What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

No wind, no rain and earth shattering 7C so checked mini nuc/nucs and fed as needed.

All survived so far...

 

[MrMouse]

If they are building comb it's probably because they were looking for somewhere to store the fondant ..begs the question... did they need feeding ?

You’re probably right. Classic beginner being too scared about winter starvation.
They’ll probably get to spring with too much in the way of stores…

 

[pargyle]

You’re probably right. Classic beginner being too scared about winter starvation.
They’ll probably get to spring with too much in the way of stores…

There are those who would suggest that it's better to be removing excess frames of stores in spring rather than be cleaning out a hive of bees with their bums sticking out of empty cells ... it's a balancing act getting it right and even experienced beekeepers sometimes get it wrong. There is little more depressing in beekeeping than knowing you allowed them to starve ...the guilt stays with you for a long time ...

 

[paul24]

what do they taste like?

taste like chickeen

 

[Garry R]

Not actually in the apiary but at the Somerset Beekeepers Lecture Day - it was wet day later in the day so wouldn't have been in the apiary for long. Good day out with interesting lectures and workshops which were well attended and enjoyed. Great to meet up with friends across the county again and a really good venue. Thanks to all the organisers too.

 

[Beedogg]

There are those who would suggest that it's better to be removing excess frames of stores in spring rather than be cleaning out a hive of bees with their bums sticking out of empty cells ... it's a balancing act getting it right and even experienced beekeepers sometimes get it wrong. There is little more depressing in beekeeping than knowing you allowed them to starve ...the guilt stays with you for a long time ...

I have four colonies which appear to have weathered the winter. I weighed them today (whilst vaping) and I calculate that the stores in then range from 10.5kg in the lightest up to 16kg in the heaviest. Is that too much, too little or around right?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have four colonies which appear to have weathered the winter. I weighed them today (whilst vaping) and I calculate that the stores in then range from 10.5kg in the lightest up to 16kg in the heaviest. Is that too much, too little or around right?

16 kilos is usually sufficient for the whole winter, 10 should be enough until the end of spring.
I never consider colonies to have survived the winter until winter is over and spring is well underway; from now until mid march is the crunch time for colonies as the winter bees are required to make the last big push and establish the new season's workforce

 

[Erichalfbee]

from now until mid march is the crunch time for colonies as the winter bees are required to make the last big push and establish the new season's workforce

And I’m not happy till turnover is reached

 

[Antipodes]

Not much. Getting even drier...

 

[StephenT]

All hives flying well this weekend, although am concerned about one of the home hives as they have been chucking out a lot more dead than the others and on the inspection board there is just a small amount of cappings at the front. No clear lines of cappings on the board like the others. Gave the nuc at the allotment site some more fondant. Rammed with bees and will need to stick them a proper hive in a few weeks time.

 

[Martimart]

Nice and sunny yesterday, a little cold at 8 degrees, so watched them come and go, bringing in some pollen already, maybe 2 in 10 Bee's arriving had pollen. Lifted roofs and there's some small amounts of ambrosia left in the wrappings. I think that will do them now depending on the next 6 weeks weather. Planted 350 onion sets in the greenhouse, ready for planting outside in a month or so's time. Looking forward to the new season, a little nervous as I'm going to try running my 14x12's with no QE this year.

 

[Moobee]

Happy to see the out apiary hive is looking good and they’ve eaten almost all their fondant. Felt a bit light so topped them up. Lots of orange pollen going in which I think is crocus.

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[The Poot]

Happy to see the out apiary hive is looking good and they’ve eaten almost all their fondant. Felt a bit light so topped them up. Lots of orange pollen going in which I think is crocus.

You’re very generous - mine just get one tub!

 

[Nannysbees]

Worth planting hundreds of crocus when I see the bees all over them

 

[Erichalfbee]

Worth planting hundreds of crocus when I see the bees all over them

Yes. We have hundreds in front of the bees.
The first year we were here we planted 500. Yellow white and purple.

 

[Redcap]

Did a check on the apiary yesterday; expected to see a bit of activity given it was bright and sunny, but it was minimal - hives are shaded from the sun and so the temperature 'feels like' factor is low. I was concerned to see about a dozen dead bees on the ground at the hive entrance, all of them had full pollen baskets (yellow pollen)...so my assumptions are they had made it back to the colony, but not managed to walk in and promptly succumbed to the cold - or - that they had died in the hive and were then duly expelled; but if the latter, why were their pollen baskets still full (?).

In happier news, picked up one moribund bee, who looked dead, so cupped her in hand and after serveral warm breaths she had revived, gave her a drop of syrup, and after a few more minutes of lapping she launched herself skywards...last seen back at the hive entrance..nice feeling :

 

[Newbeeneil]

Did a tour of 7 apiaries, checked stores levels and added a little fondant to a few light ones.
Lots of bees flying in the sun bringing in pollen.
I set up a new base in one of the apiaries ready to receive a couple of hives from last years isolation apiary.

 

[Antipodes]

Did a tour of 7 apiaries, checked stores levels and added a little fondant to a few light ones.
Lots of bees flying in the sun bringing in pollen.
I set up a new base in one of the apiaries ready to receive a couple of hives from last years isolation apiary.
View attachment 38954

Looking beautiful there.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Looking beautiful there.

It is, it’s in the grounds of a TB sanatorium built in the early 20th century. It closed in 2012 and has been turned into very high class apartments. They have also built many houses in the grounds and are about to build another 54 apartments in 3 new blocks.
The hives are on what is called “the meadow” but is almost entirely covered in gorse.