What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh no not another round of rubbish jokes!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Frustrating period.

My nuc arrived about 6 weeks ago and put in a 14x12.

They seem to have filled that up and the colony seems huge.
Put a super on - but they've hardly drawn anything out.

Lots of flying about and this evening the nuc is heaving with bees.
And it's very noisy! But it's hot out there.

Dont want to open thm up again till Saturday if i can avoid it.
And my mentor is away.

Hey ho!

Dusty.

 

[Shabro]

put a caste I collected into a smaller nuc box and fed fondant

 

[jackbee]

Oh no not another round of rubbish jokes!

Well I refuse to post any more

 

[Beanwood]

Helped collect a swarm on a fence post. Only my second collection, both on posts - I want a branch one next

I LOVE collecting swarms - such a buzz

OK - I admit it - it was ME Jackbee helped
I've never done one before - and I seemed to recall post collecting was his specialty as he's done it once before...

 

[jackbee]

OK - I admit it - it was ME Jackbee helped
I've never done one before - and I seemed to recall post collecting was his specialty as he's done it once before...

lol, no prob, loved it - shoveling bees in a box is fun - a handful of bees feels amazing

ps thanks for eggs!, hope the chicks survive

 

[Queens59]

DUSTY - Mine did that many moons ago. Try feeding them syrup - they will use it (hopefully) to pull out super...they probably haven't enough stores (due to weather) to eat enough to make wax...Hope this helps...

 

[Queens59]

Inspected.

Sian (Chimney swarm) Laying well and beutifully complete frames, v placid
Anneka (Swarm found in apple tree) Frame of eggs given and food
Caroline (Swarm collected 23/6) Settling ok v placid
Ivy (WBC 14x12) Q-
Barry (poly Nat) Q-
Richard (poly nat) Q-

Can't take any more frames from the one hive laying...will wait a week and try again...I could split 1 frame into 3 hives I suppose...

 

[madasafish]

In between (warm) rain downpours, refilled feeder on warre (swarm).

Bees happily flying in sunny spells... nectar flows on from look of landings.

 

[Chris Luck]

nectar flows on from look of landings.

Plop.

Chris

 

[Chris58]

Sorry ma1308, but we're in the middle of France, bit far - can you post QC's in post? I know you can post Queens, but never thought of cells!

 

[Mike a]

Sorry ma1308, but we're in the middle of France, bit far - can you post QC's in post? I know you can post Queens, but never thought of cells!

In a heated box this may be an option but otherwise all you'll get is a dead queen in a cell unless she is due to hatch in which case may as well wait a day or two until she does emerge and put her in a queen cage along with some workers to tend her.

 

[flemage]

found and marked 5 new queens lots of yellow paint on my queen marker cage! Only waiting on one queen to come through and i will have a full set of 2012 queens.

I was going to do a unite as i was certain one of my hives was queenless but on a quick check before going for it, eggs and queen in place..... must learn to wait even more than i did before!

now just need to make sure not a drone layer and all will be fine.

 

[Swarm]

Last night.
Collected a swarm that I'd removed from a Pyracantha hedge the previous evening -thankfully near the top, so run up into box above- and took it to the apiary site. Too many bees here now, I think some of them will have to go.

 

[clv101]

We took some photos during the inspection last night. 12 days after the swarm was hived we've got sealed brood - so she must have been laying just 3 days after going in the hive (with only foundation, no drawn comb). Does this pretty much guarantee she was already mated?

Blogged photos here: http://chrisvernon.co.uk/2012/06/bee-inspection-with-photos/

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Looks like it

 

[Swarm]

Nice photos.
Looking at the capping of the sealed brood, it does appear to be worker so it would seem she has.

 

[YorkshireBees]

We took some photos during the inspection last night. 12 days after the swarm was hived we've got sealed brood - so she must have been laying just 3 days after going in the hive (with only foundation, no drawn comb). Does this pretty much guarantee she was already mated?

Blogged photos here: http://chrisvernon.co.uk/2012/06/bee-inspection-with-photos/

I would assume that she was already mated and therefore a prime swarm. Just goes to show the power of a god swarm for building comb!

 

[YorkshireBees]

Combined a strong polynuc (6 out of 6 frames all BIAS + Stores) with a apparently Q- hive. Will now leave them alone for 1-2 weeks before seeing if the marked Q is still there or there was a virgin loose that has taken over!

In the evening sunshine and warmth (too hot for anything but shorts under the beesuit!) the bees were really calm and I noticed that of the few hives I checked there is some nectar beginning to be stored in the supers!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Did a thorough inspection with my mentor, for the first time.

Got lots of admiring comments.....

...... Or, rather, my bees did! (Wonderful brood pattern etc).

Pleased that all of a sudden they've worked out what a super is for - and I've had to put on a second.

Looks like I might get some honey in my first year, after all!

Dusty.