What did you do in the Apiary today?

[linoleum bonypart]

There were two colonies next to this one, one of which is on double brood, not keeping up!

Haven’t been in any of my hives yet …. Should I go on the naughty step

 

[Wilco]

Haven’t been in any of my hives yet …. Should I go on the naughty step

No idea... What's your weather been like?

 

[linoleum bonypart]

No idea... What's your weather been like?

Unusually we’ve been having it worse than the west ..!!

 

[maggiescrase123]

My largest colony swarmed 2 days ago - managed to get them out of the plum tree and into a spare hive - now making up some 1 to 1 and fingers crossed they will stay put!

 

[enrico]

My largest colony swarmed 2 days ago - managed to get them out of the plum tree and into a spare hive - now making up some 1 to 1 and fingers crossed they will stay put!

Looks like early swarms down here in Somerset

 

[Moobee]

It's a perfect storm - bees being fed syrup/fondant and maybe pollen sub as so little forage and shut up in the hive due to weather with not much to do 'I know, lets make some swarm preparations!'
Anthropomorphising a bit...

 

[gregior]

Inspected 2 of my out Apiaries today.

Site 1 (8 hives) One word -DIRE! All very low on stores to the brink of starvation Queens laying in 2 but the other 6 have shut down and a couple didn't even have any sealed brood (but no cells so I think they are Q+) One had decided to swarm even though it was only on 6 frames of brood,released a couple of virgins from this one and destroyed the other cells. I really don't want to start feeding them syrup so added a few frames of stores and wet supers to see them through.

Site 2 (5 hives) No great but much better,they were all hungry but at least the Queens were still laying and the colonies were strong. Added wet supers to all 5.

I was hoping to expand by making splits this year but that's not looking too likely at the minute so I set up 6 bait hives.

Surprisingly they were pretty well behaved. We have 3 more days of cold weather then the promise of something much warmer next week-can't come soon enough!

 

[JamezF]

I have to inspect the two "halves" of the hive I split last week today to see if they have queen cells. I don't expect to enjoy it. Our heating thermostat is set to 18°C and the radiators were warm earlier.

Best crack on with it I guess. It's not going to get any warmer today.

James

 

[JamezF]

Best crack on with it I guess. It's not going to get any warmer today.

As it happens they weren't as bad as I expected. Probably decided it's too cold to come out and start a fight.

The hive that had the flying bees had loads of queen cells (and a quite surprising number of bees, I have to admit). I tore down all but an open one with a nice fat larva in and marked the frame with a pin. Most of the queen cells were already capped despite it only being seven days since I made them queenless and gave them a frame of eggs. There's been no sign of them actually swarming however, so good news. I guess that's because some of the brood was further on in its development (ie. the eggs might have been a couple of days old already or they also used some young larvae).

The hive that had the house bees (and the original queen, because I saw her) don't appear to have any queen cells. I'm guessing they tore down the one they had. It looks as though the queen has stopped laying too. There is open brood, but no obvious sign of eggs. Given the weather and the lack of flying bees I'm prepared to consider that understandable.

James

 

[The Poot]

Inspected one colony that I suspected might be going drone layer. It was 10C and very dull.

The bees were feisty attacking my hands continuously and pinging my veil. It was noisy.
I found large slabs of drone brood, capped and uncapped. The foundation free frames 100% drone.
Where there is worker brood, the pattern is good with no empty cells. One frame of worker foundation was 75% drone, fully laid up with the rest fully laid up as worker, so not the speckled cell appearance of a failing queen.

The bees had no food and on the point of starving. Drones were being evicted and dying outside the hive.

I am undecided whether this queen is failing, or is the weather and lack of food causing her to stop laying - I found no eggs?
A fully drawn frame of worker cells was egg free.

Also, did the weather conditions cause the feistiness? Last week they were feisty and I had a couple of followers that I dealt with.
Today, no followers as they were keen to get inside! It was raining as I closed up.

I gave them slices of fondant onto the qx, as I had given them a super two weeks ago, when things seemed very different!

What a Spring!

 

[Mint Bee]

just when the weather's supposed to be getting warmer, OSR is starting to go over, after about 5 /6 weeks in flower. Reckon I've got a week or so to get the frames out. Note frames rather than supers
Bugger

 

[gwt_uk]

I have to inspect the two "halves" of the hive I split last week today to see if they have queen cells. I don't expect to enjoy it. Our heating thermostat is set to 18°C and the radiators were warm earlier.

Best crack on with it I guess. It's not going to get any warmer today.

James

I am going to have to do the same tomorrow - the forecast looks slightly better!

 

[Swarm]

I think it's the weather, Poot. They sound a bit like mine at the last inspection. The worst was unfortunately the first I opened, lots leaving the seams and pinging hands and veil, very noisy, frantic behaviour. The rest lost any patience after a few frames and became fairly similar. They all have stores though.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I'm just weighing my 2 hives again this week. Not opening them until it's warmer next week.
There's a good bit of flying happening but it's only 8-9degC. No interest in bait hives so thinking no swarming underway.
One hive has lost 7lbs in the last week which is probably most of the stores I saw last inspection, 2 weeks ago. Given them fondant. They haven't gained weight since feeding them last October.

 

[The Poot]

I think it's the weather, Poot. They sound a bit like mine at the last inspection. The worst was unfortunately the first I opened, lots leaving the seams and pinging hands and veil, very noisy, frantic behaviour. The rest lost any patience after a few frames and became fairly similar. They all have stores though.

I’ve taken as many stings from this one colony already, as I took all season last year

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m going to check the bees on Sunday armed with two nuc boxes full of stores.

 

[JamezF]

Moved one colony to my home apiary from the "leak" apiary this evening. It only just scrapes two miles away, but I'm going to gamble that it will be far enough given that we have apples and blackthorn in flower. I'd prop some leafy twigs in front of the entrance, but there's really not that much with a decent amount of leaf yet. The hive was heavy though the bees were very quiet. Probably huddled together trying to keep warm. No way I can do the hive that has a super the same way. I have at least measured the height to see if it will go in the car or whether I will have to break it down or take the trailer.

James

 

[MrMouse]

I was down near the bees today so thought I’d pop in. Too cold to do any inspecting of the brood, but I couldn’t resist lifting the lid.
They’re now just starting to draw a second super. First is pretty much full.

I was pleasantly surprised at this given that the weather has continued to be pants. They must be finding some nectar from something even in the cool, damp weather.

 

[Antipodes]

The bees had no food and on the point of starving

At the other end of the world, I've found a few like that recently, ie. no food at all and no eggs or brood in any stage. Not for lack of warmth, sun, and being too wet, but the complete opposite...... extremely dry. Fed with saved frames of stores and within two days, eggs galore.

 

[The Poot]

At the other end of the world, I've found a few like that recently, ie. no food at all and no eggs or brood in any stage. Not for lack of warmth, sun, and being too wet, but the complete opposite...... extremely dry. Fed with saved frames of stores and within two days, eggs galore.

That’s encouraging, thanks. I’ll report back…..