What did you do in the Apiary today?

[REDWOOD]

Yesterday was frantic building more super frames, today put 2 new supers on
bees still flying up the mounting and ignoring most of the blackberry, who cares when they are filling supers. Built some more clearing boards

 

[madasafish]

Checked two Q- hives I had requeened: new queens OK.

One really bad tempered Q- hive had rejected queen - will leave to die.

Checked new swarm in TBH nuc- cross combed. Put some straight combs in and will retry to straighten on a cooler day as wax is too soft to do anything.

Out of jacket and sweat all over T shirt - thermometer in shade said 28C..

Bees started to bring in balsam : ghost bees.

Bees all in good mood: huge nectar flows and warmth.

 

[MJBee]

Added a super to my bait hive swarm. the first full inspection revealed that the swarm was from one of my hives in the nearest out apiary Marked (white) queen!! The colony she came from is Q+ again, bias seen yesterday - phew.

 

[Mike a]

Another call out for a swarm.
At first I didn't think it looked that big until I shook the gorse branch and watched as the bees bees flooded over the sides. Trying my best not to crush any bees as I put the frames in then spent 10 mins clearing off the bees from the top of the nuc before I could put the roof on.

Youtube Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWgrSDcFY1c

 

[Shabro]

checked on a colony I had united a few days ago, all seems well and took the top brood box off, queen was on the first frame we lifted out of the top box, phew - noticed and put her back down in the bottom before removing top box.

 

[fatshark]

Checked the grafts from yesterday ... 80% success. Let's hope the weather is set fair for 2-3 weeks time when the queens will need to get out and mate.

 

[Martin G]

Air Conditioning

Just walked passed one of the hives, sounded like it was going to take off!
Bee powered air-conditioning

Martin

 

[Queens59]

Had 1 swarm and met a wonderful 'wanabee' - I only wish she lived closer...and tehn had a sad sad swarm...

 

[Ely]

Buried a corpse. Placed hive on top. I think my secret should stay safe hoo ha ha ha!!

 

[scuttlefish]

Finally got out for an inspection, nine days after the last one due to weather - and of course, about twenty QCs in #3, no sign of her marked majesty and older/sealed brood only. Buggrit, looks like she might be gone. Left a good-looking unsealed QC and broke the rest down.

All good other than that, #2 has accepted their new queen and she's laying nicely, #3 & #4 ready for their first supers, #1 re-filling their third and starting to draw out #4 (a couple of QCs too despite bias and loads of room in the brood box - on reflection and based on what Finman said in another thread, maybe they're feeling a bit congested with two sealed supers over them and being stuck inside with the bad weather).

My arms got stung to bits though - not to self, wear long sleeved top under the bee suit next time!

 

[m100]

Fitted metal runners to some spare brood boxes after discovering a large number of plastic ones that have dropped over the years so as to restore proper bee space.

Fitted some foundation, will maybe transfer a nuc and a bait hive swarm to brood boxes later.

Discovered who really killed the honey bee, Sainsburys Online for failing to deliver sugar yet again.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Moved a hive 2 some borage

 

[Shabro]

Treated a number of hives with beevit*l hiveclean, was given it to try. Anyone else tried this?

 

[Polyanwood]

I've tried Hiveclean and I think it works, but it works out too expensive if you have a few colonies.

Today I looked at 2 of my friend's apiaries with her - supers not capped enough to remove yet.

Bought some new black mesh to repair veils.

Went to paint another nuc and found commotion at apiary - bees everywhere over the ground near a nuc which I put a swarm in on Monday. Picked up queen and caged her and put her in the nuc and all the bees followed her in. A lot of bees for a nuc - perhaps that is why they were living on the ground and under the crate/hivestand. No sign that they had done anything in the nuc at all. Left queen in the cage and put on a feeder. Will check in a couple of days whether they need a hive not a nuc.

 

[scuttlefish]

Swapped the partially drawn fourth super from #1 (which is still re-filling third super after all the rain) to #4 (which has gone from light stores to broodlocked in just over a week) & needed it more. I'll have to put a couple more supers into commission this weekend, #1 & #3 will both need one.

 

[Pete D]

Helped man the association stand at the Royal Sandringham flower show on Wednesday. Spent most of my day manning the observation hive chatting to everyone and helping the little uns find the queen so they could have a 'I found the queen bee sticker'.
Entered some honey in the show as a first timer and won the Novice class 'best honey' and got 'best light honey' in the open class.......... ha ha well done my bees, I will show them the 2 big silver cups that they won.
Bagged loads of bargain plants for the wife as the show closed (bee friendly)
All in all good day
Pete D

 

[Luminos]

helping the little uns find the queen
Not that difficult at Royal Sandringham, I'd have thought

 

[Pete D]

very good, but she wasnt there,
Charles and Camilla spent an hour or 2 wandering about though

 

[Swarm]

Pleased to find the little sweethearts stuffing the supers. Added more.

 

[acabee]

After a truly glorious week weatherwise, had a quick look in best hive - 1 super almost all capped, second filling nicely. Time to add another.... This could be my first ever honey crop and I'm