What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Antipodes]

In the last few days my bees generally have been defensive and nervous, and it's a significant change of temperament compared to last week. I'm not sure why.

Here in the SE, we've had weeks of a relentless chilling NE wind, no rain for ages, and sunshine only later in the day. Perhaps this is affecting nectar availability? And the bees' temperament as a result?

I reckon you're right. Someone on here reported robbing incident a few days ago, which made me think the flow might be over or ending....
I've been watching the test cricket in London on the TV and the weather looks nice and fine...so the lack of rain has one benefit I guess.

 

[Curly green finger's]

One thought immediately to mind is are you totally sure she had come back from a mating flight (ie. with mating sign/s attached), or perhaps what you saw was her landing after an orientation flight only, and then she took off for a proper mating flight shortly after ( which was when you were looking for her)?

I didn’t see mating signs but it wasn’t long before I closed the entrance probably not even a minute.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

queens can go out on multiple mating flights over a number of days - unwise to fiddle around with the colony at all until you see sealed brood.

 

[Curly green finger's]

queens can go out on multiple mating flights over a number of days - unwise to fiddle around with the colony at all until you see sealed brood.

Thanks for that lesson learned but also I’ve been meaning to split them anyway first time I’m letting them raise queens in the top bbs i usually remove the cells and split before hand .

 

[Nannysbees]

Lovely inspection today, hardly used the smoker. Four hives calm.
Found eggs in the cast swarm which we united with a split, could be a laying worker, time will tell, didn't see a queen
The other bigger swarm laying like lightening but rookie mistake put a few supers in the brood, so it's all over the shop, comb drawn down, double layers, right mess,chocca with eggs, so will deal with that later in the season. Nadired the two hives with the bought queens.Top brood box wall to wall, plenty of space below. Little bit blustery but all in all a pleasure to inspect

 

[Swarm]

Clearer boards on, fourteen supers to bring in tomorrow. Checked a mating nuc and spotted the queen in there so left them to it until next week. Message from my friend on the next two mating nucs, looks like a hit and a miss.

 

[madasafish]

Extracted 10 supers from 4 hives Tuesday
Most half capped: water content under 17% very viscous.
Likely yield 170-190 lbs. Last year at exactly same date it was 6 supers and 77lbs.
Record for me in Spring
Bottling and labelling ongoing.Gate sales start Sunday: 20% already presold.

Q rearing going on apace a mix of grafting and Nicot cage means 17 to date: ideal mating conditions/ Using a 6 Jumbo frame Q- starter/finisher with lots of capped brood to make it very strong..Easy to manage very docile.

Three production colonies out of action: Q issues Waiting for mating.

Ground very dry: if this goes on: water rationing.

Lost 3 kg this week due to heat and lifting...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Supers clearing. More than I expected. Have to get the Abelo beast out.
Bees have found the clover.
Can’t keep up.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bees have found the clover

yes, noticed some meillion gwyn around the castle on Tuesday

 

[jeff33]

Sweating and more sweating. Clearer boards in place in one apiary, new queens popping out of everywhere and the Clover and bramble starting to show up 10 days early. Could do with a couple days of rain to get it started!
Went to remove some full supers over a clearer board but all the bees were still there, sure sign of brood and/or queen present. Low and behold, found a beautiful black queen and capped worker brood. Really don't know how she ended up there, that hive was AS about 10 days ago, must be from the demaree done earlier in the season.

 

[The Poot]

Took the refracometer to the hives and found mostly unsealed honey frames at 17%, one at 20%, so put clearers under the first three to be extracted tomorrow. Hoping the forecasted thunder doesn’t happen tomorrow……
Cleaned all equipment for extracting and finally got round to melting last year’s cappings and brace comb in the solar melter. Had a good old, long overdue sort out!

 

[Ian123]

Went to apiary 4 yesterday only demared colony’s there one has swarmed and three bait hives have swarms in them .
The swarmed colony had a newly emerged queen cell plus quite a few capped so I opened all some were duds two had workers in and two red tailed giants came out of two others while this happened a virgin took flight and landed on the landing board of another hive and walked in I’m going back there today to sort/split them up and find out what’s going on .
Three more swarms blimey .

Mark didn’t you suggest a few days ago that swarming season is over for you?
I’ve had a bit off fun before chucking a few casts into a super of foundation 2 queen excluders 1 top and 1 bottom then add a section rack or 2.
Should only be done whilst a flow is on and expected to continue for a week or 2, also with some decent sized swarms to make it worth while. On all but 1 occasion they mingled fine I’d these days squirt some deodorant in.

 

[BaconWizard]

Bees! Ffs lol.
Just transferred a caught swarm, small one most definitely a cast and with (I assume) a virgin queen.
Plonked them into their new home with some syrup since they have already used their reserves in the bush they were collected from.
10 minutes later I see those same bees in almost perfect rank and file marching right into the colony next door! The King’s guard couldn’t have done it better!

As best I can tell, they’ve been accepted too! (The larger colony next door has a mated queen but were caught only a week ago)

 

[Curly green finger's]

Mark didn’t you suggest a few days ago that swarming season is over for you?
I’ve had a bit off fun before chucking a few casts into a super of foundation 2 queen excluders 1 top and 1 bottom then add a section rack or 2.
Should only be done whilst a flow is on and expected to continue for a week or 2, also with some decent sized swarms to make it worth while. On all but 1 occasion they mingled fine I’d these days squirt some deodorant in.

I did , the majority of colony’s are stable.
Pls i don’t think I need anymore methods for swarms my heads had enough for one day …. Hmm… do I have any spare supers and qxs nope only the ones I’ve cut up.

 

[Ian123]

Newly mated queens up and running, quite a range of colours.

 

[Ian123]

Just for the record there all from the same Buckfast dark breeder queen for those that think there all yellow

 

[JamezF]

Bees! Ffs lol.
Just transferred a caught swarm, small one most definitely a cast and with (I assume) a virgin queen.
Plonked them into their new home with some syrup since they have already used their reserves in the bush they were collected from.
10 minutes later I see those same bees in almost perfect rank and file marching right into the colony next door! The King’s guard couldn’t have done it better!

As best I can tell, they’ve been accepted too! (The larger colony next door has a mated queen but were caught only a week ago)

Possibly not happy with their own queen for some reason, or she was injured in the transfer?

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just for the record there all from the same Buckfast dark breeder queen for those that think there all yellow

Or orange.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Broke up some over-wintered mating nucs. Made 128 new mating nucs from them. Cells go in tomorrow am. Queens will be ready to catch in 16 days.
One more group to establish next Tuesday, and we'll have the 512 done. Looking forward to seeing this year's daughters.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I didn’t see mating signs but it wasn’t long before I closed the entrance probably not even a minute.

well I looked in and she had worked her way into the brood box and she is well mated.
New young queen is now back in the demaree side and a virgin queen has been introduced
Good job I nuced the original queen I have now three colony’s almost .
Note to self don’t just use gaffa tape to seal up holes on demaree boards.