What did you do in the Apiary today?

[user 20297]

moved 4 colonies from garden to a different apiary

I move two too.

 

[JamezF]

In my home apiary there was plenty of activity, with bright orange pollen (dandelion, I'm assuming) coming in as well as the yellow. I also spent most of the day outdoors in shorts and a t-shirt so I think first inspections will be happening later this week.

A short while back I went to check on the bees that I left in a field in the removed limb of an oak tree. They were flying, so I assumed all was well and left them to it. Today I went back with a chainsaw, the aim being to reduce the occupied section of tree to the smallest possible length and stand it up prior to putting a hive on top. I wanted to do this ages ago, but the weather really hasn't been suitable.

Given that I actually cut through the bottom of the cavity, and had to take three goes at it, one from each side of the tree (because it was almost twice the diameter of my chainsaw bar) plus a final cut after a slight roll of the branch to get through the last little section, the bees were astonishingly calm. I honestly probably could have done it without wearing a bee suit. I still couldn't lift the top end of the section I wanted off the ground though, no matter how much I swore at it. In the end I rolled it sllightly until it was on top of a smaller branch and used that to lever the end up about four inches, at which point I could get hold of it enough to lift it upright.

By this time the bees were getting slightly more agitated (though not bothering me) so I left them to it. This evening I have been gluing up a floor with a big hole in the base and a bait hive style entrance from some scrap decking and bits of pallet. I'll finish assembling that tomorrow and if the promised rain doesn't arrive put it on top with a brood box to see if they'll move up over the next month or so.

The field has sheep and lambs in at the moment so I might have to think of something to stop them trying to use it as a scratching post and toppling it over, though they'd have to work hard at it.

James

 

[pargyle]

Yesterday afternoon I tidied up my little apiary, raked up some of the winter tree debris, trimmed back the ivy on the wall and swept up. Although it was sunny by 3.00pm it was quite chilly and there were only a few bees still flying but there was a definite scent of nectar being ripened when I got my nose near a couple of hives so they are finding something. There's such a mix of forage in the area that it's difficult to know what they are foraging on. I never seem to get a massive flow - it's just steady right through the season with a few spikes, for instance, when the sycamore and horse chestnut tree blossom is out and the ivy in the autumn. One of the benefits of a semi-urban location. I've not been into them yet ... but it's not far off, just a bit warmer please.

 

[Dods bisyssla]

We have just finshed our wintertest where we used 100% heather honey to see if there is any truth to the myth of Heather being bad as winterfood. In 2020 we tried 30-50 % heather on all 9 hives with no winterlosses and this year we wanted to check if 100% heather would also work. At the same time we also wheighed the hive to see the winterconsumption per month and the result is really surprising. First of all no issues during the winter so that myth is totally busted; neither a smaller portion nor 100% heather causes any issues even if the winter is tough. This winter the bees have been sitting idle for 3-4 month with no chance to fly and still no issues. But what really surprised me was the food consumption: We started with a hive weight of 34 kg in early september (about 20 kg of honey and pollen) and in september to october the hive actually gained 4-5 kg. Even in November and december they found something so in end of december we still were on 5 kg plus. In January they started to use up the stores and now in early april the hive weighed 30 kg so netto only 4 kg from september to and of march. 4 kg!! We can also conclude that the brooding have started big time since they consumed 3 kg in March. The excess honey we have can then either be extracted as an early crop or we let it be and extract more of the new honey they collect. So, in conclusion there is absolutely no reason to replace honey with low quality sugar - the 6-7 kg will easily be recovered in early may. Even if there would be a minor net loss we have saved the cost of sugar, loads of boring job with the sticky sugar and our bees get the best food for them. In addition, all honey that is left can be used either for us or as high quality food for nuc's.

 

[Dods bisyssla]

Its still very cold in Sweden so no point to open up the hives yet. BUt now is the time to prepare the coming season and a triple hive for extra queens/nucs is something I can warmly recommend to build. It is always a good thing to have soem extra queens ready since things always happens, perhaps you lost a queen or you killed one by mistake or she stops laying egg. And if anything happens late in the season then there is no time to make new queens. WIth this triple hive its easy to create some extra spares and since we use same combs as in our real hives its easy to add a comb of honey if needed and combine one nuc with a hive that need a new queen. If anyone want the assembly instructions you find it here: WordPress.com. It is in Swedish but i translate on request, although the images and dimensions given should be enough. This one is made for LN but it is a simple task to adjust to any comb size.
View attachment 35543

www.dodsbisyssla.com is the right webpage for the assembly instruction

 

[Curly green finger's]

Thanks, wasn't sure as you'd also referred to feeding in the same post so you could have been making Miller feeders.

