What did you do in the Apiary today?

[JamezF]

I also have no clue as to where they are finding the nectar - everything seems dry and withered to me.

I'm still seeing Himalayan Balsam coming in here. I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has.

James

 

[Delgirl]

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.

Love the boxes.

 

[Delgirl]

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.

I used a rhombus last week after epic fail last time used. Waste of time. Left a day and still full of bees. May work for some but not my lot and no patience or time to wait for them to vacate. Porters worked really well on other hives so sticking with them.

 

[Nannysbees]

Oh my goodness the wasps!!!!! Intent on gaining access to the small colony which we are feeding at the moment. We have constructed, using some plastic tile edging, open either end, on the entrance to hopefully confuse the wasps. Fingers crossed, still counting the varroa daily

 

[Erichalfbee]

I used a rhombus last week after epic fail last time used. Waste of time. Left a day and still full of bees. May work for some but not my lot and no patience or time to wait for them to vacate. Porters worked really well on other hives so sticking with them.

I’d love to see a photo of these epic failing rhombus escapes. If you have one please?

 

[Erichalfbee]

No wasps here at all. Ok maybe one appeared at yesterdays check. Went in between two frames and quickly bundled out. Absolutely none at the entrances. Stan topped the field a couple of days ago and found no nests either. Strange.

 

[pargyle]

I’d love to see a photo of these epic failing rhombus escapes. If you have one please?

Never failed me ever ... there's sometimes a few odd bees left in the supers but only when it's a big colony and I'm clearing more than a couple of supers ... even the ones with just a central rhombus work although the best ones are those with a segment of the rhombus in each corner.

 

[Erichalfbee]

even the ones with just a central rhombus work although the best ones are those with a segment of the rhombus in each corner.

Bees gravitate to the sides to exit the supers so that makes sense

 

[JamezF]

I’d love to see a photo of these epic failing rhombus escapes. If you have one please?

I'm intrigued, too. I put a load of rhombus escapes on last Saturday late afternoon and when I took the supers off on Sunday morning there were perhaps half a dozen bees left in the stack of supers on each hive at most. I have a mix of boards with central holes or opposite corners.

I did put a super full of frames under the clearer board, as suggested. Those are still on the hives and I'll remove them when I go to start varroa treatment this weekend.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm intrigued, too. I put a load of rhombus escapes on last Saturday late afternoon and when I took the supers off on Sunday morning there were perhaps half a dozen bees left in the stack of supers on each hive at most. I have a mix of boards with central holes or opposite corners.

I did put a super full of frames under the clearer board, as suggested. Those are still on the hives and I'll remove them when I go to start varroa treatment this weekend.

James

Yes I think it’s important to make sure there’s space for the bees. If they are living in the supers anyway because the broods are rammed with bees it might explain why they are not going down. I’ve cleared all my big colony supers into a drawn one underneath.
BUT that doesn’t explain why Porters work when Rhombus don’t.

 

[Swarm]

Yes all quite embarrassing after explaining the virtues, whether corner or central rhombus with a built in eke to find less or no bees in the supers with an old porter board.
I've got a dozen bees in the window and a lot more flying in circles outside, bees still in the stack of supers, yet to escape.
I'll be making some new boards to experiment with next year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes all quite embarrassing after explaining the virtues

Not really. Something must have changed. You've posted a lot, like many of us, how well they work

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/which-escape-works-best.28963/#post-408083
They seem to work pretty well for a lot of others

 

[blackcloud]

I used a rhombus last week after epic fail last time used. Waste of time. Left a day and still full of bees. May work for some but not my lot and no patience or time to wait for them to vacate. Porters worked really well on other hives so sticking with them.

Perhaps you left them too long
My boards have them in threes and work very rapidly
Once the one way traffic has ceased they do begin to filter back in.
I only leave them on overnight
Also was there enough space under the board for them to gather and express their confusion

 

[Delgirl]

I’d love to see a photo of these epic failing rhombus escapes. If you have one please?

Perhaps you left them too long
My boards have them in threes and work very rapidly
Once the one way traffic has ceased they do begin to filter back in.
I only leave them on overnight
Also was there enough space under the board for them to gather and express their confusion

I am on Langstroth top bar spacing. It was an especially full hive of bees though with 4 busy medium supers. Still 3 on as still filling up with HB. Loads of it here. No photos unfortunately.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought you might have a photo of the escape board....after use is fine

 

[Delgirl]

I thought you might have a photo of the escape board....after use is fine

Ok. Will sort.

 

[Swarm]

Not really. Something must have changed. You've posted a lot, like many of us, how well they work

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/which-escape-works-best.28963/#post-408083
They seem to work pretty well for a lot of others

2014. Nothing has changed, they are the same boards, the porter boards are not mine.

 

[Kaz]

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)

Only twice I've ever seen it too, once when I put the clearer board on upside down and once when I'd forgotten to put it on at all. Took a few long seconds of mystified staring at the supers full of bees before I worked out what was wrong. Eejit!

 

[Garry R]

I used a rhombus last week after epic fail last time used. Waste of time. Left a day and still full of bees. May work for some but not my lot and no patience or time to wait for them to vacate. Porters worked really well on other hives so sticking with them.

It's not a criticism but are you sure that you put the boards on the right way up? I got one wrong a couple of years ago and when I took the crownboard off the super was crammed with bees!! Flipped the clearer board over and they were gone in a day. I use rhombus all the time with no problem.

 

[elainemary]

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

Sell at £20 each at the Yorkshire show