What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

Checked a unite which is still too big to reduce to one box. Look again in a fortnight.
Looked into a colony which had a test frame added three days ago. There she was on the frame of brood so dabbed her. Fingers crossed for them for winter.

 

[The Poot]

Put clearers under three of the final four supers. Gave the colonies short of brood box stores a tub of fondant. The forecast for the week ahead looks poor for foraging. The ivy here is still a good way off - tiny flower buds smaller than a blackberry.

 

[JamezF]

Finished removing everything from a site I use nearby because the owner is selling up and the purchaser doesn't want bees there. I've only been there about eighteen months, but actually I'm thinking it's not a bad thing. Access was relatively easy, but I think it might have been a bit damp over the Winter. For now they're at home where it will be easy to treat them for varroa, but this Winter I'll move all the hives to another site.

James

 

[TonyC]

What plants did the bees collect the nectar from?

Balsam?

Not sure. We don't have any balsam round here that I know of. My bride of 40 years bought me a microscope a year or two ago (shamefully unused!) so I'm going to see if I can identify any pollen.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not sure. We don't have any balsam round here that I know of. My bride of 40 years bought me a microscope a year or two ago (shamefully unused!) so I'm going to see if I can identify any pollen.

I went on a microscopy course at the National Honey Show years ago and got quite excited about looking at pollen. That excitement evaporated on the journey home. I really should get the kit out again. I'm Tod that you should start by taking pollen samples from plants first to build up a library but there are books with stained pollens you can refer to.
Have a look at this thread. Post 54 onwards
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/crystallizing-honey.56349/page-3#post-893346

 

[Penninetrader]

Finished removing everything from a site I use nearby because the owner is selling up and the purchaser doesn't want bees there. I've only been there about eighteen months, but actually I'm thinking it's not a bad thing. Access was relatively easy, but I think it might have been a bit damp over the Winter. For now they're at home where it will be easy to treat them for varroa, but this Winter I'll move all the hives to another site.

James

Just checked your location on the map as I had no idea where Wiveliscombe was, you surely live in a idyllic location. To the point, the damp conditions, living in the northern hills we get more than our fair share of rain and winter sodden damp. What do you in your experience think the drawbacks are to this and how to alleviate. Thank You, James

 

[drex]

Still not yet used to the flows here in Devon. 3 weeks ago, 2 colonies low on stores, 1 such that I gave it fondant.
Today, there has obviously been some nectar coming in, but fondant gone.
I am away for 2 weeks, so the 2 colonies that were low got some fondant. All got second dose of Apiguard, which was a bit early.
Hoping they fill up on ivy, but can feed later on if needed
I open queen cell . Supercedure? Old queen not seen but eggs. Frame marked and left them to it.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Finished the final 5 super for this year at 6am this morning to avoid the bees that have found their way into my honey room. I was working in there yesterday and found that the room was slowly filling up with more and more bees. Decided to seal it all up and go back before dawn this morning to finish off.
I’ll have to work out how to seal it better over winter.
The very last super of about 140 that I’ve spun out this year wouldn’t clear, turns out it had some heather in it from the common about 1/2 mile up the road! I put it back on for them to clear down to the BB.

 

[Superlativesoul]

Finished the final 5 super for this year at 6am this morning to avoid the bees that have found their way into my honey room. I was working in there yesterday and found that the room was slowly filling up with more and more bees. Decided to seal it all up and go back before dawn this morning to finish off.
I’ll have to work out how to seal it better over winter.
The very last super of about 140 that I’ve spun out this year wouldn’t clear, turns out it had some heather in it from the common about 1/2 mile up the road! I put it back on for them to clear down to the BB.

That's an amazing amount of supers ,well done you and your bees .Is this your normal quantity. I think you deserve a drink
John

 

[JamezF]

Just checked your location on the map as I had no idea where Wiveliscombe was, you surely live in a idyllic location. To the point, the damp conditions, living in the northern hills we get more than our fair share of rain and winter sodden damp. What do you in your experience think the drawbacks are to this and how to alleviate. Thank You, James

In my case I think the area where those bees were just seemed to "collect" mist and fog. Possibly the proximity of the River Tone didn't help. We're on quite an exposed site at home and my hives here probably don't perform as well as some I have in sheltered sites elsewhere, but even they do better than the ones I've moved. I hope that getting them out of that area to somewhere the dampness doesn't "linger" will help them. They'll be on solid floors too, so the wind shouldn't get into the hives too much.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

That's an amazing amount of supers ,well done you and your bees .Is this your normal quantity. I think you deserve a drink
John

I have just over a hundred supers but extracted about 30 in the spring. This year has been my biggest harvest.

 

[Curly green finger's]

United some colony’s today and I’ve extracted 21 supers 378lbs from the hill, some of the boxes only had 8 frames capped - took a few stings to my left wrist as my marigold wasn’t on right.

Also some of my queens are having a brood break plus two of the United I couldn’t find the queens so I’ve United them any way.

 

[pargyle]

United some colony’s today and I’ve extracted 21 supers 378lbs from the hill, some of the boxes only had 8 frames capped - took a few stings to my left wrist as my marigold wasn’t on right.

.

Next time you would be better off with the glove on your left as well as the right then you would not get stung ...

 

[Penninetrader]

In my case I think the area where those bees were just seemed to "collect" mist and fog. Possibly the proximity of the River Tone didn't help. We're on quite an exposed site at home and my hives here probably don't perform as well as some I have in sheltered sites elsewhere, but even they do better than the ones I've moved. I hope that getting them out of that area to somewhere the dampness doesn't "linger" will help them. They'll be on solid floors too, so the wind shouldn't get into the hives too much.

James

Thank you for that, I have experienced that lingering damp mist in Norfolk broads area. i close of the capacity for the wind by poly sheeting on stand frames and have provided capacity to slide foam insualtion under the vented floors whilst leaving a little airflow. I put a big effort into insulating the hives to try and limit condensation due to hot cold. It is all a bit of a battle. Just a very few miles away at lower altitude it would be a doddle but security would be an issue.
Why do we do this ?

 

[Penninetrader]

Thank you for that, I have experienced that lingering damp mist in Norfolk broads area. i close of the capacity for the wind by poly sheeting on stand frames and have provided capacity to slide foam insualtion under the vented floors whilst leaving a little airflow. I put a big effort into insulating the hives to try and limit condensation due to hot cold. It is all a bit of a battle. Just a very few miles away at lower altitude it would be a doddle but security would be an issue.
Why do we do this ?

Just noticed the misstypes

 

[Superlativesoul]

Thank you for that, I have experienced that lingering damp mist in Norfolk broads area. i close of the capacity for the wind by poly sheeting on stand frames and have provided capacity to slide foam insualtion under the vented floors whilst leaving a little airflow. I put a big effort into insulating the hives to try and limit condensation due to hot cold. It is all a bit of a battle. Just a very few miles away at lower altitude it would be a doddle but security would be an issue.
Why do we do this ?

Because we love Bees
John.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Next time you would be better off with the glove on your left as well as the right then you would not get stung ...

Sounds like he’s only got one marigold on as the one on the left wasn’t on right or maybe both on the left?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Obviously- I usually use hair bands around the cuffs or sometimes I don’t use gloves at all

 

[Curly green finger's]

Sounds like he’s only got one marigold on as the one on the left wasn’t on right or maybe both on the left?

Left glove wasn’t on right or was that the right glove wasn’t on right

 

[Eyeman]

Shanks’s pony to put the clearer boards on then in the motor tomorrow for the booty.