No worries mate
One of my local tan queens

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hives stinking of dandelion nectar and all of them busy

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We have just finshed our wintertest where we used 100% heather honey to see if there is any truth to the myth of Heather being bad as winterfood. In 2020 we tried 30-50 % heather on all 9 hives with no winterlosses and this year we wanted to check if 100% heather would also work. At the same time we also wheighed the hive to see the winterconsumption per month and the result is really surprising. First of all no issues during the winter so that myth is totally busted; neither a smaller portion nor 100% heather causes any issues even if the winter is tough. This winter the bees have been sitting idle for 3-4 month with no chance to fly and still no issues. But what really surprised me was the food consumption: We started with a hive weight of 34 kg in early september (about 20 kg of honey and pollen) and in september to october the hive actually gained 4-5 kg. Even in November and december they found something so in end of december we still were on 5 kg plus. In January they started to use up the stores and now in early april the hive weighed 30 kg so netto only 4 kg from september to and of march. 4 kg!! We can also conclude that the brooding have started big time since they consumed 3 kg in March. The excess honey we have can then either be extracted as an early crop or we let it be and extract more of the new honey they collect. So, in conclusion there is absolutely no reason to replace honey with low quality sugar - the 6-7 kg will easily be recovered in early may. Even if there would be a minor net loss we have saved the cost of sugar, loads of boring job with the sticky sugar and our bees get the best food for them. In addition, all honey that is left can be used either for us or as high quality food for nuc's.

my grandfather never fed the bees for winter and never bothered taking the heather off - it was the war, so he used the bee sugar ration to bottle fruit, and heather was a PITA to take off and nobody around here wants it. He kept on doing that until he gave up bees many years later

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hives stinking of dandelion nectar and all of them busy

One of the home apiary’s is the same one hive had a second super yesterday a double brood TF colony which has 12 solid frames of brood I don’t think there is as many dandelions around as last year ?
I Spent 8 hrs in a bee suite yesterday first inspections of the season three quarters of the stock done in a day on my own .
Did a few double brood box reversals added supers removed heather stores shuffled frames around cleaned floors squashed one drone laying queen and shock the bees out took 30 supers out to different sites put extensions on double nucs condensed some and wrote notes for each colony I have 5 note books on the go
So far Only one colony/queen lost the drone layer all in all i’m pleased some queens only just getting going I’m a week early on starting my inspections this season compared to last……. And it beings!

 

[The Poot]

One of the home apiary’s is the same one hive had a second super yesterday a double brood TF colony which has 12 solid frames of brood I don’t think there is as many dandelions around as last year ?
I Spent 8 hrs in a bee suite yesterday first inspections of the season three quarters of the stock done in a day on my own .
Did a few double brood box reversals added supers removed heather stores shuffled frames around cleaned floors squashed one drone laying queen and shock the bees out took 30 supers out to different sites put extensions on double nucs condensed some and wrote notes for each colony I have 5 note books on the go
So far Only one colony/queen lost the drone layer all in all i’m pleased some queens only just getting going I’m a week early on starting my inspections this season compared to last……. And it beings!

Crikey! You only work a half day then? I thought you had a full time job!

 

[Dods bisyssla]

my grandfather never fed the bees for winter and never bothered taking the heather off - it was the war, so he used the bee sugar ration to bottle fruit, and heather was a PITA to take off and nobody around here wants it. He kept on doing that until he gave up bees many years later

Your grandfather was a clever guy, no doubt. Heather need an extractor to remove it (punsch a hole and liquidfy it) and then it is possible to get out. We sell it as premium honey for double the price than other honey types. It appears that either people love it or they despise it.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Crikey! You only work a half day then? I thought you had a full time job

Most of the week is bee related and the rest home schooling.

 

[JamezF]

Most of the week is bee related and the rest home schooling.

When are you doing your exams?

James

 

[Curly green finger's]

When are you doing your exams?

James

I did it them on line

 

[Wilco]

Split one colony into two nucs (was in a double poly nuc) and briefly eyeballed another three. One had no drone brood, others had varying amounts of drone brood and some had emerged drones. Hopefully more checks at the weekend but we'll see.

 

[Swarm]

I took out floors and spare boxes today, decided against inspecting with the cold wind and intermittent downpours. I sighted a new floor and boxes next to a double tier nuc, ready to swap them over tomorrow when it's sunny.
Did all the donkey work and with the sun shining for a while, I decided to lift the crown boards to see what's what.
Five to seven frames and whatever is below them (double boxes) the stores situation is sound.

 

[JamezF]

This morning I went back to the colony in the tree with my modified floor and brood box/roof etc. Despite unscrewing the cover I'd put over the hole in the end of the branch the bees remained calm, not even getting excitable when all the sheep in the field came to check out what was going on. They (the bees) did get a bit more lively when I screwed the floor to the top of the tree, but still didn't bother me. I couldn't get the hive quite level so have arranged the frames "cold way" to try to ensure that they're vertical. I'm also a little concerned about the hive being visible from the road, so I've used the nastiest roof and brood box that I could find

By the time I'd assembled the hive on top and strapped it all together there were one or two bees exploring inside that I could see through the new entrance, so I'll give them a few days and then check to see what's going on. I'm kind of hoping the queen will move up into the box and start laying whilst brood in the tree cavity emerges and then moves up itself to look after the new brood above, but who knows?

At my home apiary there was plenty of activity again today and bees coming in smothered in pollen. I'm starting to see them out on dandelions too, though there don't appear to be huge numbers in flower just yet.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ingenious . Keep us updated

 

[Sutty]

Hope it works ok!
Could be worth putting a frame of brood in the box if they aren't keen to move up.
I've got a couple of much "nastier" boxes & roofs if you want to swap!

 

[Ian123]

I’d suspect she’s more likely to move up if the frames are really close to existing combs. Not sure how much of a gap you have? I’ve used be quick in the past to drive bees and queen into a similar set up. But it was down rather than up! I’ve always been told beequick vapour sinks rather than rises.