What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Superlativesoul]

Not quite in the apiary - but apiary related.
First full day at the Royal Welsh today, got there super early, tarried before going to the National Honey show, getting a full monty breakfast roll washed down by a mug of Murrough's Welsh brew tea and a chat with Mr Murrough junior; his father, the company founder was In Grammar school with my mother - still going strong at eighty years old same as mam (both born the first week of January 1943, Mam on New years day and him on the sixth) and running the main stall at the food hall.
Arrived at the Honey show to be greeted by congratulations - apparently this year I'm the joint winner of the Henry Ferguson Thomas Memorial crystal for gaining the highest number of points in the open classes, and Dorian Death (who donates the crystal) has arranged we get a crystal each to take home!!
I was also surprised to find I'd got first for my wax cake again (third time now) as I didn't think it was by best offering so my name is once again on the EJ Tanner memorial silver rosebowl.
View attachment 37099View attachment 37100
Got first for the light honey and two of the classes of cut comb honey then a selection of seconds and thirds for heather honey, soft set heather mix, moulded candles and the composite class.
Oh, and gave the usual interview for the S4C evening Royal Welsh Show roundup

I've never heard of Wax cake ,is there a recipe for this ,as would like to try
John

 

[pargyle]

Not quite in the apiary - but apiary related.
First full day at the Royal Welsh today, got there super early, tarried before going to the National Honey show, getting a full monty breakfast roll washed down by a mug of Murrough's Welsh brew tea and a chat with Mr Murrough junior; his father, the company founder was In Grammar school with my mother - still going strong at eighty years old same as mam (both born the first week of January 1943, Mam on New years day and him on the sixth) and running the main stall at the food hall.
Arrived at the Honey show to be greeted by congratulations - apparently this year I'm the joint winner of the Henry Ferguson Thomas Memorial crystal for gaining the highest number of points in the open classes, and Dorian Death (who donates the crystal) has arranged we get a crystal each to take home!!
I was also surprised to find I'd got first for my wax cake again (third time now) as I didn't think it was by best offering so my name is once again on the EJ Tanner memorial silver rosebowl.
View attachment 37099View attachment 37100
Got first for the light honey and two of the classes of cut comb honey then a selection of seconds and thirds for heather honey, soft set heather mix, moulded candles and the composite class.
Oh, and gave the usual interview for the S4C evening Royal Welsh Show roundup

Well done Emyr, great result ....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are you giving a lecture at the national honey show ?

Good God no, not planning on going this year

I've never heard of Wax cake ,is there a recipe for this ,as would like to try
John

It's just a block of wax, moulded - In the Royal Welsh it has to be within a certain weight and dimensions, it's all about having a spotlessly clean piece of wax (even the slightest speck of dirt will sink to the bottom of the mould - which becomes the top when turned out) even the base must be smooth with no ripples or such it's as much about the skill of the maker.

 

[deemann1]

Cleared around 30 supers today im rightly peed off . All around 20 percent moisture the bees have eaten up alot of supers too very bad summer honey crop

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm the joint winner of the Henry Ferguson Thomas Memorial crystal

Fame...in perpetuity

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cleared around 30 supers today im rightly peed off . All around 20 percent moisture the bees have eaten up alot of supers too very bad summer honey crop

I went through mine yesterday. managed a few full ones to take off but had to leave quite a few part filled ones on as little in many of the broods. Still have four second brood boxes which are the remains of unites our Demarees with patchy stores.

 

[Malcolm B.]

Do you know how old the queen was Malcolm ?,
John

I'm quite certain that she arrived with the first swarm that took up residence here late last year. I think she was an old queen and had now reached her 'Supersede By' date since she was not a very prolific layer. I expect the youngsters became fed up with the old lady spending more time asleep in her chair than laying eggs, so they reared a new queen and then evicted the old one. I have not found evidence of any drone brood in her hive. She was obviously laying since the entire swarm came happily through the winter with stores to spare - but the core of brood seemed quite small.

and what are your plans for her

She was a big old girl so we'll probably just have a leg each with chips, for a few days!

Malcolm B.

 

[Malcolm B.]

At this point I was half expecting you to say that you'd sprayed it on the bees to get them off the top bars instead of using a smoker.

What??? and waste a perfectly good mug full of Lapsang Souchon?? Go and stand in the corner!!

Malcolm B.

 

[Nannysbees]

Good God no, not planning on going this year

It's just a block of wax, moulded - In the Royal Welsh it has to be within a certain weight and dimensions, it's all about having a spotlessly clean piece of wax (even the slightest speck of dirt will sink to the bottom of the mould - which becomes the top when turned out) even the base must be smooth with no ripples or such it's as much about the skill of the maker.

