What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

I cleared a few of my bait hives up this week. When I opened this one I was met with a sad sight. Blue tits had obviously taken up residence but had failed to hatch the clutch of eggs. When I showed it to my granddaughter she spotted the body of a parent at one edge.
View attachment 41098

It has been a bad year for Blue Tits. We have three camera boxes in the garden. Every year for 12 years they have been occupied. Three years ago nestlings died because the parents couldn't find food in the rain. They were all started this year but abandoned. According to BTO only those birds that started early managed to find enough food

 

[Superlativesoul]

Ordered more ratchet straps off Amazom 10 pack 6mt long ,cost £21.54
Bought these earlier at £32 very good straps ,perfect for the hives .
https://amzn.eu/d/iqO7OvT
John.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

They do say that repeated Apiguard can lead to resistance in Varroa - how long have you been using it?

Who are "they"

 

[Nannysbees]

Any tips on cleaning queen excluders?

 

[Swarm]

Any tips on cleaning queen excluders?

Do it in winter, it's much easier in cold weather

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Any tips on cleaning queen excluders?

which type?

 

[Nannysbees]

which type?

Plastic ones used about four kettles of boiling water on one!!!

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Just found a bought-in queen from BMH that I thought was lost last week.
I was being so cautious, step by step. Last step, turn over the push in cage to check she'd walked down into the frames and she flew up. It was like watching a £50 note fly away. Left the hive open for 10 minutes or so and checked frames again but didn't see her.
Those BMH queens are great they find their way home!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Plastic ones used about four kettles of boiling water on one!!!

well, they are awful things.
cold weather will make the wax brittle and easier to break off, propolis - freezer.
Or just get a container big enough to hold them and soak in a strong washing soda solution

 

[Nannysbees]

well, they are awful things.
cold weather will make the wax brittle and easier to break off, propolis - freezer.
Or just get a container big enough to hold them and soak in a strong washing soda solution

I have got a metal one, do you think they are better?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have got a metal one, do you think they are better?

yes - whether it's a stamped galv. sheet one or a framed wire one - both far superior to plastic.
with the wire ones you can scrape off the majority with a flat decorator's scraper, then quickly run a blowtorch over them to get rid of the remaining wax - with the stamped ones, do not use a blowlamp as they are so thin, the heat can quickly distort them.

 

[Nannysbees]

yes - whether it's a stamped galv. sheet one or a framed wire one - both far superior to plastic.
with the wire ones you can scrape off the majority with a flat decorator's scraper, then quickly run a blowtorch over them to get rid of the remaining wax - with the stamped ones, do not use a blowlamp as they are so thing, the heat can quickly distort them.

Thank you, brilliant advice

 

[The Poot]

Put clearer boards under one super on each of three hives.
H3 - two supers with some capped honey in each, but in patches. I combined the best into one super and left it on for the bees, putting the clearer under a mainly empty super. There’s not much honey in the brood, so when the final super comes off, I’ll need to feed straight away.
H1 - two supers, one almost fully capped, one full but not capped.
H2 - one super, less than a quarter filled, part capped. This colony had a bought in queen introduced in early July as the colony was feisty. There’s very little brood and I suspect she’s a poorly mated £50 queen. I found a single queen cell at the base of a frame, two thirds drawn out and charged with gloop, but no sign of a larva or egg. The queen was found happily pootling about on a frame of honey, not laying any eggs.
The colony has seven frames of capped honey in the brood box and next to nothing in the super. I had taken a totally empty super off a few days ago too. Altogether odd. Bees were still feisty.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Any tips on cleaning queen excluders?

I soaked mine in a strong soda solution in a gravel tray that I use to sit supers on. Left them for a few days then power washed them off. All came up a treat.
Ahhhhh, not sure if wood framed one would fair too well as mine are all plastic or punched steel.

 

[pargyle]

I soaked mine in a strong soda solution in a gravel tray that I use to sit supers on. Left them for a few days then power washed them off. All came up a treat.
Ahhhhh, not sure if wood framed one would fair too well as mine are all plastic or punched steel.

Washing soda won't hurt the woodwork...Will just clean it up a bit...caustic soda ? Not such a good idea on anything but blocked drains !

 

[gregior]

Clearer boards on 5 more today, you know it's been a good season when the queen excluders all look like this:

 

[JamezF]

Clearer boards on 5 more today, you know it's been a good season when the queen excluders all look like this:

You know it's going to be a pain cleaning them, too

James

 

[E&MBees]

Swapped clearer boards around. Had to construct a clearer board for a nuc that has gone freestyle. Hopefully it will work. I had to use a nuc feeder, hence one side I blocked off. The polycarbonate cover over the feeder access slot had shifted so the bees got access to the lid.

 

[JamezF]

Just finished putting the clearer boards on hives in my home apiary. Very impressed with how calm hives bursting with bees were. Just one apiary left to do, tomorrow probably. Also tomorrow I have to move hives from an out apiary because the owner is selling up and the purchaser doesn't want them there. Been meaning to get it sorted for a couple of weeks but had other stuff to get through.

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Put vaping ekes on all the hives.