What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Garry R]

Could you elaborate please?

Edit: Do you use an eke with a hole in the side? I use a gas vap through a (usually plugged) hole above the floor.

Me too!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

look round the charity shops for one of those wheeled shopping bags much loved by old ladies

there should be plenty of these going spare at the end of this winter by the way energy costs and the general cost of living are spiralling.

 

[manek]

Cleared the bees out of the two remainiing supers, removed capped frmaes for extraction. Put remaining frames into one super, nadired it. Did final inspection of the year (unless something goes horribly wrong), hive chocka-block full of docile bees, eight frames of brood, mostly capped but BIAS seen. Filled a full-frame feeder and left it all for the bees to pull down and store. Happy that they have a good chance of surviving the winter.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Could you elaborate please?

Edit: Do you use an eke with a hole in the side? I use a gas vap through a (usually plugged) hole above the floor.

10cm eke on top with a hole for the Sublimox at the back. The top is polycarbonate with a feeder hole so I can feed at the same time

 

[The Poot]

The bees have been under relentless wasp attack from dawn to dusk, with wasp numbers increasing daily. I discussed it with the bees on guard duty (and doing a super job) and promised to see what I could do about it. So I spent some time searching out nests and found two. Both were in the ground, one had loads of wasps coming and going in a small orchard behind some housing, the other not so many, but still busy in the church yard.
Dealt with Sunday and Monday evenings and today hardly any wasps at the hives
The bees regard me as their hero now

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Found an unexpected (probably virgin) queen above the excluder when moving united 5 frame nuc boxes into full size brood box. This is the second time this year that something like this has happened, queen discovered in wrong box. And last month there was that queen found out in the open 20 yards away from the box she came from. Not the best time of year to make these mistakes.
I worry I'm not getting any better at this!

 

[E&MBees]

Jarred up some honey and designed a new label as rain prevented outside bee jobs.

 

[Redcap]

Topped up the feeder with 2.5 ltrs of syrup; replacing the 2.5 they've taken down in the last 4 days. Pouring down with rain so not able to check further. Rendered some old comb via a diy steamer; started the journey of cleaning up old frames, and have moved more beekeeping bits and pieces into the potting shed...a stealth operation to take it over ...well, until the spring!!

 

[JamezF]

Topped up the feeder with 2.5 ltrs of syrup; replacing the 2.5 they've taken down in the last 4 days. Pouring down with rain so not able to check further. Rendered some old comb via a diy steamer; started the journey of cleaning up old frames, and have moved more beekeeping bits and pieces into the potting shed...a stealth operation to take it over ...well, until the spring!!

Similarly, I have mostly taken over my father-in-law's garden shed in the last couple of weeks. You can't even get in through the door now. I will have to have it all shifted in time for Spring, too

James

 

[Nannysbees]

The bees have been under relentless wasp attack from dawn to dusk, with wasp numbers increasing daily. I discussed it with the bees on guard duty (and doing a super job) and promised to see what I could do about it. So I spent some time searching out nests and found two. Both were in the ground, one had loads of wasps coming and going in a small orchard behind some housing, the other not so many, but still busy in the church yard.
Dealt with Sunday and Monday evenings and today hardly any wasps at the hives
The bees regard me as their hero now

How did you track them back to the hives?

 

[Nannysbees]

United two hives. Dispatched the home grown troublesome queen from the stronger of the two hives. Heavy with chalkbrood piled up on the underfloor mesh,testy flighty bees,very high varroa. Added the hive that we split with a bought queen on top with a layer of newspaper which we cut into with a very fine blade to make tiny slits. How long should we leave them to settle before inspecting?

 

[Hachi]

How did you track them back to the hives?

Dead easy, many a joyful hour spent as a child hunting wazzer [wasp] nests.

 

[Hachi]

United two hives. Dispatched the home grown troublesome queen from the stronger of the two hives. Heavy with chalkbrood piled up on the underfloor mesh,testy flighty bees,very high varroa. Added the hive that we split with a bought queen on top with a layer of newspaper which we cut into with a very fine blade to make tiny slits. How long should we leave them to settle before inspecting?

Until you see paper at the front entrance, no rush this time of year. Air freshener would have been quicker if speed and impatience is your thing

 

[Nannysbees]

Until you see paper at the front entrance, no rush this time of year. Air freshener would have been quicker if speed and impatience is your thing

Ahhh right didn't think of the paper outside. Funnily enough did buy air freshner but I'm not in a rush, just really hoping they accept the new queen and her girls

 

[Hachi]

Ahhh right didn't think of the paper outside. Funnily enough did buy air freshner but I'm not in a rush, just really hoping they accept the new queen and her girls

Time will tell

 

[Brian Bush]

I collected 6 abondoned hives at the request of their former owner. They were in a very sheltered area surrounded by trees and shrubs. Despite being unused for 5 or 6 years they appear to be in remarkably good condition. There are 2 commercial brood boxes and 3 Nationals plus 5 roofs. OMF could be an issue, one fell to pieces when I moved it and others need new mesh.
In accordance with the owners wishes I am going to tidy them up, repair as necessary and offer them to new beeks at a cheap rate. Any profits going to the local Association.
I fear may have trouble passing on the 2 commercial brood boxes, but you never know!

 

[The Poot]

How did you track them back to the hives?

Well it was a bit hit and miss. I tried to establish their line of flight away from the hives, but there are lots of trees surrounding my apiary that prevented a clear view. So I spent time walking the dogs around field edges looking for wasp traffic - to no avail until I decided to explore the church yard. The second one I found after asking the village shopkeeper if she knew of any customers complaining about wasps and as luck had it her young assistant told a tale that children playing in a small orchard were getting stung on their feet. It was easy after that. The nest was clearly well developed, by the wasp traffic and was perhaps 250 yards from my hives as the wasp flies.
What I fail to understand is why the folks that live in the small housing estate that share the play area and orchard, had done nothing about it - other than stick a small apple in the entrance. Doh!

From my efforts and chats with locals, I know of seven nests that have been destroyed in my immediate area recently!
Next year I will aim at getting the queens in the early Spring.

 

[The Poot]

United two hives. Dispatched the home grown troublesome queen from the stronger of the two hives. Heavy with chalkbrood piled up on the underfloor mesh,testy flighty bees,very high varroa. Added the hive that we split with a bought queen on top with a layer of newspaper which we cut into with a very fine blade to make tiny slits. How long should we leave them to settle before inspecting?

So, is Bluebell, no more?

 

[Nannysbees]

So, is Bluebell, no more?

She is no more

 

[Nannysbees]

Well it was a bit hit and miss. I tried to establish their line of flight away from the hives, but there are lots of trees surrounding my apiary that prevented a clear view. So I spent time walking the dogs around field edges looking for wasp traffic - to no avail until I decided to explore the church yard. The second one I found after asking the village shopkeeper if she knew of any customers complaining about wasps and as luck had it her young assistant told a tale that children playing in a small orchard were getting stung on their feet. It was easy after that. The nest was clearly well developed, by the wasp traffic and was perhaps 250 yards from my hives as the wasp flies.
What I fail to understand is why the folks that live in the small housing estate that share the play area and orchard, had done nothing about it - other than stick a small apple in the entrance. Doh!

From my efforts and chats with locals, I know of seven nests that have been destroyed in my immediate area recently!
Next year I will aim at getting the queens in the early Spring.

Wow amazing detective work, well done