Many congratulations, the trophy is beautiful. I hope you have a cabinet to display everything you have won over the years. How do you clean your wax to to that level? Or is it a secret?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I hope you have a cabinet to display everything you have won over the years

I don't get to keep the trophies, in fact the Tanner bowl never leaves the vault at the showground although you can have a photograph with it if you ask the custodian nicely to take it out of the cabinet. All the cards/rosettes live in boxes in the attic, although I should really put the framed gold medals on the study wall

How do you clean your wax to to that level? Or is it a secret?

you only use the cleanest/whitest cappings wax, initial filter is through a doubled up ladies stocking (doubled up lady removed) then twice in quick succession through clean surgical lint which gets thrown away regularly during filtering a couple of kilos. trick is to not heat up the wax too much so it never gets above 70°C if any cast comes out with a bit of dirt, all the wax gets refiltered.
Then there's the shine of the wax, now that is a bit of a secret as it's a trick of mine I stumbled across just a while ago. but in general, a lint free cloth and hard work involving small circular motions much like French polishing, A dab of methylated spirits on the cloth can help lift very small scratches/blemishes.
The photograph doesn't do it justice as it's been covered with a protective cover for the show.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Stan’s granddaughter. “I hate bees!”
We are taking supers off today
It’s a start but somehow I suspect only that, but you never know. She is OZ Armoured and has her hoodie on

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not quite in the apiary - but apiary related.
First full day at the Royal Welsh today, got there super early, tarried before going to the National Honey show, getting a full monty breakfast roll washed down by a mug of Murrough's Welsh brew tea and a chat with Mr Murrough junior; his father, the company founder was In Grammar school with my mother - still going strong at eighty years old same as mam (both born the first week of January 1943, Mam on New years day and him on the sixth) and running the main stall at the food hall.
Arrived at the Honey show to be greeted by congratulations - apparently this year I'm the joint winner of the Henry Ferguson Thomas Memorial crystal for gaining the highest number of points in the open classes, and Dorian Death (who donates the crystal) has arranged we get a crystal each to take home!!
I was also surprised to find I'd got first for my wax cake again (third time now) as I didn't think it was by best offering so my name is once again on the EJ Tanner memorial silver rosebowl.
View attachment 37099View attachment 37100
Got first for the light honey and two of the classes of cut comb honey then a selection of seconds and thirds for heather honey, soft set heather mix, moulded candles and the composite class.
Oh, and gave the usual interview for the S4C evening Royal Welsh Show roundup

Bloody good job. Well done!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bloody good job. Well done!

got the Gower show now, weekend after next, dreading it - but at least a lot of the work is recycling this week's entries, although the judge made a mess of one of my cut comb trays (wait until I see Peter at the next BFA meeting!!)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How do you clean your wax to to that level?

here's a better picture I just stumbled across - preparing the wax cake for last year's Gower show.

 

[Superlativesoul]

Stan’s granddaughter. “I hate bees!”
We are taking supers off today
It’s a start but somehow I suspect only that, but you never know. She is OZ Armoured and has her hoodie on

View attachment 37104

Wish I had started at her age ,if she gets into it a lifetime of pleasure lies ahead the good days with the bad
John.

 

[Nannysbees]

I don't get to keep the trophies, in fact the Tanner bowl never leaves the vault at the showground although you can have a photograph with it if you ask the custodian nicely to take it out of the cabinet. All the cards/rosettes live in boxes in the attic, although I should really put the framed gold medals on the study wall

you only use the cleanest/whitest cappings wax, initial filter is through a doubled up ladies stocking (doubled up lady removed) then twice in quick succession through clean surgical lint which gets thrown away regularly during filtering a couple of kilos. trick is to not heat up the wax too much so it never gets above 70°C if any cast comes out with a bit of dirt, all the wax gets refiltered.
Then there's the shine of the wax, now that is a bit of a secret as it's a trick of mine I stumbled across just a while ago. but in general, a lint free cloth and hard work involving small circular motions much like French polishing, A dab of methylated spirits on the cloth can help lift very small scratches/blemishes.
The photograph doesn't do it justice as it's been covered with a protective cover for the show.
View attachment 37103

It looks amazing, no wonder it's a prize winner

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wish I had started at her age ,if she gets into it a lifetime of pleasure lies ahead the good days with the bad
John.

Nope. Despite all our entreaties and the fact that there were no bees in the air she wouldn’t stay and wandered off in her suit to watch some cows.
Oh well. We tried. Her mother is buzzing thing phobic so it’s not surprising

 

[Newbeeneil]

I made up 10 nucs out of 2 colonies and 8 queens cell I have managed to graft,

 

[madasafish]

Well the limes have finished flowering. It has rained every day (or so it seems in July) so that was a waste of time.
Have had to feed ALL my nucs- running out of stores.
And two weakish large colonies - June swarms into my bait hives.

My large colonies still appear to have stores despite extracting twice in June. But not a lot
Truly abysmal weather.. A washout.
(Queens raised late June are either missing or not mated at all or drone laying. Who said Q rearing is easy. They are wrong.)

It is pouring as I write after an unheard of dry spell from 9am to 4pm

 

[elainemary]

Craft Market for us this weekend, my daughter has a little business, along with being a Welsh teacher in secondary, bringing up two children and a million other things on her plate. My retired husband is a Potter, so of we went with our honey and bee goodies in tow!!!! Weather dire but lots of lovely people came to chat about the bees. Flowers picked from my garden

Fab display, well done!