What did you do in the Apiary today?

[meidel]

Ah, Its a term.

I thought it was a philosophy for life that is subscribed to by my 14 year old daughter.

It IS a philosophy as far as the teens go lol

 

[jackbee]

We're going to move them Wednesday night. He's also offered to mentor me

Good result then, you got more than you had at first - good job the horses were moved

 

[margob99]

Really, garlickpickle, there's nothing worse than sharing land with another tenant who loathes and fears bees. It is not a pleasant experience, and you will grow to dread visiting the site to check the bees. I would move 'em; sounds like you have an alternative site already lined up

Yesterday I harvested one super (sum total of the summer's honey so far, but considering they've only been here 9 weeks, I am pleased). And watched them all go crazy on some nearby Russian vine. Which smells as odd as the privet did.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Carnival photos

Unfortunately it seems Lady b started imbibing the amber nectar a bit sooner than i thought so not many good photos of the club float, but here they are anyway

 

[user 6228]

A kick upwards in weight on one of the less active hives
7,30 am on dull morning with bees flying as though its noon in bright sunlight.

This got us thinking we needed to see what the vigourous cast was upto...
then this evening you could hear hive the roar of the air con on full blast in the drizzle.

Brolly up, we looked and found a super well on the way to being full. so we took two of the full frames (would have been 3 but there was the reminent of capped brood there)..
cast to crop in 8 weeks... not what i expected from this summer

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Ok went for a peak due to forecasts, bearing in mind late last week I put a super on each hive. I felt compared to last few examinations they had eatten more of there stores maybe trying to keep the extra space warm. Although both hive's had 7 frames of brood be it 2-3 frames just been laid up I've decided that the supers were not needed so removed them.

I also put in varroa monitoring boards, blocked entrances leaving 3inch gap and applied hivemakers thymol treatment using klennex tissue. Immediately after putting it on the top of the frames you heard a loud buzz on both hives. Quite a lot of bees compared to usual outside both hives.

Will be glad when i've got a few years experience as this taking things back on and off lark is an experience! My famous last words are im going to try and leave them alone till this time next week.

 

[enrico]

Don't worry chrisbond, they will prefer to be out than in with that stuff on!!

 

[youngyoungs]

Inspected colonies today after a short gap. Two hives both found to have lots of supersedure cells. Knocked down majority of cells leaving a couple in each. One normally very placid hive was not at all impressed and three ladies followed me home. Would be lovely to have at least one hive with a standard brood pattern, and me understanding what's going on in the minds of the bees.

 

[tonybloke]

had my first look in a nuc that a swarm arrived into 3 weeks ago, lovely sealed worker brood, and stores already!

and, collected another swarm of someone else's bees.

 

[richardbees]

middle of August and already some rotten plums falling from the Victoria and Greengage plum trees near the hives...

.....but still no wasps, anyone else noticed?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A day planned with the bees today but...... first a swarming call - after a long chat over the phone the caller was was first unsure whether bumbles or honeybees then sort of certain or not sure but don't think they're bumbles (they were under some hay bales at floor level BTW) but they were in the way but she was mindful of the fact that they were God's creatures and didn't want to harm them if they were anything but rats or foxes (at this statement I decided to go and see as a favour even though they were 20 miles away but a nice spin in the country) BUMBLES a great big FO nest of them, so managed to rig a ramp etc. so she could still get at the horses feed etc.whilst leaving the bees carry on happily and after a long talk about working spaniels, Harris hawks the pro's and cons of various hunts, (three work her land including mine) badgers etc. Managed to get home and inspect the two most needy of my hives - both now on 9 frames of brood one now got third super on and the other struggling to fill second (two sisters but amazing the difference in progress especially the one on 3 supers was the one i'd considered requeening a month or so ago!

 

[Legs]

Saw two queens emerging from QCs in a previously-queenless hive as I was inspecting yesterday evening. One had distinctly gammy rear legs so choosing which to keep and which to freeze was easy!

 

[herefordshirehoney]

middle of August and already some rotten plums falling from the Victoria and Greengage plum trees near the hives...

.....but still no wasps, anyone else noticed?

When I opened up my hive's last night their was 1 trying to get in, not sure if he did or not. I did close the entrance up to 3" though but that was mainly for treatment.

 

[dickndoris]

Had inspector round as I was worried about a 5 frame nuc. Thought it was efb but turned out to be sac brood and a little chalk brood Relief!! So....went in later to pop the queen in the freezer and unite with a n other colony. Couldn't do it!! She is a lovely almost total black very large queen doing what she does, this years , laying eggs even in the sunshine with me watching. Every frame is full of bees and all but one has brood and stores! Frantically reading me books and on google to find the best solution. Mr Dilemma............ Oh what to do????????????

 

[scuttlefish]

Checked the roofs hadn't blown off in the mad storm yesterday! One tree down and a couple of rabbit-proof cages blown off the vegetable patch, but all hives intact. Phew...

 

[alysonmaria]

After my mentor 'Madasafish' diagnosed laying workers last weekend , my local BBKA supplied me with a small nucleus with a laying queen, with the hope of a future uniting. Followed my step-by-step instructions from our chairman, moved hive with laying worker to other end of garden, shook out all bees onto the grass except for the 1 frame that had the most drone brood on (and hopefully the laying worker), left that frame in the old hive in the new position. Put new hive where original one was situated, put frames into new hive, and all flying bees should fly back to this one. Found this very scary, lookl like so many more bees when they're all out of the hive than when they're in it! Collected new nuc on Sunday evening from local BBKA apiary (after a glass or 2 of wine with chairman and his wife ), and sited it on top of new hive in original position, with entrance facing the same way.
Today, transferred nuc into BB on top of original bees BB separated by a Snelgrove board with opening facing the same way. New bees seem beautifully calm following their move, saw marked Queen and BIAS. Original bees a bit tetchy, but not too bad considering their being thrown out into the grass on Sunday!
Aiming to leave them alone until Sunday then use the 'newpaper' method to unite them.
wow! this bee keeping lark is not easy is it?

 

[alldigging]

I saw the queen!

They have started on the last frame in the brood so I removed the dummy frames and put the last one in.

Did it all on my own although I had another beekeep watching!

They are coming in with white pollen on their backs which I think means balsam.

Suspect I should put a super on early next week if they keep this up.


The bees were lovely and calm. Very light smoke - barely any really.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well done alldigging!

It's a great feeling isn't it?
That first inspection when it goes right.

Still recent enough for me to still get that satisfying feeling - and still a bit scary!

Do we newbies have the best of it? Possibly not.

But it's such a great time.

Thanks for reminding me.

Dusty

 

[tonybloke]

nowt in the apiary, but I did get a nice bottle of Merlot from a forum member for the swarm I gave him last night!

 

[cjhart2]

Temperatures have been up in the 30’s this week , bees gone crazy , going flat out all day . On the evening walk around the “Parc “ noticed the bees packed out the entrance on the left , virtually clear on the right and a lovely hum coming from the hive . The girls sound happy !