What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Nannysbees]

Delighted 54 jars, biggest single harvest. I struggle to leave even a smear of honey in the extractor as I know how much work one little girl has to do.

 

[JamezF]

Inspected the colonies at home this morning. All very calm despite the overcast weather. The first swarm I got in a bait hive is over all the frames now (single brood). I suspect that may be the way to leave them for the winter, though I was toying with the idea of putting either a super or another brood on top with a QX to give them some more room and see if they want to draw out a bit more comb as we have brambles flowering still. I'm not really sure at the moment. The second swarm is building comb on a fifth frame now. I suspect they're going to need some help to get through winter.

This afternoon I went to the local farm where I have a few hives. The first one I opened up seemed slightly moody when I lifted off the crown board. Then after I'd taken off the supers and QX all hell broke loose. They were absolutely brutal and would not leave me alone. They were even attacking the smoker which was on top of the hive next to theirs. In the end I had to close the hive up and walk away, with a good number of them still following me. I was probably eighty yards away before they gave up. One got through a zip that can't have been closed properly and stung me on the temple, which is rather pleasant now

With my bee suit and gloves probably covered in undesirable pheromones at this point it seemed sensible to give up and wash them both (and maybe the smoker too) before going back to look at the other hives.

I'm not sure how to approach the problem of the crazy defensive hive at the moment. Requeening is obviously required, but finding her when they're as stroppy as they are will be difficult. Ideally I'd move the hive to bleed off the flying workers and give me a bit of a chance, but there's nowhere to move it to. The only access is through a field that has sheep in. I'm going to have to think about that one. Fortunately they're out of the way where they can't really make a nuisance of themselves.

James

 

[Nannysbees]

Delighted 54 jars, biggest single harvest. I struggle to leave even a smear of honey in the extractor as I know how much work one little girl has to do.

 

[Nannysbees]

Inspected the colonies at home this morning. All very calm despite the overcast weather. The first swarm I got in a bait hive is over all the frames now (single brood). I suspect that may be the way to leave them for the winter, though I was toying with the idea of putting either a super or another brood on top with a QX to give them some more room and see if they want to draw out a bit more comb as we have brambles flowering still. I'm not really sure at the moment. The second swarm is building comb on a fifth frame now. I suspect they're going to need some help to get through winter.

This afternoon I went to the local farm where I have a few hives. The first one I opened up seemed slightly moody when I lifted off the crown board. Then after I'd taken off the supers and QX all hell broke loose. They were absolutely brutal and would not leave me alone. They were even attacking the smoker which was on top of the hive next to theirs. In the end I had to close the hive up and walk away, with a good number of them still following me. I was probably eighty yards away before they gave up. One got through a zip that can't have been closed properly and stung me on the temple, which is rather pleasant now

With my bee suit and gloves probably covered in undesirable pheromones at this point it seemed sensible to give up and wash them both (and maybe the smoker too) before going back to look at the other hives.

I'm not sure how to approach the problem of the crazy defensive hive at the moment. Requeening is obviously required, but finding her when they're as stroppy as they are will be difficult. Ideally I'd move the hive to bleed off the flying workers and give me a bit of a chance, but there's nowhere to move it to. The only access is through a field that has sheep in. I'm going to have to think about that one. Fortunately they're out of the way where they can't really make a nuisance of themselves.

James

God that sounds awful. How will you help get that hive through winter?

 

[JamezF]

How will you help get that hive through winter?

I'll see how they look in a month or so, but possibly a lot of feeding is going to be required. I reckon the queen has only just started laying judging by the fact that they've been in the hive for at least a couple of weeks and they've only just started bringing in pollen. If they can build the colony up fast enough then perhaps heavy feeding will be sufficient. We'll see how it goes.

James

 

[Ian123]

God that sounds awful. How will you help get that hive through winter?

I’ve got 2-3 frame mating nucs that will happily build up and overwinter, they’ve got 4-5 months for goodness sake’s

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'll see how they look in a month or so, but possibly a lot of feeding is going to be required. I reckon the queen has only just started laying judging by the fact that they've been in the hive for at least a couple of weeks and they've only just started bringing in pollen. If they can build the colony up fast enough then perhaps heavy feeding will be sufficient. We'll see how it goes.

