What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Monsieur Abeille]

Mmmm, nice weather ....

 

[enrico]

Laburnum seeds......hope you haven't got chickens......apparently lethal!
E

 

[Gardenbees]

Lovely swarm Dr S!

Usually I leave them with loads of honey at the start of winter and it sees them through, but the timing's all out this year. My two colonies have used up their generous early stores and for the first time ever I've had to feed in spring, giving them half a gallon of syrup each, mid-week. A real shame to have to feed now, as there's a lot of nectar potential in the nearby town gardens. But the warmth isn't there, and all that syrup was gone in a couple of days.... Guess I was just in time.

I haven't done a thorough inspection due to the weather, but did have a peek through the see-through crownboard and noticed plenty of nice-looking brood. I hope that particular generation survives the grotty conditions so that they can roar into May with a decent-sized colony.

 

[Les]

Nice and sunny here in Rochdale today the and bees were busy – but still topped the feed up as the weather is supposed to be going back to normal i.e. rubbish

 

[Nic Rhodes]

Looked at my bees in three of my locations today as I was worried about food levels. Well it turns out I should have been worried as I had to remove frames of food! and put in foundation / draw combs as the bees where getting tight for space, some will go on double broods on sunday. Not quite what I was expecting but all hives doing very well. Have a nice stock of food for nucs in a month or so.

 

[Bob Bee]

Visited two sites, checked outside frames of both halves of an early AS and all stores used apart from a little in the master hives super. Two sealed queen cells where they should be, Fed both.

2nd site bees on 7 frames and drawing the last frame of foundation, still 3 frames of stores, put onto double brood, new 14x12 under.

 

[drstitson]

"Laburnum seeds......hope you haven't got chickens......apparently lethal!"

Nope - It's Acacia (black locust). Due to start flowering next week. A few laburnum elsewhere in the park have been flowering for a couple of weeks. None on our land so poultry ok.

 

[annem]

Swarmed during a break in the weather. They are now sitting outside the spare brood box I want them to go into...I hope it will rain and they go inside.

 

[VEG]

go and put them in the box

 

[Chris Luck]

go and put them in the box

Quite so, on a cold evening they will often cluster where they are, even on the ground.

Chris

 

[piggy1]

Fed 2:1 instead of 1:1 this week. starving . brood box crammed but they wont move up to super through crown board. Is this normal as its cold ?? Should i be worried as Brood box looks really full. When i did full inspection earlier in the week there was 9 frames of brood and eggs at various stages.

 

[VEG]

why do you have a super above the crown board?

 

[annem]

There are now lots of bees in and out the box!

 

[the beehive lodge]

Break in the weather checked my two nucs after finding capped Q cell in my hive
Hoping to find new young VQ in each
Good news found HM in each nuc
Please give us all some good weather so my girls can get out mate and multiply

 

[Skyhook]

Checked mine fearing they might be starving. Actually both increased stores! If it would only stay dry for a few days, they might even get a chance to make some honey!

 

[REDWOOD]

Fed 2:1 instead of 1:1 this week. starving . brood box crammed but they wont move up to super through crown board. Is this normal as its cold ?? Should i be worried as Brood box looks really full. When i did full inspection earlier in the week there was 9 frames of brood and eggs at various stages.

Remove the crow board and put a queen excluder on instead. If it is cold under super with no QE

 

[louiseww]

I inspected my hives yesterday and was planning to split/AS one of them but I couldn't find queen, or any queen cells and while searching noticed that there were very few stores so decided to feed with light 1:1 syrup. A couple of hours later got the email from FERA warning about starving colonies, so felt quite pleased with myself.

 

[Erichalfbee]

ASd the biggest hive. Only Four QCs but two at the bottom and two down the sides so chose one open one and moved the box.
All colonies now being fed. Supposed to warm up next week but remaining wet

 

[VEG]

Finally got to look at my bees today goos job too as they are all very low on stores so fed them. No swarm cells any where but one colony has a supercedure cell in it so will leave them to it.

 

[Ely]

Really need to inspect but impossible due to weather conditions