What did you do in the Apiary today?

[MJBee]

The Sun actually shone for more than a few seconds this afternoon.

So quickest inspection ever on Q+ side of 2 AS - OK but very slow expansion, given more 1:1 - they need heat to draw the frames.

A 14 x12 is showing no sign of swarming urge, has stores but not a lot.

Despite the weather the queen raising colony has managed to produce some nice sealed queen cells didn't check or count them the weather was reverting to the norm - cold and hissing down - so the bees advised me to s*d off

 

[Chris Luck]

Sun shone here as well from 2pm, the bees went crazy and are still working the Colza, (OSR) at 20.15 Swarming starting here this week I reckon.

Oh, and I did get attacked by a falling chalet hive roof and have a nice vertical slash in my forehead as a souvenir, goes with my gashed shin from earlier in the week from a "falling" super.

Chris

 

[tonybloke]

building a collection of 'war wounds', eh Chris?

 

[Cazza]

Lovely and sunny here at 5 p.m. Like watching a switch turn on as bees suddenly came flooding out in all directions after a dire chilly, rainy day. Lovely. Still busy at 7p.m. (or desperate?)
Cazza

 

[drstitson]

Here's a picture of newly laid eggs just 24hr after swarm collected.

 

[tonybloke]

looks like 2 side by side in one cell, doc

 

[REDWOOD]

Here's a picture of newly laid eggs just 24hr after swarm collected.

Nice photo captured the eggs perfectly, have you put it in your album for new beekeepers to see

 

[oliver90owner]

looks like 2 side by side in one cell, doc

Not surprising. She is back in lay and can seemingly lay faster than they can build cells initially.

 

[Waxing]

My First Swarm

Swarm: 27 April 2012 (It's taken me a couple of days to find time to write this!)

I had intended to do hive inspection that day – this was during a two week period of very wet and windy unsettled weather. The afternoon looked promising so about 2.30pm I visited the hive and saw an extremely busy constant stream of foragers going in and out, the incoming being well laden with pollen. Rain had stopped and the weather was brightening up. Returning half an hour later – what a dramatic change! Bees flying everywhere with the roof and sides of the hive being black with bees. Short while later the 2” diameter trunk of apple tree near front of hive had become 9” diameter with bees from ground level to 3’ high. A huge cluster on the rear of the hive where the monitoring board slides under the OMF. A dinner-plate size cluster was on the grass about half way between front of hive & the apple tree.
I got a stem of lemon grass from the fridge, my wife having bought some a few days earlier, and rubbed it hard all round the entrance area of my spare brood box. As good fortune would have it I had cleaned & scorched this brood box and floor just that morning! I gathered them and a crown board and roof & placed them on the ground at the foot of the apple tree. I had the smoker lit but did not need it.
I then brushed the top 6” of bees off the top of the column of bees that were on the tree trunk so that they fell down in front of the hive entrance.
Half an hour later all the bees from the tree trunk had entered the box. I then moved the box a short distance and left it about 6” from the cluster on the grass. The bees very slowly walked through the grass and entered the box. Two hours after that all the bees were in the box. I lifted the box & placed it on the far end of the hive stand & closed the entrance with foam just for the night. Next day I added an Ashworth feeder, containing just over a gallon of thin syrup, on top of brood box then left well alone. Fingers crossed that HM is in there!
This was my first swarm and just a year since I obtained my first colony.
Next day was too wet to do an inspection of the ‘parent’ hive to check on Q.cells situation.

 

[youngyoungs]

Sore fingers!

Foul weather here all day, so spent the afternoon in the garage making frames. My ability to knock a nail in straight is improving - but my fingers are sore.

 

[aberreef]

Today I stood watching the empty front of my hive, wishing it wasn't 5 degrees and lashing it down with rain

If we all face North and blow as hard as we can, do you think we'll be able to move that bloody air stream thinggy that's causing this pants weather

 

[hallshoney]

went up to apiary to check roofs are still on when i got home i found the kids 15ft trampoline upside down on my beeshed

 

[johnmcc]

At last some sunshine

At 6.30 in the morning it's already warmer than midday yesterday.

 

[Moggs]

Didn't realise that there were two 6.30's in one day Sunny here too and have taken day off with a view to swarm control as QC's quite likely.

 

[louiseww]

feeding, feeding!

Put some fondant on one hive as the 2pints of syrup went in 24 hours. Two hives were too dopey to use the rapid feeders, they were hungry but didn't seem able to find the syrup, so switched it to the contact feeders, and will top up later. Lovely sunshine this morning, bees out in force. It's not going to last, back to rain tomorrow.

 

[tonybloke]

opened up entrance to a 4" door, as congestion was evident this morning!
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=6293&stc=1&d=1335781481

 

[witchcraft]

Went and put a brood box with frames and foundation on top of the bare brood box I housed my Saturday morning swarm in. All seemingly going well. Inspected my other hive and had a look at the outside of the swarm "donor" hive. All doing well and pulling in loads of OSR pollen (less the swarm). Sunshine at last!

 

[Snail368]

First inspection for 10 days... did inspection at 9.45am this morning, removed Queen cells (sealed and open) from both hives, found both old queens (2011 marked).

At 1.30pm, swarm took off and landed in neighbour's garden. Went straight around - swarm had already left... however it had gone back home! Found old (2011) queen in front of hive - quite happy on grass in front of hive with other bees, put back into hive.

Hopefully all bees are back in hive now! I did remove 6 frames of brood, etc from this hive 2 1/2 weeks ago due to strong build up and swarm cells, hopefully they'll settle down a bit better now - fingers crossed like mad and hope the weather stays fine for a bit.

 

[Moggs]

SBI visit as precautionary EFB inspection (had a 'proximity alert' not so long back). All hives doing well and with healthy bees

Made the most of my day off work and made up a 6 frame nuc (first poly pressed into service!) and rehomed a weaker (possibly Q-) colony into a poly nuc with a view to addition of a frame of eggs.

Put out a bait hive (not near EFB area).

Bees making up for lost time everywhere. Perhaps the swarm phone will ring this afternoon

 

[Wil66]

Not a good day out of 7 hives all have stopped laying except 1 ( They need food) all have been fed have two that the queen has not been seen one has a supecedure cell the other two at the bottom of the frame there number has not reduced, now at a point with my partner who wants to leave them to requeen and I feel that we need to AS, as long as the queen is in the other colony if she is there

Does anyone have any thoughts?