What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Wilco]

Set up a new apiary. The Jazz performed admirably as ever, holding all the kit and bees now in that apiary.



Other OSR site looking ok too.

 

[Swarm]

More bees left home this morning, onsite at 6:30 to close them in. New owner reports mellow bees doing orientation flights in the rain and pollen coming in within an hour of siting them

 

[Swarm]

Nice looking spot that new apiary, Wil.

 

[drdrday]

Finally did my first inspection of the year = 16°C and sunny today. All were beautifully calm bees. One colony still a bit small, but Queen is laying so will just have to see how they get on over the next couple of weeks. Double brood colony already has drones, with plenty of capped drone brood on its way too.

 

[Brian Bush]

I di my first full tour of the Apairies today. Some I cannot get to when the weather is a wet as it has been.
Swmbo asked how it went. I have lost 2 colonies that I would have bet money on in the Autumn but to my surprise 3 NUCs have overwintered an dare bursting with bees.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

found first egg in queen cup

 

[Newbeeneil]

Did my first”proper“ inspections yesterday and can’t understand why I have so many unmarked/unclipped queens in my hives - they can’t be all supercedure. I inspected about 15 hives yesterday morning while it was warm and must have marked and clipped at least half of them! - almost running out of pink paint!!!!!!

 

[Goran]

Two days ago saw 1st ( European) hornet in this season.. Vegetation is sprinting.. Manna ash is offering nectar and pollen, in full bloom and 1st black locust flowers are opening.. Seems no possibility of separate extraction, if black locust manage to open in normal weather.. Wild cherry was blown by strong wind which lasted about a week..

 

[gregior]

Ok this one isn't going to be popular with everyone but this evening I euthanised a colony. It was a pretty strong brood 1/2 but they were getting more and more aggressive over time. I inspected them last week and they were really grumpy and smoking them had no effect. They were following for a fair distance too.They were still managable for now but would have become a real handfull in the next few weeks. The apiary site is next to chickens and people work nearby too. The Q was 2 years old and all the combs were old and manky so no great loss there.I also wanted to get the job done before the colony started producing drones. I waited till dark, blocked the entrance up and poured a few litres of soapy water over them,this worked instantly and I don't think the bees suffered too much.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I’ve done that. Not nice though. The dead bees make a good addition to a covered compost bin.

 

[pargyle]

Ok this one isn't going to be popular with everyone but this evening I euthanised a colony. It was a pretty strong brood 1/2 but they were getting more and more aggressive over time. I inspected them last week and they were really grumpy and smoking them had no effect. They were following for a fair distance too.They were still managable for now but would have become a real handfull in the next few weeks. The apiary site is next to chickens and people work nearby too. The Q was 2 years old and all the combs were old and manky so no great loss there.I also wanted to get the job done before the colony started producing drones. I waited till dark, blocked the entrance up and poured a few litres of soapy water over them,this worked instantly and I don't think the bees suffered too much.

It's too late now and it's always a personal decision but I would have left them a bit longer.

It's not been the best weather for inspections and bees can be a bit grumpy when you tear their nest apart in adverse weather conditions (it may be sunny when you inspect them but bees are more adept at knowing what weather is on its way). The test for a really grumpy hive is when they attack you for just standing near the hive and then follow you as you try to escape. Just being a bit defensive when you open them up doesn't count in my book. I've had colonies that objected to being opened one day and were pussycats the next ...

 

[gregior]

It's too late now and it's always a personal decision but I would have left them a bit longer.

It's not been the best weather for inspections and bees can be a bit grumpy when you tear their nest apart in adverse weather conditions (it may be sunny when you inspect them but bees are more adept at know what weather is on its way). The test for a really grumpy hive is when they attack you for just standing near the hive and then follow you as you try to escape. Just being a bit defensive when you open them up doesn't count in my book. I've had colonies that objected to being opened one day and were pussycats the next ...

Yes I was umming and aahing but they were following and not just buzzing me but stinging straight away also smoking them had no effect on calming them atall,i've had colonies like this before and they have always got worse and worse as the season progresses. The apiary is a great site for me and I want to do everything I can to prevent the landowners getting stung.

 

[Do224]

Put my swarm trap up today although I suspect it will be a few weeks yet before it gets any interest. I love watching a swarm trap during the spring/early summer…it’s a bit like having a bird table or fish tank

 

[Do224]

Surprised to see the bees so busy at 8:20am this morning. Lots of dark orange pollen going in. The cool breeze didn’t seem to be bothering them, although nothing flying from the neighbouring hive.

View attachment IMG_8840.MOV

 

[Aneebe]

Got my bait hive into its tried and tested position. I so wanted it on top of our wooden pergola but grumpy wouldn't let me lol. There's always next year!

 

[drex]

I empathise with Gregior. I have had to do this too. It was a last resort. The bees were super horrid over a long period and in a Warre hive, so not easy to pull apart to find queen.

 

[Ely]

I levelled some ground to put down pallets as stands for more beehives. Also organised some national equipment for sale as I am moving Langstroth going forward but then decided to use the national and commercial boxes as planters for vegetables and flowers as planters from a garden centre would probably cost a lot more. I have frames, foundation and flat pack brood and supers for sale though if anyone is interested. Brand new

 

[Angularity]

On Monday I did an artificial swarm on a really strong Buckfast colony. The 14x12 brood box was full of brood, workers and drones. The half with the queen is working like mad, presumably on the OSR about a mile away. Now, the half with the non-flying bees is kicking out the drones. Because they don't have many flyers, there is a mound of dead drones on the slabs in front of the hive. I'm so tempted to look through them to check they're organising a new queen, but of course I shouldn't.

 

[Newbeeneil]

School boy error today!!!!!!
While inspecting another 15 hives this afternoon I found another load of unmarked queens. I found one on a comb and while holding it in one hand I tried to remove the pen cap with my teeth through my vail!. BAD IDEA………! one bee decided to give me a dose of Botox to my upper lip which some women would pay a lot for.
Luckily I don’t react much to stings and the swelling was hardly noticeable after an hour or so but it did bring tears to my eyes.

 

[pargyle]

On Monday I did an artificial swarm on a really strong Buckfast colony. The 14x12 brood box was full of brood, workers and drones. The half with the queen is working like mad, presumably on the OSR about a mile away. Now, the half with the non-flying bees is kicking out the drones. Because they don't have many flyers, there is a mound of dead drones on the slabs in front of the hive. I'm so tempted to look through them to check they're organising a new queen, but of course I shouldn't.

Did you have queen cells and needed to do an artificial swarm ? Or are you saying you did a walk away split ?