What did you do in the Apiary today?

[blackcloud]

I did a rudimentary stocktake and we've sold 2/3 of the yield (our best ever) already.
There's enough for the Slovacs at the chicken factory who have ten jars at a time each or for the regulars who mostly have one or two at a time for the rest of the year.
But not both.
Not the worst dilemma to face but someone will be shopping at the Big Four for their fix.

 

[Garry R]

Not the apiary but finished extraction almost and got the cut comb sorted

 

[Moobee]

Collected all my supers (other than the ones that were under the clearer boards) this morning. I'll leave the remaining ones on to give the bees a little more room until I go around to do my varroa treatment -- probably next weekend. Also took the opportunity to swap the last of my old wooden crown boards for insulated polycarbonate ones.

I noticed some of the bees were bringing in vibrant orange pollen. I've no idea where they might be getting that from at this time of year. It looked far too orange to be ivy.

James

Asters have bright orange pollen.

 

[drdrday]

Thank you bees. I put two frames in as an experiment. I’m amazed. Aren’t they lovely?

I did a few frames of comb honey for the first time this year too - one of my neighbours asked about it last year, but it was a bit too late in the season to get going. It's very satisfying seeing all that beautiful white wax. I've already sold all but 2 pieces so I think I'll be trying more next year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

View attachment 33574 I did a few frames of comb honey for the first time this year too - one of my neighbours asked about it last year, but it was a bit too late in the season to get going. It's very satisfying seeing all that beautiful white wax. I've already sold all but 2 pieces so I think I'll be trying more next year.

Yes it’s lovely. I’ve always done comb honey but this year was the first time I’d tried sections

 

[Garry R]

Yes it’s lovely. I’ve always done comb honey but this year was the first time I’d tried sections

Successful??? And how much is a reasonable price for sections at 6oz?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Successful??? And how much is a reasonable price for sections at 6oz?

Only tried two frames. There are three sections on each frame and I got five good sections each one between 12 and 14 ounces.

 

[Swarm]

Put clearer boards on and had a check how the brood nests are doing. The colonies are contracting nicely except for one that still has a lot of bees in the supers and the brood box is very light so will clear three and leave a super for now. Most of the doubles are cleared and looking very well provisioned at this point in time.
The one swarm we had is now in a double nuc and coming along nicely, I should have been doing a you tube video, prised the frames apart and lifted a centre frame, nice honey arc, BIAS and ..... oh there she is.
First hive opened, one of the farm queens, got down to the excluder and the sad sight of loads of dead drones trying to escape eviction
It's all over too soon.

 

[philipm]

Took honey frames from two hives today,wasnt until I got back to the shed that I realised that I,d forgotten to zip my hood up. I put it down to old age, lucky not to have any stings.

 

[Garry R]

Not in the apiary but at 7am today. Extracted the honey yesterday and washed out the extractor and left outside to dry overnight. A few bees sniffing around as you might expect. Into the house and supper and off to bed. Woke up popped on my slippers. Intense pain on the instep of my foot. A bee must have been in my clothes from the night before and decided my slippers were the perfect place to spend the night. I have had many stings over the years but this was the most painful. A lot better tonight and no swelling.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

had a call from someone a few hundred yards across the stream below the home apiary yesterday - they thought they had bees in their compost bin. I popped over, and yes they had, been there a while by the amount of comb they'd built but probably just nearing the end of the first brood cycle, the comb was hanging off the wooden lid, so off I went lunchtime today to sort them, really docile bees, the owners Alan and Elizabeth stood just a few yards away from me, with no bee suits and photographed/filmed the whole thing and there was no fuss, no stinging or even veil bouncing! It was a warm day so the comb was really floppy but I managed to save all the brood and it's all elastic banded in frames and they are settled in a nuc which I'll move in a few days
View attachment bin 1.mp4

View attachment bin 2.mp4

 

[Dutchman]

Just finished this years summer honey extraction, 230 kg from 10 hives, less than last year but with 80 kg of spring honey its not bad considering that we only had a couple of weeks of decent weather while there was a flow on this summer. Ordered 600 jars, enough to supply my outlets for the year.

 

[drdrday]

Saw a tiny little swarm arriving so got out the bait box I'd only stored away last weekend. They settled on it rather than it, but hopefully they'll stay put now I've shaken them in.

 

[JamezF]

Saw a tiny little swarm arriving so got out the bait box I'd only stored away last weekend. They settled on it rather than it, but hopefully they'll stay put now I've shaken them in.

Do you think you'll be able to nurse them through the winter (assuming there's a virgin queen and she gets mated), or will you combine them with another colony?

James

 

[drdrday]

Do you think you'll be able to nurse them through the winter (assuming there's a virgin queen and she gets mated), or will you combine them with another colony?

James

I had three drawn brood frames to give them so I'll see what they've managed in a week or so. If there's eggs by then I'll probably give them a chance on their own over winter. The ivy is in bud here so it won't be long until that comes in and my bees usually get a lot from that.
If there's no sign of brood in a week or so I have a nuc with a recently mated queen I can combine them with.

 

[W0otz]

Final summer super removed and extracted. My other colonies are now down to 14x12 brood box only, but there's no way this colony would fit - replaced the super with an empty drawn super and fingers crossed for some ivy honey.

 

[Swarm]

Removed the supers supposedly cleared yesterday fed up of finding bees. Two hives not cleared at all so as I need to go back to see if they are clear in the morning, I used the spare boards to clear a few more so another load coming in tomorrow.
It's porter escapes 3, rhombus 0 now. I think I'll experiment with some different clearer boards next year.

 

[JamezF]

It's porter escapes 3, rhombus 0 now.

As in "the supers haven't been cleared in all the hives using rhombus escapes" ?

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

only twice I've ever seen that
Once when I found another mated queen up in the supers.
Once when I had blocked the exit holes in the rhombus (emergency conversion for another purpose)

 

[The Poot]

Removed two supers and extracted. I had checked them a few days ago and found all the frames (I looked at) fully sealed. Like Swarm I had to evict several “hangers on” that hadn’t vacated the boxes, then found that one super had the three central frames still undrawn foundation. All the rest fully sealed.
One colony is well into Winter mode with the outer frames in the brood area sealed stores with nectar being stored in adjacent frames. The number of bees has noticeably diminished. The other hive is absolutely bursting with bees and still has a super above the brood area which is full but unsealed. It is black with bees. The brood area is brood and a half - the half added just to give more space a month ago. It’s also full of nectar, but also with areas of brood.
I’ve not seen a colony with so many bees at this stage in the season and it’s developed from a new queen in July.
I also have no clue as to where they are finding the nectar - everything seems dry and withered to me.
All very odd and a puzzle to me as to how to manage them.