James

It’s only the beginning of July !
They have three months

 

[Ian123]

Not to mention the fact you can also overwinter grapefruit size clusters if you want

 

[wessex4291]

Checked our hives today all seem to be going well, building slowly. Hopefully they'll start bringing in more nectar soon, brambles starting to show but still a lot of buds.

One hive is on broad and half and doing well, a great classic honey arch in the 'half' which was rather fascinating to see. It does make me think a box of the same size is probably the way forward, however brood and half seems like a pain compared to double brood and 14x12 just makes life difficult. Some more thinking required!

 

[Nannysbees]

I'll see how they look in a month or so, but possibly a lot of feeding is going to be required. I reckon the queen has only just started laying judging by the fact that they've been in the hive for at least a couple of weeks and they've only just started bringing in pollen. If they can build the colony up fast enough then perhaps heavy feeding will be sufficient. We'll see how it goes.

James

We have the same with one of our splits we are feeding. But I was hoping to reunite as I don't want five hives!!

 

[Swn58]

I've been toying with the idea of a scythe

I have a Ryobi One+ brush cutter. It's very good and extremely quiet

 

[JamezF]

I’ve got 2-3 frame mating nucs that will happily build up and overwinter, they’ve got 4-5 months for goodness sake’s

True, but the way things are going I'm wondering what will be left to forage on. Everything seems ridiculously early this year.

James

 

[Swn58]

I've been less busy than my bees today. I added a couple of supers to some of the Selly Oak hives, as they have noticed the lime trees flowering now. It looks like it could be a bumper year!
I have a lot of bean-field honey to get into jars. That's going to be fun as it's now pretty solid. I am going to heat batches of it in my new and unused wax extractor, in the hope that I can 'soften it up' a bit
It's going to be a busy day tomorrow: Seeing if my honey bottling idea will work, then off to the Sandwell allotments in the afternoon, to check on my colonies there.

 

[madasafish]

Checked our hives today all seem to be going well, building slowly. Hopefully they'll start bringing in more nectar soon, brambles starting to show but still a lot of buds.

One hive is on broad and half and doing well, a great classic honey arch in the 'half' which was rather fascinating to see. It does make me think a box of the same size is probably the way forward, however brood and half seems like a pain compared to double brood and 14x12 just makes life difficult. Some more thinking required!

Go Langstroth jumbo

 

[madasafish]

True, but the way things are going I'm wondering what will be left to forage on. Everything seems ridiculously early this year.

James

Ivy
Normally flowers too late her - October on- for bees to forage on.But last year September so bees all over it
And my Korean Bee Trees flower in September and bees love them

 

[JamezF]

It seems that thanks to yesterday's sting on the temple I now have a swollen left eyelid, which is a strange sensation to say the least. Fortunately that appears to be the only effect.

James

 

[elainemary]

Have left the bees to it last week or so. Been cool. Had a birds nest in the eaves of my bee shed which is sited not far from my mating Nucs and Apideas. Hubbie id’d it as the nest of a spotted flycatcher. hope my mating Nuc virgins are safe.

Captured the mother visiting the nest, insects in beek but fortunately no virgin queens… yet. Visited the bee shed today and 3 fledglings left the nest together, lovely sight. Might need to find a new spot for mating Nucs though!

 

[Goran]

Finished last extraction for this season. Added fondants and antivarroa treatments. Few rotated, but time and weather is killing me.. Still rainless and high temps.. I sweat out million times, changing clothes every few hours cause I am completely wet like I fell into pool.. Still on prognosis say we had rain zillion times.. what a mockery..

 

[Swn58]

Sandwell: Considering I was 'somewhat reduced' early in the year, things are not looking too bad!

The Demaree is doing very well. The queen is an exceptional layer, so does her job in the lower BB, leading to many bees moving into the upper BB. They have a second super up there as well now.
I have moved BIAS frames from the lower BB, to create nucs with some success. However, I have done this twice with a large -Q colony there and failed. My cell punch-experiment has also failed there. There's always one difficult hive! Back to more 'traditional' methods I think.

 

[Dolo]

It seems that thanks to yesterday's sting on the temple I now have a swollen left eyelid, which is a strange sensation to say the least. Fortunately that appears to be the only effect.

James

It is odd how the swelling pops up away from the sting site. Yesterday's wrist sting has left me today with a swollen arm muscles up at the elbow! At least I know I'm alive!