What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Do224]

Been out 'flagging' OSR sites all day ready for the teams moving bees this coming week.

Passed quite a few apairies of smaller scale beekeepers and amazed how many were in there, fully suited, opening their hives up and examining them. It was 11C and in this area they are not growing yet. Nothing to gain except beekeeper peace of mind yet......UP HERE that is.

Where is ‘UP HERE’? Your profile just says ‘various’

 

[Erichalfbee]

Murray is busy now and likely won't be back till winter
Up Here is Perthshire
Denrosa Apiaries

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked the drone nuc today as it was warm enough - pretty sure it’s a DLQ as could only see single eggs in the bottom cells, no signs of multiples. Can’t find the flipping queen though as there are still three seams of workers and increasing numbers of drones!
I can only think that late supersedure meant poorly mated so she laid up winter bees in the autumn but then failed.
So my conundrum is…… and feel free to shoot me down if this is stupid logic……. I’m thinking that as she is or was the daughter of a lovely dark queen who was prolific with super calm & productive daughters should I leave them be for a bit so good drones are available in the area or am I risking a mini varroa explosion? I guess that the population will eventually dwindle anyway as the workers die off.

shake them out ASAP you can only assume/wish that it's a DLQ rather than laying workers. whatever way, they are going to be pretty poor in general

 

[Moobee]

shake them out ASAP you can only assume/wish that it's a DLQ rather than laying workers. whatever way, they are going to be pretty poor in general

Thanks JBM. Is there any threat to other hives queens if the laying workers beg their way in? Someone in our BKA said they might kill the queen?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Someone in our BKA said they might kill the queen?

first time I've ever heard that little nugget. the bees quickly beg their way into other hives, the colony will police any laying workers (all, even healthy colonies have them) and the strong pheromones of the queen in the host colony will soon supress their laying instincts, any 'suspect' ones will soon get turfed out

 

[Moobee]

first time I've ever heard that little nugget. the bees quickly beg their way into other hives, the colony will police any laying workers (all, even healthy colonies have them) and the strong pheromones of the queen in the host colony will soon supress their laying instincts, any 'suspect' ones will soon get turfed out

Glad to add to your dictionary of bonkers bee claims then! Many thanks for the advice.

 

[Phill16359]

Checked my colonies at the farm all good supered 3 as boiling over in the brood put 6 frame nuc into National all healthy and bringing in loads of pollen oilseed rape just coming into flower so I guess a busy month for the ladies remarked Queens

 

[Phill16359]

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

rearranging/balancing apiaries this morning, moving colonies around to fill gaps from last season or to suit new hive stand locations.
The last high winds also compromised a few trees on the track to the carreg apiary, two at the bottom of the track near the range have been slowly leaning over until this weekend there was just enough room for the truck to pass under them so, together with the colonies destined for there I chucked the trusty Huskie in the back with the bees and once they were unloaded and the ones there destined for elsewhere loaded up, some tree towing (they both had to be pulled down to the horizontal before starting) and serious chainsawing took place.
All in between heavy downpours of course!
Back home now for an afternoon of quiet contemplation.

 

[ericbeaumont]

been sent rubbish lately

What did you ask for? Anything but Challenge may be cheap but they arrive with different lengths, conjoined, head on the end of the tip rather than in the centre...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What did you ask for? Anything but Challenge may be cheap but they arrive with different lengths, conjoined, head on the end of the tip rather than in the centre...

I wouldn't use anything else but Challenge - it really is a false economy

 

[E&MBees]

Managed to check the other apiary this afternoon. The sun came out and they are sheltered from the wind by a substantial hedge. All out foraging on dandelions.
Very pleased with the queen I raised last year. Bees were very calm & gentle. Excellent brood pattern, covering approximately 9 frames. Added a second brood box, lifting up two frames to encourage them up.
May need to re-queen another colony. Bees were feisty and went for my fingers. They are already on double brood. Added a super as fresh nectar evident in top box.
Good amount of drone brood in both, and a few fellas have emerged already.

 

[MrGoat]

Upgraded NUC into a hive on Sunday while it was dry... NUC had a shallow extension on it and had the place packed.

Went through my other hives and found a massive queen cell in the evil hive which I had planned on requeening later in the year with a well bread mated queen.

Every hive has a lot of drone brood already.....

Time to get the bait boxes ready I think.

 

[Moobee]

Glad to see Queen Victoria happily wandering about laying eggs.

 

[Swarm]

Would if she could judging by the nectar in those cells bit of a flow going on?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Glad to see Queen Victoria happily wandering about laying eggs.

She’s a beauty! What is she?

 

[Moobee]

She’s a beauty! What is she?

Thanks Dani. She’s a locally bred queen bought from from Payne’s last year to replace a failed queen in Spring. Prolific with lovely calm daughters. Hoping to raise some Qs from her this season.

 

[Moobee]

Would if she could judging by the nectar in those cells bit of a flow going on?

If there is, not sure what they’ve found. Bugger all in flower here! Did pop a super on though as running out of space in BB.

 

[Ian123]

Upgraded NUC into a hive on Sunday while it was dry... NUC had a shallow extension on it and had the place packed.

Went through my other hives and found a massive queen cell in the evil hive which I had planned on requeening later in the year with a well bread mated queen.

Every hive has a lot of drone brood already.....

Time to get the bait boxes ready I think.

If you’re going to requeen a nasty hive you’re best off doing it soon, they will only worse and harder to deal with. In my experience also harder to introduce a queen to as the season progresses.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Managed to check the other apiary this afternoon. The sun came out and they are sheltered from the wind by a substantial hedge. All out foraging on dandelions.
Very pleased with the queen I raised last year. Bees were very calm & gentle. Excellent brood pattern, covering approximately 9 frames. Added a second brood box, lifting up two frames to encourage them up.
May need to re-queen another colony. Bees were feisty and went for my fingers. They are already on double brood. Added a super as fresh nectar evident in top box.
Good amount of drone brood in both, and a few fellas have emerged already.

Could be that feisty hive needs splitting Emily sounds like they are choker donate some of the brood frames ? Could be the reason they are feisty .