What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

4 is better than 6

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Even if you do go 6 days don’t worry about it

I would - you are then allowing mites to get back in a cell and be sealed up safe from OA

4 is better than 6

Precicesly, in fact if it's the last vape in a four vape set it helps to catch up any stragglers, I always do 5,5,5,4 in the autumn round

 

[Brian Bush]

Just returned from moving a friends 5 occupied WBC hives. We lifted them onto a flatbed truck and off at the new site. Predicatably the hive with attitude sent out half a dozen to inspect us.

 

[The Poot]

Watched a cloud of new bees orienting in front of my nuc, housing the “surviving 500” swarm I collected on the last day of September. I am determined to give them every chance to make it through the Winter. Initially I thought they were being robbed, but a closer look gave me great encouragement. They were orienting, coming out and going in, flying beneath the box and generally acquainting themselves with the location.
They are in a Payne’s poly nuc with an eke, containing a fondant block, covered with PIR, to keep them as warm as possible.

 

[Malcolm B.]

Well, not today but several days ago.

I had to pick up one hive that had been caught by a flying sheet of tin in the last gale we had several days ago! Unfortunately the hive wasn't strapped - otherwise they may all have survived. The metal sheet came off the roof of an old shed and it seemed as though it caught the hive fair and square.

Luckily the other hive was some way away, since I had been slowly moving them to a different site.

The remaining hive is now securely strapped. It is also surrounded with some kingspan foam off-cuts I had, held together with duct tape and cling film.

Apart from the little bit of drama losing a colony, I've had very little time to play with the bees. Lots of things around the house suddenly requiring attention, and my car . . . and her car . . . Where do all these jobs come from ????

 

[Curly green finger's]

Moved the mating apiary today 1.5 miles , two colonies I’ve put in nucs from single brood as they were rattling around one had no queen so I’ve United them 14c here a bit of sunshine and the majority of all the colonies were flying .
Next week I’m doing a follow up vape on a few colony’s and moving another apiary , I’m glad I have the mini nucs and some of the single nucs under the Dutch barn next to my honey room where I can keep an eye on them .

 

[markb2603]

Trickled all 4 hives today with VarroMed. All the hives seemed in good condition and hardly reacted in the 30 seconds the hives were open. Had been thinking about trickling for the last little while but after reading the Apiarist blog yesterday I decided today was the day. That’s the belt and braces treatment this year so hopefully I’ll get the rub of the green next year! One thing I will say about VarroMed though is there is a huge amount of waste! Only used about 1/4 of the bottle and apparently you have to use it all within 30 days of opening! Might have to ask around if anyone needs a bit of spare winter treatment.

 

[E&MBees]

Hefted the hives. All doing ok. Some were flying in the drizzle, but most sensibly were staying put. Local association sent round a warning that some beekeepers have found colonies starving. Glad mine are ok.
Pleased to have my beesuit back after having the zips repaired. Much nicer than the cheaper one my husband uses when I need extra help.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Local association sent round a warning that some beekeepers have found colonies starving.

maybe they should have fed them properly in the first place

 

[drex]

We have all learned the hard way I am sure, but I agree. Done properly in the autumn, the feed applied should carry them through. That said though, I always have a box of fondant on standby. ( usually only needed, if then, in February time. )

 

[Macbear]

I just stood and watched, yesterday. Not raining, overcast and about 13 degrees at 1400 - although rain all morning. A fair amount of traffic in and outward bound. No pollen. A few corpses, but fewer than I would have expected. Maybe because it has been so mild.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Today I found queen excluders between brood boxes and nadired supers in 7 hives. I read on here a couple of months ago about inserting QEs and it seemed a good idea. I'd totally forgotten about them. I removed them today. It was 13C and each hive was open for only about 20 seconds and only to access the QE. From the brief glimpses I got, the colonies seemed fine. Really good, even.

Obviously the QEs have to be removed before drones want out. What's the general practice, if there is one? Could I have left them in till I removed the nadired boxes in (very) early spring?

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I checked under the lid of my nucs and found one in which the syrup hadn't been touched from weeks ago. It felt heavy enough over the past weeks so I had assumed all was okay. A quick peak underneath showed that it was packed with bees. They hadn't touched the syrup because they had previously propolised the gaps (in a Maisie nuc feeder) through which the syrup is supposed to flow for them to access it. It was completely dry on 'their' side!

That's a first for me.

 

[Wilco]

I checked under the lid of my nucs and found one in which the syrup hadn't been touched from weeks ago. It felt heavy enough over the past weeks so I had assumed all was okay. A quick peak underneath showed that it was packed with bees. They hadn't touched the syrup because they had previously propolised the gaps (in a Maisie nuc feeder) through which the syrup is supposed to flow for them to access it. It was completely dry on 'their' side!

That's a first for me.

Hmm... I'd best double check that one one of my nucs that has been similar...

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Will, while you're here, I think it was you who suggested QEs between brood boxes and nadired supers... see my post above. Any comments?

 

[drex]

Each to their own, but why nadir?
Why put in a QE? Out of choice, Is the queen going to lay in coldest part of hive?

 

[Amari]

It got out again!

I don't think I'd even attempt a ploughed field in these conditions.

My out-apiary is 600m along a farm track then I pull onto a grassy field margin. Earlier this year I reversed the Berlingo in order to turn round: the rear wheels went over the edge of a ditch = no escape. I phoned Green Flag and, contrary to the terms of the recovery contract = no off-road rescue, they sent a huge truck which winched me out.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Each to their own, but why nadir?
Why put in a QE? Out of choice, Is the queen going to lay in coldest part of hive?

Why nadir? I don't have the experience to know; but as I understand things, you nadir because you don't want the brood nest to expand up into a half empty super left above the brood box without a queen excluder. And as this is done in August, that could well happen.

Similarly, I think the idea (which I've read just once here) of putting in a QE between a nadired super and the brood box is to contain the brood nest to the brood box. The bees will still take stores up to the area around the nest through a QE. I understand that they won't do the reverse - take stores down through a QE to the brood box.

I took over the management of some hives to help a friend. The brood nest certainly did move up into a super left above the bb over winter. I imagine this is where brood and a half often comes from - and accident rather than design.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Hefted all the hives in my main apiary all seem pretty good apart from one nuc which seemed light. Had a quick look and found a clust of no great size then quickly put the lid back on.
Later this week they are forecasting temps of 13-14 deg C so I think I’ll put them in a 3 frame nuc made from 50mm PIR to overwinter as long as they have a queen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Today I found queen excluders between brood boxes and nadired supers in 7 hives. I read on here a couple of months ago about inserting QEs and it seemed a good idea. I'd totally forgotten about them. I removed them today. It was 13C and each hive was open for only about 20 seconds and only to access the QE. From the brief glimpses I got, the colonies seemed fine. Really good, even.

Obviously the QEs have to be removed before drones want out. What's the general practice, if there is one? Could I have left them in till I removed the nadired boxes in (very) early spring?

I have never heard of anyone putting QE's between nadired shallows and brood boxes, Where on earth did you pick that nugget up? If you had any drones left in there the dead would have been carpetting the excluders