What did you do in the Apiary today?

[TOBY-3652]

Looks like fondant on the bees wings i saw one the same on friday

 

[For want of a better word]

Thanks folks.... his father is a beekeeper too

 

[Hombre]

Looks like FWV to me.

That would be fondant wing virus, happens when happy bees get stuck in a little too eagerly at the fondant or syrup bar. She will be able to sneak off for a party with her mates, because the fondant is on, her . . .

You should see bees that have been at an open source of syrup. So much heat being generated and syrup on wings glistening like frost as it crystalises.

 

[psafloyd]

Bees are getting through the fondant, but I think I'll leave them for now.

Look pretty strong and on checking the varroa tray, I found one mite. Yes, that's one in the last week (two weeks in fact), so it's proof they are there (as I assumed), but perhaps confirmation the OA did a reasonable job (as I had hoped).

 

[BobsBees]

Last Thurs 24th I carried out complete inspection of all my 4 hives (nationals) in the back garden.
All colonies doing well Brood and Eggs laid in three of them. The fourth had what looked like capped Drone cells, so I maybe have a Drone laying queen.
Have been feeding Fondant since late November, a lb at a time, looks like hives could do with some more room to lay as they are packed out with stores.
But there could still be danger ahead, could still get snow and hard frosts, but there is pollen out there already.
Looks like 2011 will be a better year than last year.
Bob.

 

[666bees]

Would have thought still a bit cold for a completed inspection. Need to do one myself.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

(Yesterday) Put in a couple of varroa trays. Checked fondant levels and briefly took off the crown board for second time since Oct/Nov to drop in a pollen pattie or two. All looking OK, and some were feisty enough to try to exact retribution for my intrusion, braving the grey weather . Glad I was suited and had smoker to hand.

 

[Summerslease]

Thanks Toby 3652 and Hombre for your replies. I had to read Hombre's twice before I realised the joke. Thanks again, you've put my mind at rest.

 

[Finman]

.
I dig my hives from snow. 2 feet snow here. -7 C now.

 

[BobsBees]

Hi 666bees,
I totally agree with your comment about it being too early for a total inspection of a hive at this time of year.
And this is the case for most beekeepers in the UK.
But there have been several days this month where the temperature at 1300 hrs has been above 12c, which I regard as the minimum temperature for me at any rate to view the bees.
The 3rd, 4th,5th,8th,11th,12th,14th,24th,25th The 24th was by far the warmest day here in Rainham, Kent at 17.5c So I carried out my inspection.

 

[Somerford]

Had a brief look at the fondant levels - they are munching through it steadily. I was speaking to a fellow local beek and he said he was starting to feed this time last year (but neither of us could remember whether the weather was mild or cold!)

I also noticed a number of varroa mites on a tray underneath one hive....methinks a 2nd application of Oxalic later in the spring before they really get going.

S

 

[Ely]

Planted some apple trees and hawthorn. Put a plant in the new pond, still working out which part of the apiary to put the hives

 

[MuswellMetro]

Looked at the Fondant levels

a few photos

1) i started on Neopol (500g) last week and they seem more interested in that than the 1Kg of Inerted Sugar fondant that has been on since December,

2) CarnieX given 2kg extra bakers fondant last week but not Neopol (on 10 14x12 frames last year from a June Nuc,) and a bit light on stores

 

[Silly Bee]

First bit of sunshine in ages, the girls all came out to enjoy it.

Such a pleasant sight.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Farmer came to see me and I am moving out as the bees are collecting dust from cattle feed and creating a problem.


They will most likely stop doing that now you are feeding them pollen Pattys....or is it just too late as far as the farmer is concerned.
Bee's will collect sawdust or even coal dust if they are short of pollen.

 

[Mike a]

Bee's will collect sawdust or even coal dust if they are short of pollen.

Sounds like a typical bloke thing for an easy life to get out of doing a job properly.

 

[Summerslease]

All the bees were flying today- or that's what it looked like. I should have warned my better half about drying the duvet cover on the line but....... Yes you guessed it, bee poo everywhere. We did laugh.

 

[Tom Bick]

Bee's will collect sawdust or even coal dust if they are short of pollen.

At the Federation of Middlesex Beekeepers shin dig this past weekend one of the speakers mentioned amongst other things that bees are apt to collect tar from freshly laid roads.

 

[victor meldrew]

I made a couple of open mesh floors to Graham Whites diagrams , modified slightly to allow more bee space under brood frames

John Wilkinson

 

[Hivemaker.]

At the Federation of Middlesex Beekeepers shin dig this past weekend one of the speakers mentioned amongst other things that bees are apt to collect tar from freshly laid roads.

I have seen them doing this as well Tom,there is quite a lot about it on various internet sites.


Some 35 years ago it was observed that bees collect powdery materials such as coal dust, fine earth, saw dust, rotted wood, etc. in times of pollen dearth (Spencer-Booth, 1960). These observations suggested that it should be possible to feed bees with suitable artificial materials to replace the missing natural diet of pollen nb. the collection of tar from the roads when propolis is in short supply.

http://www.beedata.com/data2/feeding_bees.html