What did you do in the Apiary today?

[meidel]

found multiple eggs in nuc of cast swarm hived on 8th May - pray to god it's cos she's new at it.

good news, fellow beek successfully requeened with buckfast

i worried for nothing over my prime swarm - supersedure cell torn down, play cups not charged, put a super on for extra space.

another fellow beek's virgin queen has also mated and laying nicely, this was a queen we pulled out of a swarm cell and put in a box with a cupful of swarm bees on 8th May.

 

[nosmoking]

Wondering when I will get a day off from collecting swarms, I'm not complaining as I've donated so many swarms to new members this year its fantastic. I'm guessing it had to happen soon or later though as there has been so many new bee keepers for the last few years that they have been caught out this year or not bothered to inspect as often as they should, so the colony throw a prime swarm then several cast swarms as a result.

Just waiting for the brood in the feral swarm I collected to be capped, I am really interested in seeing the brood pattern, quantity of eggs per day and if there is any chalk brood and what their temperament is like. Fingers crossed they are hardy stock and healthy as they are out flying in force much longer than all my other hives.

If you see these 2

please send 'em back. Ta

 

[Queens59]

Moved 1 colony to new box to be collected by another forum member tomorrow along with a 'nuc' which ended up as a colony...at least they will have a great start at their new home...Also, set up another bait hive for the swarm in our tree - but now it is raining...oh well.

 

[hiveabee]

I did absolutely nothing today. I was going to inspect, It was an iffy morning after days of good sunshine up here. The bees knew the forecast also. I opened the gate to the apiary and put my stuff next to my Nuc; just one small clonk and bees every where. So I left them alone. Good weather supposedly on Monday, so will have a look then.

 

[tonybloke]

took off another super of capped honey ( that's 2 now)
so, out with the extractor tonight

 

[drex]

Yesterday as it was good weather and I had the time I put on my clearer boards. 3 were home made rhombus escapes ( I think a la Poly Hive) and worked really well. I had Porter escapes in and the supers still had lots of bees in.

Anyway, today was much colder, but I was committed, so took off the supers and extracted 90lb of OSR. A much better crop than it looked like I was going to get 3 weeks ago.

However today it was so cold, it was really slow going through the sieve. Gave up on one bucket, and just poured it in straight from the extractor. I will filter it after a bit of time in the warming cabinet.

My mate came over ( first year) and was really pleased with his 20 lb that he brought with him to extract.

 

[wondervet]

discovered it's fairly easy to clip queen's wing with fine nail scissors through the top of our queen marking cage. Done two now and no problems. After losing a swarm last week (4 days after inspection) wing-clipping is looking an attractive option.

 

[Poly Hive]

You were given fingers...

It rained. All day. Heavily.

Waxed my bars for the mini nucs, realized they the nucs, really need a clean.

Work work, ilky morn I waken surrounded by the bloody stuff.

PH

 

[REDWOOD]

You were given fingers...

It rained. All day. Heavily.

Waxed my bars for the mini nucs, realized they the nucs, really need a clean.

Work work, ilky morn I waken surrounded by the bloody stuff.

PH

Work or starve my gran use to say

 

[VEG]

spent the day looking at the bee swarm I caught flying in the rain they are going into a hive in the morning

 

[witchcraft]

Took off 50 pounds plus from one of my hives, and for the first time managed to spill a load. Sticky stuff isn't it

 

[Nic Rhodes]

had swarm fall on my head! without veil on

 

[Phayze]

a halo of bees in st bees ouch

 

[AnotherNewBee]

Not a planned inspection day so made up some brood and super frames just to have on hand. Next inspection is Tuesday.

 

[Poggle]

I had another lass come round for a look at the hive today, she is thinking of getting into bee keeping. She did rather well, she found the Queen, and a play queen cup! We had a close look at some brood and eggs and a discussion on what EFB looks like at its various stages and about Varroa mite and wasps. I do like people who seriously want to see the hive and act responsibly when they are there.

 

[nosmoking]

Not a planned inspection day so made up some brood and super frames just to have on hand. Next inspection is Tuesday.

Good luck with the weather then is all I can say

 

[psafloyd]

Last Sunday, I inspected one of my new colonies which only 8 days before I had filled out with another five frames of foundation. They had drawn it out completely, filled half almost fully and HM had laid up the rest.
Found a few QCs, however, so went to get a box as the numbers looked low. When I got back, I discovered the QCs were only just capped (looked like Mount Fuji with the new wax) and she had buggered off, leaving a (potentially) thriving nuc, one and two day old eggs, larvae, etc.
Took out a couple of the naff QCs at the back of the box and left the better ones in the centre. Annoyed, but clearly she wasn't hanging around.
Back in today as must be the new HM's birthday and had only a quick peep as only 10/11ºC and one of the QCs was surrounded by some bees while she was chewing off the top of the cell – looked like someone was taking the top off a boiled egg, but didn't want to keep it open more than a minute or two so put a super of foundation on and shut up shop. Hoping for good mating weather now.
Spent the next 3/4 of an hour strimming the heavy vegetation on the path and around the hive and didn't get any angry residents out. Was a bit chilly and raining softly, but only half a dozen guards came out once I tackled the front of the hive which was choked with bramble and bindweed.

 

[tonybloke]

had swarm fall on my head! without veil on

tell us more!

 

[Nic Rhodes]

checking out a high swarm and we were cutting out a low branch below of 'no significance' when it dislodged the swarm from a much higher branch! Guess who was underneath? Half on my head and quarter in a nuc box on ladder but 24hrs later still not housed, 2 dozen stings later to my head. Quite bizzare really and one to learn from but luckily neighbour got no stings. The swarm is still there but I can't coax them down...bees split even now between nuc and swarm.

 

[Queens59]

Seems like I have spent all week in a bee suit...what's the betting if I take a day off they'll do something naughty?