What did you do in the Apiary today?

[user 6228]

Missed another inspection opp yesterday due to weather and time constraints...
The scales have broken on one hive. My quandry is how much to feed that hive if any at the moment. They dont burn off stores rapidly in colder weather in these hives so I cant just keep feeding without an inspection particularly with lots of ivy about.

After a supecedure and putting in the warm hive they put on a brooding spurt ran stores low and we then fed a bout 2L heavy syrup. thats now a week and a half ago... was it enough or too much? only inspecting is going to tell.

 

[beeno]

only inspecting is going to tell.

Hi derek,
You are right there I only need to nudge you. Inspected mine today and was surprised as they were all rearing winter bees. Therefore not that much of stores, but decided only to feed one hive. Judging by the amount of pollen going in I thought that there would be lots of stores, but they used it for brood. No good guessing!

 

[MuswellMetro]

just fed two hives on the roof of the university, then notcied that the last of the drones were being murdered

They think winter is comming, like a mortury in front of thehive

 

[WelshPaul]

Went to do a check on the bees today, but ended up sat watch for ages and lost track of time. Yellow and white pollen coming in. View attachment 7370

 

[Lorenz]

I went to look at a possible new apiary site. Not keen. a lot of trees and poor access.

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Yet another syrup bucket change! This is the most expensive hobby I ever had apart from flying.

 

[grahambee]

Wasps are really getting desperate now this one had no chance !!!!!!!

 

[madasafish]

Hefted all hives. Stopped feeding . Pockets bare.. Bread and cheese from now on without the cheese..

 

[drstitson]

welshpaul - i think you need to invest in a new entrance block!!!!

 

[WelshPaul]

Lol yes, will be making new ones over winter, do most people leave them in over winter?

 

[Outlander]

Still not liking the Apigaurd and coming out for fresh air. They have been doing this on nearly a daily basis.

 

[itma]

Time to try removing the entrance block?

 

[VEG]

why remove the entrance block if treating with apiguard?

 

[garlicpickle]

Put on the final dose of Apilife Var, the mite drop has been around 20 a week during treatment.

The bees had not taken any syrup since last weekend but after reading another post on here recently, I wondered if the feeder holes were blocked. So I tipped the syrup out into a bucket and removed the outer cone from the feeder. It was indeed welded on with crusted sugar and there were about 20 dead bees entombed in sugar on the inner cone. Scraped them off and scraped off some of the crusty sugar from the cones and reassembled the feeder. I'll go and check in a few days to make sure it hasn't blocked up again.

Spent a few minutes crouched down in front of the hive watching the bees bringing in yellow pollen (ivy?), forgot the fact I was only wearing my smock and trousers and got stung by some nettles on my lower back, and then by a bee in the same place. After tipping out the feeder into a bucket and refilling it there was syrup all over my trousers, gloves etc so I wasn't too surprised to get a sting. But I'm putting an all in one bee suit on my Christmas list.

 

[itma]

why remove the entrance block if treating with apiguard?

Because sometimes (especially at the start of a pack, hive in the sun, eke rather than super, etc) the vapour can be so strong that the bees hang out rather than work (concentrating winter stores, feeding brood, incubating brood, foraging, etc).
As seen here.

I take it that this sort of bearding is indicating that the vapour is stronger than the optimal strength -- and that thus a little bit more ventilation of the hive would permit normal hive work to continue during treatment without a dramatic loss of effectiveness.
And one way of increasing the air-change just slightly is to open up or remove the entrance block.
It can easily be replaced in a few days time by a hobby beek, when either the vapour isn't so strong, or the bees have become better used to it.

 

[VEG]

I thought the idea was to keep it as closed up as possible, the bees will go back inside.

 

[Ely]

Still not liking the Apigaurd and coming out for fresh air. They have been doing this on nearly a daily basis.

Nice looking hives there!

 

[VEG]

Finished my extracting yesterday got 600lb off 12 hives (although not all produced some were splits) about half the amount of last year.

 

[abi-e]

Took out the final apiguard treatment and returned a half full super above the crown board for the bees to empty. Still placid and lovely to handle.
Gave the second hive a final gallon of syrup, moved the super under the brood box and removed the QE. Swapped a warped roof for one in much better condition and hoping that in a few days they will have take down the syrup and be all set for the winter. They were busy working the ivy, still grumpy and took a sting on my finger for my efforts - no one has told the bees not to bite (or sting) the hand that feeds them!!

 

[Greatbigchicken]

Finished apiguard treatments, removed entrance blocks, fitted mouse guards and fed all hives. Got home and mixed up another 10 lts 2:1 thymol syrup.