What did you do in the Apiary today?

[tonybloke]

welcome to the forum, Dilligaf

 

[MuswellMetro]

M,M
Quote
"possibly a failing queen or just mis fire queen taking time to start or perhaps DWV as the hive had a 5000 drop or well could be cold spell chilled the brood "......or

What will your treatment be for the varroa?

the hive drop is now zero as at mid March, the 5000 drop was during last autumn with 3 application of Apiguard and finally as it was still dropping around 50 per week under apiguard and it was getting cold i put on Apivar Strips for 6 weeks, the first day of apivar it dropped 300 mites i had another that i used a mix of bayvarol/apiguard due to similar problems, that was droping 2 mites er week in mid March after lactic in december

 

[EdNewman]

Not actually in the apiary but I got my fist ever sting today. I was chopping woods not far from the hives and this seemed to really aggravate the bees so left them to it. 30 minutes later they we still buzzing all round the hive. I was walking back to the house when a bee landed on my finger, got stuck under my wedding ring. It didn't hurt and no swelling, so a nice first sting!
Two lessons learnt:
1. Don't chop wood near bee hives.
2. Don't get married (or at least wear a wedding ring!).

 

[YorkshireBees]

I was about to upload a photo with some of my bees and their yellow pollen. Now I am too ashamed seeing these wonderful images.
Any basic tips for an OK photographer with a pretty fair digital camera to try to get photos showing this amount of detail? or recommendations of a book?
Tricia

1st of all go ahead and post photos, don't be put off by any one elses photos. I admit that those 2 photos I posted earlier and probably my best yet macro work on bees and I have taken many!
In terms of tips, imho I would say know you camera well and it's features / limitations.
The camera I used for those photos is actually not my main camera but my 2nd camera (Cannon IXY Digital 910IS) ie a pocket camera that I almost always have in a belt pouch with me.
It has an excellent macro setting and a very wide lens all in a small compact camera.
Other than that it is just trial and error, takes loads of shots and see what works best.
Oh and not forgetting to take photos at the highest resolution so that you can crop / enlarge them later without losing quality!

 

[simon kerr]

I sat and admired the ladies bringing back hoards of pollen, I guess they have found the willow!! What a god send this tree is.
If its warm tomorrow as predicted I am going to open them up and check her indoors, but looking at the amount of pollen coming in makes me very confident all is well.
Really looking forward to the rest of the season.

 

[YorkshireBees]

great photos - technical details please? Early candidate for NHS macro photography competition in October

Model : Canon IXY DIGITAL 910 IS
Shutter Speed : 1/251 s
Aperture Value : f/2.8
ISO : 80
Focal Length : 4.6 mm
White Balance : Auto

As I said in my other reply it is a compact camera but with a great macro mode. It's a few years old now the camera and the 910IS model is a non-European model number as I bought it in Japan whilst traveling.

 

[psafloyd]

This is from Saturday.

http://bit.ly/i4xikr

http://bit.ly/esttn0

http://bit.ly/esttn0

Too cold to do an inspection despite activity and the apparent sun.

However, yesterday was up above 15C and I went in for a couple of minutes.

Didn't see HM, but lots of sealed brood and some stores and they still have a small amount of fondant left.

Tons of pollen going in and they look fairly strong to me (what do I know) covering five or six frames. The other two are largely undrawn and I put another two of undrawn foundation in to fill it up.

I'm going to post elsewhere as to what I should do now as regards feeding, but they were really active yesterday, but didn't have my missus's pone on me to record anything.

 

[nelletap]

Thank you Yorkshire bees for your helpful and encouraging reply. I have already made some improvements. My camera is a Fuji S1500 which I purchased to replace a Fuji 9600 which I preferred but which failed after a long and very active life with me. At the time I was still teaching and managing the school website and one of my main criteria was a camera with a short - press button-to-take shot-time (following lots of school sports long jump photos showing the back of the kids' heels!). I do have a couple of other cameras I use less often. I was beginning to think I might need something more special but you have given me the confidence not to blame my equipment. I do have the manual to the camera on my bedside table - but perhaps it needs to be read more, not just sit there. I'll attach a couple of cropped images.

 

[belinda bee]

Just came back from inspecting half of my colonies very nice and gentle bees today. Did a shook swarm on one hive due to lots of wild comb on one brood box which didn't have any brood frames in so thought it was best to sort the hive out before it gets too bad. Replaced with brood frames full of honey just have to watch them for a couple of weeks now . So plenty of food and space for egg laying have to sort out my nucs for this week which i will do in the morning .

 

[Poly Hive]

Exercised common sense and walked away to avoid upsetting the hives on the first good day of the year. Left them to it.

PH

 

[TOBY-3652]

DID MY FIRST INSPECTION TODAY [got stung/ bee got in glove** FOUR GOOD FRAMES OF BROOD ON BOTH SIDES,LOADS OF BROOD AS WELL.{NICE AND WHITE**.. CAPPED FOOD ABOVE BROOD, GAVE JAM JAR OF 1-1 SYRUP DIDNT SEE ANY MORE FOOD. 4 FRAMES COMPLETLY EMPTY OF ANYTHING???? IS THIS OK REGARDING STORES???

 

[TOBY-3652]

I should add four good frames of capped brood on both sides

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I also did my first full inspection at my home apiary today (and also got stung!). A bit of a mixed bag really - one colony bursting at the seams with loads of bees and brood. Two colonies of an average size with a frame or so of brood and eggs.
One colony all but dead. It was a really small colony and I probably should have over-wintered it in a nuc box. But, there you go - you live and learn.

Doing one of the out-apiaries tomorrow.

 

[Rosti]

Slapped on some more pollen patties to the two surviving hives who were out and flying, 17'C in York today and plenty of willow coming in

Removed back to base the two hives from the colonies that died, not so nice

Set up 3 bait hives in various friends gardens around the village

Found out that a mate is reducing hive numbers and as part of the consolidation is making me up a 14x12 5 Frame Nuc, jolly nice chap, be up and running at 4 again before I know it

 

[alexander]

Set up my new hive, and have placed an order for my first ever bees! Its all happening, really looking forward to it all now, just hope my first year goes well.

Fingers crossed.

 

[Heather]

Went to do my weekly check on an out apiary- one hive upside down! ?vandals ? roe deer / elderly stand... bees all ok and eggs seen. Put them straight and gave some syrup feed to soothe their crumpled feelings. They were most unresentful as I righted them. I was amazed how tolerant they were.

 

[For want of a better word]

Installed 4 Buff Orpingtons in HUGE enclosure .....next to garden Hives... and moved
hives both another 3 foot towards their new stances.

Hung some bait sausages up in orchard.

Read the girls some extracts from AA Milne.... and sang them the la la bees song.. and they all hummed along happily... such is life in the Tamar Valley !!

 

[Skyhook]

Hung some bait sausages up in orchard.

Pardon???

 

[Heather]

Looking to attract queen wasps

 

[For want of a better word]

Looking to attract queen wasps

The I bottle them (Queen Wasps that is) in cider vinegar....... gives it a bit of a bite!!!!