What did you do in the Apiary today?

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Vaped all the colonies. The Paynes nuc was surprisingly easy. It has a solid floor already and just popped the nozzle of the intstantvap in the entrance. Did it last which was a cunning move as had to beat a hasty retreat as bees poured out the entrance at me.
Some bees still bringing in ivy pollen.
 
Vaped all the colonies. The Paynes nuc was surprisingly easy. It has a solid floor already and just popped the nozzle of the intstantvap in the entrance. Did it last which was a cunning move as had to beat a hasty retreat as bees poured out the entrance at me.
Some bees still bringing in ivy pollen.

Surprised you're doing it so late. Is that a reflection of the mildness of the weather (until recently) pushing back your treatment schedule, or is it a subsequent one-off because you believe they're broodless?

James
 
Surprised you're doing it so late. Is that a reflection of the mildness of the weather (until recently) pushing back your treatment schedule, or is it a subsequent one-off because you believe they're broodless?

James
It’s my winter vape, ten days after a few days of frosty weather
Coincidentally I spotted a video this afternoon from Lawrence (who lives not that far from me) looking at his broodless bees.

There hasn’t been much action on the inspection boards either
 
It’s my winter vape, ten days after a few days of frosty weather
Coincidentally I spotted a video this afternoon from Lawrence (who lives not that far from me) looking at his broodless bees.

There hasn’t been much action on the inspection boards either
I would be doing mine next week if it wasn’t for the fact my InstantVap has gone wrong for the second time. I hope Duncan gets it back to me quicker than he did last time.
 
I would be doing mine next week if it wasn’t for the fact my InstantVap has gone wrong for the second time. I hope Duncan gets it back to me quicker than he did last time.
Heavens! What's wrong with it?
It gets much more work than mine does but nevertheless.......
 
Vaped all the colonies. The Paynes nuc was surprisingly easy. It has a solid floor already and just popped the nozzle of the intstantvap in the entrance. Did it last which was a cunning move as had to beat a hasty retreat as bees poured out the entrance at me.
Some bees still bringing in ivy pollen.
Same here with ivy. I was going to cut the hedge, but there were several bees on the ivy poking through the top.
I still have a few wasps at the hive entrances too.
 
spotted a video this afternoon from Lawrence
Always fun to watch him get stung in the face! :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:
He says that his bees are a lot more pleasant these days but trying to film with an open frame at this time of year is pushing it. Wouldn't blame them after being dragged out of a nice warm hive.

I'm looking to do my solitary OAD and counting the days since the temperatures dropped into single figures on 17th November. Temperatures have been more like January that November since ( ignoring last weekends bounce up to 17degC.) Assuming queens instantly feel the chill and stop laying, the last egg laid was just before so I'm adding 21 days which makes them broodless by second week of December. ?

#edit You know what they say about when we 'assume'.
 
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It’s currently 14 degrees here & my 3 home hives are very busy, I’ve observed pollen being taken into all 3 so far. In other news my car is peppered in bee poo. 😅
Mine too.
If fresh pollen is what stimulates laying, when are they most likely to be broodless? Perennial question, I guess.
 
All flying to some degree except 1 nuc which was very weak, checked fondant all untouched so far except for 1. Hefted and all ok. When vidoing close up, and I mean close up of entrances, 1 of the girls landed on the blind side of the phone cam with legs full of pollen another on the back of my bare hand for a rest and warm. I video to later have a closer look at their health all seems good so far
 
If fresh pollen is what stimulates laying,
Just because they need it for brooding, doesn't necessarily mean they'll start brooding just because there's a bit about, weather, temperature, day length, time of year all has an influence - bees aren't stupid, although they occasionally act daft
 
bees aren't stupid, although they occasionally act daft
A trait for occasional complete randomness might work as an evolutionary advantage. If the weather into next season is very unusual the bees that have done something daft might make it through when others don't. 🤷‍♂️

Anywho, stood around and watched the entrances for 5 mins and all active. Little or no pollen tho'.
Cleared the floor trays for a mite drop check before my OAD.
 
I think I have one of those somewhere!
I had a box full of old photographs, some going back to the 1800's, but when I moved down the road to Brynmair they were somehow misplaced and I didn't realise until a few years later, that still plays on my mind.
One of the photographs was on a postcard as many were in those days and showed a cottage on a T junction called Carreg Issac, I didn't realise at the time but it was where my grandfather Arthur Jenkins was born in 1905 on the same farmland as Brynmair (both owned by cousins of my great grandfather) just a few hundred yards way from here but demolished in 1970 to widen the road for opencast traffic)
My mother is the custodian of hundreds of photographs from her side, and my stepfather's (as both families were close well before they married in their fifties they are relevant to us as well) and they are all packaged and labelled for me to rescue when she finally turns her toes - I've already had all the instructions, including the hymns she wants at the funeral.
I spoke to a cousin of mine not long ago - daughter of my father's first cousin whgo had absolutely loads of photographs from that side of the family as both her grandparents were from neighbouring farms going back to the mid early 1800's. When aunty Linda moved into a smaller place as she got older, she thought the photographs would be of no interest to anyone so burnt them all in the back garden :banghead:
Lovely post, how young is your mam?
 
Surprised you're doing it so late. Is that a reflection of the mildness of the weather (until recently) pushing back your treatment schedule, or is it a subsequent one-off because you believe they're broodless?

James
Is it just a one off at this time of year or a few treatments? Already treated with apiguard in August and due to the mild weather going to vape, I usually treat more than a one off?
 
Is it just a one off at this time of year or a few treatments? Already treated with apiguard in August and due to the mild weather going to vape, I usually treat more than a one off?
If your Autumn treatment was effective, you should only need a single vape
 
Lovely post, how young is your mam?
She was born early hours New Year's day 1943, the same delivery room and hospital where the first NHS baby, Aneira, was born five years later -(Glanaman hospital - donated to the community by the Follands was a publicly funded hospital way before the NHS). Our old doc always told the story of he was in dinner jacket and black tie for the delivery as he had to be called away from the hospital New Year's Eve dance.,
 
Today it was quite nice in East Anglia so I checked the hives and added more fondant to the 2 smaller colonies. A few bees were flying about and they were all active inside the hives. Then took the opportunity to brushcut the apiary - the curse of suckering blackthorn from a nearby field hedge.
 
just been up the home apiary, it's a miserable drizzly day but the bees are out in force - temperatures around about 15 degrees
Although only 13 degrees at 1400 and damp overcast both of my colonies were active. Nothing much going inwards though. Maybe they are helping me manure my allotment 🤭
 

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