What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Greatbigchicken]

Extracted my supers today, got 45lb of honey.

Also found my queen cage, I'd left in under the roof of my garden hive

 

[Luminos]

Result(s)!

 

[user 6228]

Routing brood boxes

 

[cjhart2]

Then the Asians arrived

Did an inspection today before coming back to the UK for a few weeks . Do not like coming back but President Holland is determined to try an screw me over so I stick to the rules . 34 degress in the shade but i had to have a look , got the clobber on and went for it .
Well it went ever so well , used a little sugar spray for the first time and for the first time the bees were great . Left me alone to get on with it . Then my good luck changed , the Asians arrived . Got one bad/ blurred picture , but had two arrive together , one was only interested in fresh meat , which it achieved in very quick time , the other was more interested where I tested the sugar spray . Not a lot i can do , just wait and see how much damage they will do over the next two weeks .

 

[gingerbees]

Whooped loudly

We harvested our very first honey - hoorah.

We also reunited a small swarm back into the original hive as the new queen was laying nicely. Followed the instructions by the book - lets see if the bees read the same one!!

 

[dickndoris]

Persuaded the -Q bees out of the old brood down into the +Q brood and put on super for extra brood space. All seem happy apart from the drones;-) No newspaper left!

Went through 2 main 14x12 hives and all extremely well and no drones!
Moved 2 other hives another 3 feet closer the new stand.
Cut grass in bee garden. Didn't get wet

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

My first harvest!

Extracted 3 supers:
89 lbs (40.37 kg) and counting!!
(Still got to deal with the cappings.)

There are still 2 supers more or less full, but not capped, to remove.
(I have 14 x12 and am assured I don't need to leave a super for the gals.)

I'm just a bit chuffed, after 3 months, to get such a harvest!

I returned the supers to the bees to clean up and reuse what's left.
How long will that take, do people reckon?

I'm knackered now - but still have to work this evening.

Dusty.

 

[Lindylou]

Inspected our small hive - we lost half our bees when it swarmed. This is the first time in 3 weeks that we have found no queen cells. Loads of bees, larvae and capped brood. Loads of stores. Think it may be Q+ at last.

 

[nosmoking]

Inspected my 2 hives this morning while it was cool. Largest hive: super filling but not yet capped. 2nd hive: no super on (swarm from April) just working 6 brood frames. Very disappointed! I don't think I'll bee extracting anything this year either although the bees are extracting something from me!

Oh! forget to say, planted my winter spuds hopefully, for Christmas. Mind you, the way things are going it will bee next Christmas.

 

[jackbee]

Like Dusty, finished first harvest, not quite up to Dusty's level, 50lbs here, plus 50 tubs of cut comb at 115g, so very pleased, if not amazed

Frames back on to be cleaned, cappings on tomorrow.

One super still on, half full, uncapped, going to leave for winter.

Currently draining cappings - what lovely white wax, looks beautiful, so earmarked for skin cream and candles. And the drained honey - mead, got demijohns ready.

Also collected a mix of jars from CompakSouth in Keynsham - what lovely people, so friendly and helpful, a pleasure to visit - highly, highly recommended.

Even rinsed out extractor, ready to return to assoc, that's what all those little tastes of honey do for you over the evening - sugar rush lol

So all in all, quite a fab day

I love bees

 

[busybee53]

Took part in the FERA European survey. The Inspector took samples of bees for testing. She took ages looking at the other hives in the apiary with minimal smoke and then described my bees a feisty, called for smoke and suggested that I may have to re-queen next season. Blow it. They ARE feisty but they seem more productive than the laid back hives and I am looking forward to extracting at the weekend.

 

[madasafish]

Counted mite fall on colonies treated on Monday. Total 6 mites from 5 colonies.

Means nothing : the ants here eat everything.

 

[TOBY-3652]

6 mites from 5 colonies... lucky you one of mines dropped 1100 in 4 days. and im moving 3 hives back home tonight, they were bringing nector in but there now going backwards.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Just checked on my bees all doing well one give getting low on stores weather isnt helping. Going to go back tomorrow and feed both hives. I have a contact feeder that holds 2.5l or a ash fourth feeder that holds a lot more. I'm thinking put cOntact feeder on tomorrow then Topups Saturday as away bank holiday for few days does this sound right? Am I right in thinking because of time of year 1:2? I do have hive makers thymol emulastion to add to feed.

 

[Ian Howorth]

Hi all.
Just joined your forum and im looking forward to help and advice if i need it.

I struggled last year with a colony but iv done well this time, strating with 1 nuc from a chap in Bolton and it expanded very fast. I have a mentor from the Blackburn Bee Keepers who advised to split them and as a result 1 became 2.

Ill never be the best at this hobby but whatever i try its always full on.

Ian.

 

[meidel]

hi Ian and welcome - there's always a lot of different ideas about how to keep bees on the forum and it's a great site for debate!

 

[meidel]

Looked through my colonies and found that 2 queens which were introduced round about the same time are laying up brood at different paces. The one that's got 7 frames now has had a layer of foam insulation over the crownboard since the start (it only had 2 frames of bees initially). The one with only 5 frames of brood didn't have any insulation and even though I moved it to a location where there'd been a previously strong colony and there are now more forager bees in the hive, the queen is still underperforming compared to her sister. So I cut another piece of insulation and put that on top to see if it makes a difference next week. Plenty of stores - nectar and pollen in the outer frames.

 

[Ian Howorth]

Thanks for your kind welcome.
I hope the passion for my hawk (14 years) will last as long with my bees.
There are many ways to work with hawk and it will no doubt be the same with bees.
But you get a feel over years for whats works and what doesnt. Only time and practice makes near perfect.

Once again thanks
Ian.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Tried to find two Queens to remove to nucs prior to combining with new Queens.

Spent an hour, found neither of them, irritated the bees which went on attack. Once they started pinging and trying to sting my wrists I became aware of a bee stting on my face - Arrggh!

Took a sting to the nose. Left the apiary smartish after discovering I had not done up my veil properly and had 4 other bees inside.

Still surrounded by about 20 followers but had to open veil and remove the bees inside pretty sharpish. Did a few moves akin to Tai Chi or Karate, but luckily did nto get any more stings to the face.

Moral is... check and double check all fastenings on the bee suit

Will have to try some different Queen finding techniques next time!

 

[HelenHP16]

opened my first ever packet of Apilife Var - wow does that smell!. Feel a bit sorry for the girls - it must make their eyes smart. Gloves now banished to the garage until the fumes subside but I'm sure it will be worth it.