm down to the last three of drawn comb so urgent extracting required.
Nice flow on the go.

 

[elainemary]

Went looking for new queens yesterday. Found and marked 5. 3 others eluded me but eggs, some young larva clouded by royal jelly.
This one had quite unusual banding. The bees seem to be in love with their new queens. I’ve made more than I need, some tough decisions ahead but I’ll leave that to spring to give time to properly assess. I’ve learnt from not having enough queens to choose from in spring.

 

[pargyle]

I have to reduce this hive from 3 boxes in 2.. I feel sorry for them, but what must be done will be done ( preparation for q rearing). Also picture of Inula helenium ( elf dock). All are today's pics..

Goodness Goran, that's a lot of bees on the top bars !! Are they all going to fit into two boxes ?

 

[Goran]

Goodness Goran, that's a lot of bees on the top bars !! Are they all going to fit into two boxes ?

They will have ZZ Top beards.. I use 4 such colonies for q rearings ( approx 20ish qcells per colony)..

 

[Moobee]

Went looking for new queens yesterday. Found and marked 5. 3 others eluded me but eggs, some young larva clouded by royal jelly.
This one had quite unusual banding. The bees seem to be in love with their new queens. I’ve made more than I need, some tough decisions ahead but I’ll leave that to spring to give time to properly assess. I’ve learnt from not having enough queens to choose from in spring.

I have one that sort of colour. Do you overwinter your queens in nucs?

 

[4degreesWest]

A friend and experienced beekeeper came around today with a nuc for me and while she was here did hive inspections with me. Discovered that my original queen has swarmed (how on earth did I miss that?) and the split that I made off that hive were about to (queens hatching right in front of us). I’ve obviously got lots to learn!

 

[E&MBees]

Added a second brood nuc box to a queen (Hilda) introduced a few weeks ago. She is storming. A new queen (Bernadette) introduced last week has been released from her cage and is now laying. Added supers to others as required.
Need to patiently wait & see if another colony has got a home raised and mated queen after splitting. They are stuffing nectar in every available cell but have left some very defined areas clear, so fingers crossed she’s viable. Might get my biggest honey crop yet, even after loosing a colony to EFB.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A friend and experienced beekeeper came around today with a nuc for me and while she was here did hive inspections with me. Discovered that my original queen has swarmed (how on earth did I miss that?) and the split that I made off that hive were about to (queens hatching right in front of us). I’ve obviously got lots to learn!

Don’t worry. As long as you remember what you did wrong.
It happens to all of us.
How many can you count?
View attachment trim.F9F6CE70-296A-4B15-B33F-96342A3D7B18.MOV

 

[Wilco]

Got round them all today. A couple appear to be superceding, one I'm ok with another a bit sad as it was such a gentle queen. I did the inspection of them with no veil today as a last hurrah to her as I've no idea what her daughter will be like (last year's daughter bodes well though). Most colonies well behaved but a couple down to requeen later in the season (the allure of a big honey crop from them is winning at present). Last week I merged two large but not so friendly colonies so I have one very large one which isn't as docile as I'd like.

Some colourful pollen coming in at one out apiary:


Also had a play with the tree swarm at home, they've now got a super on. Pic from the floor cam attached, not that it shows much!

A friend and experienced beekeeper came around today with a nuc for me and while she was here did hive inspections with me. Discovered that my original queen has swarmed (how on earth did I miss that?) and the split that I made off that hive were about to (queens hatching right in front of us). I’ve obviously got lots to learn!

Echoing what Dani said, it happens to us all. Had a couple today which had swarmed since last week. 6 days between inspections and obviously I missed the warning signs last week. Rather disappointing.

 

[elainemary]

I have one that sort of colour. Do you overwinter your queens in nucs?

Yes, last year in double Nucs

 

[The Poot]

Jarred up 41 lbs of honey

 

[user 20297]

A friend and experienced beekeeper came around today with a nuc for me and while she was here did hive inspections with me. Discovered that my original queen has swarmed (how on earth did I miss that?) and the split that I made off that hive were about to (queens hatching right in front of us). I’ve obviously got lots to learn!

The same sort of boat I keep finding myself in.

 

[JamezF]

They will have ZZ Top beards.. I use 4 such colonies for q rearings ( approx 20ish qcells per colony)..

Well every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed beek..,

James

 

[Mabee]

After multiple swarm attempts, a couple of requeenings and various splits and swarm collections, all hives are queen right, mostly good natured, laying and bringing in the goods. It’s been a full on Spring running around after them so hoping they are all settled now!

 

[4degreesWest]

Don’t worry. As long as you remember what you did wrong.
It happens to all of us.
How many can you count?

Doesn’t the first queen kill the other ones before they hatch? Or is that only in these books that the bees don’t seem to read?!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Doesn’t the first queen kill the other ones before they hatch? Or is that only in these books that the bees don’t seem to read?!

you've answered your own question - it seldom happens

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you watched, the virgins ignore each other. All they want is food. The bees prevent the virgins emerging till they issue a cast then let another go till the colony settles down. Two three or even four casts can issue; sometimes sequentially sometimes together.
What happened in my video was that I disturbed this guarding and these popped out together.

 

[gregior]

Had a peep in some supers,there has been a fantastic bramble flow on here for the last 10 days and all colonies have filled between 1 and 3 supers and are starting to cap them.Weather looks a bit iffy for the next few days which should give me chance to extract and return some supers as all my kit is currently in use.