What did you do in the Apiary today?

[TJSnapper]

Put together 50 14x12 frames and wax, 4 14x12 ekes and one hive this morning, quite productive really, no chance of getting into the hives though, far too cold and wet, although there is still a flow of pollen going in on al the hives.

 

[Skyhook]

Sadly, I fear it is too cold at the moment for Apiguard to have its proper effect.

Measure the success of any treatment not by mite drop during treatment, but by the rate of natural mite death after the treatment is finished.
Right now, a small mite drop rate will not tell you the difference between ineffective treatment and there not being a big problem.
Be sure to check the drop a few weeks after your treatment period ends.

Very easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. Then the the little b****rs strike when you least expect it.

.

 

[roolbg]

Went to move a colony from a makeshift nuc into a proper one after last weeks AS, couldn't see the queen and supercedure cells present. Woops...

 

[Cazza]

Boredom due to rubbish weather has set in.
I think I'm losing it as I have just made a beekeeper scarecrow to put in front of my vile hive in the hope they think it's me and get fed up attacking it.
Cazza

 

[Davelin]

Boredom due to rubbish weather has set in.
I think I'm losing it as I have just made a beekeeper scarecrow to put in front of my vile hive in the hope they think it's me and get fed up attacking it.
Cazza

Repaired a couple of old supers I had been given whilst watching the rain. Golf match tomorrow so hope it brightens up a bit.

 

[Mike a]

Boredom due to rubbish weather has set in.
I think I'm losing it as I have just made a beekeeper scarecrow to put in front of my vile hive in the hope they think it's me and get fed up attacking it.
Cazza

 

[Silly Bee]

Wall to wall rain here all day, so, nowt.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Topped up the feeders
Horrid weather since Friday last week at least another 10 days of it to go.
One colony is on a 14 x 12 with a super under. Hubby looked at the top box on Friday to find all 11 frames with wall to wall brood. They'll be busy making queen cells waiting for that first bit of sunshine

 

[keithgrimes]

fed two hives that are sitting in the middle of 125 acres of rape. As one poster said elsewhere 'starving in the midst of plenty'.

 

[Poggle]

My "Yellow" hive was doing well until two days ago, no bees left alive If you remember, this is the hive that swarmed twice that I know of last September and October. There were 4 full frames of honey though. Green hive is "buzzing"!!! Loads of new bees everywhere, super is on with frames as I am NOT making the mistake I did last year. I have still to get frames out to have a look for brood and check the queen as the weather has been either to cold or too wet this past couple of weeks or the timing wasn't right due to life.............Still, I am happy the green hive is growing as this is the origonal first swarm with the origonal queen and it is also the hive that got attacked 5 weeks ago.

 

[Les]

Added some feed as the hives felt light.

 

[tonybloke]

moved a colony back home this evening, at about 8 o clock.
at ten o clock there is a huge 'beard' of bees on the outside of the front of the hive. After taking advice on the phone from RAB, I've covered the lot with a sheet to keep off the worst of the cold. I'll check in the morning to see what's occurring.
it may be that a swarm is about to fly off ( I haven't been able to get access to inspect this hive since october)
if they're still on the front in the morning, I may brush them into a nuc box to see what happens.
I'll also inspect the brood box for any signs of queen cells.
this hive has/had a 2011 queen ( hatched 13th June )

 

[TJSnapper]

Checked the hives briefly, just lifting the roof as it was fairly chilly, chucked some feed on the crown board for the lightest hive as I was not wearing a suit and they were clustering above the crown board, managed to get a sting for my troubles, so a first for the season......

 

[tonybloke]

Had a look under the sheet on the hive I covered last night. Most ( about 85%) of the bees are back in the brood box.
am going to inspect the colony later this morning to see wtf is going on.

 

[Silly Bee]

Did they think of swarming and then change their mind Tony?

 

[tonybloke]

Did they think of swarming and then change their mind Tony?

after this mornings inspection, I reckon the following was occurring;

they were getting ready to swarm, evidenced by;
the lack of eggs, and a partially drawn queen cell with larvae in it ( this I knocked down )
still some u/s brood and a load of sealed brood.
LOADS of bees ( this is in a commercial brood box )

I removed a frame which partially full of stores so I could get a dummy board in the hive ( 12 frames are too many for easy inspections ) and added a Queen excluder and a super full of drawn frames.
I'll look in again on Sat / Sun ( weather dependent) to re-assess the situation.

 

[Chris Luck]

It seems very strange that they would be outside preparing to swarm in the evening, never seen such a thing.

What I have found is that some colonies when moved and then opened the same evening will produce this type of result, as opposed to when opened the following morning when they behave more or less normally, (obviously re orientating). Not to say that they aren't prepared to swarm anyway.

This is a photo I took of a swarm "being called back" to the issuing colony when a thunder storm was approaching some 20 to 30 kilometres away, they were all back inside before the storm arrived and proceeded to swarm the following day.

 

[chalkie]

It seems very strange that they would be outside preparing to swarm in the evening, never seen such a thing.

What I have found is that some colonies when moved and then opened the same evening will produce this type of result, as opposed to when opened the following morning when they behave more or less normally, (obviously re orientating). Not to say that they aren't prepared to swarm anyway.

This is a photo I took of a swarm "being called back" to the issuing colony when a thunder storm was approaching some 20 to 30 kilometres away, they were all back inside before the storm arrived and proceeded to swarm the following day.

What type of hive is that, is it made of plastic.

 

[tonybloke]

It seems very strange that they would be outside preparing to swarm in the evening, never seen such a thing.

What I have found is that some colonies when moved and then opened the same evening will produce this type of result, as opposed to when opened the following morning when they behave more or less normally, (obviously re orientating). Not to say that they aren't prepared to swarm anyway.

they 'bearded' last night, prob due to the move. ( lesson learnt!! ) and the lack of room in the hive for all the bees. (it is a 16 x10), hence I added a super this morning.

 

[Chris Luck]

That's a ten frame wooden Dadant painted with thermo paint with a Nicot plastic OMF base.

​

Chris