What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drstitson]

SS paddles seem to be around £50 online.

 

[PBee]

I picked up a bottle of Twaites Wainwright and a bottle of Harviestoun Schiehallion, no paddle mixer.

Had an interesting experience in an apiary to-day. Its a new one up in wild heather/forestry area. Heard a roaring I initially thought was cattle in the distance. Realised later it was stags in the rut. Walked up the forestry track and a bit later a red hind crossed about 25 metres away. Close behind a 6 point stag who eyeballed me and roared for a few minutes ... cue checking nearby trees for scalability !....
He then moved off slowly. Must have been my silhouette that saved me - prominent ears have their uses.

 

[drstitson]

really nice to hear the deer barking in the woods prior to calving. ours seem to have managed two each this year. so that's our fruit trees b*gg*r*d then.

 

[cjhart2]

Managed to knock an Asian hornet out of the air while it was hunting at the Hive . One down 20,000 more to go .

 

[PBee]

really nice to hear the deer barking in the woods prior to calving. ours seem to have managed two each this year. so that's our fruit trees b*gg*r*d then.

I had never seen/heard this before. It was spectacular especially at such close quarters. It was one of those sunny autumn mornings when you say to youself 'this is the life' .

 

[MuswellMetro]

I had never seen/heard this before. It was spectacular especially at such close quarters. It was one of those sunny autumn mornings when you say to youself 'this is the life' .

agree a glorious bring blue sky, with pollen going in almost by the ton. after hefting for stores today I went to feed my bees tonight

Only to see in the distance the new manager of the farm crouching behind my hives with a shot gun ...as i walked towards him he waved ,but then i put up a cock pheasant.....bang , bang......then he ran towards me at a fair rate of knots.....dont think he will use my hives as a hide again.....the guards bee all went up...and he did not get the pheasant either


By the time i had fed them they had calmed down....he got three stings on the scalp, he said he thought they would all be alseep

 

[PBee]

I went to feed my bees tonight only to see in the distance the new manager of the farm crouching behind my hives with a shot gun ...as i walked towards him he waved ,but then i put up a cock pheasant.....bang , bang......then he ran towards me at a fair rate of knots.....dont think he will use my hives as hide again.....the guards bee all went up...and he did not get the pheasant either


By the time i had fed them they had calmed down....he got three stings on the scalp

Remenber not to wear a fur hat when checking hives during the winter

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Remenber not to wear a fur hat when checking hives during the winter

Wear the fox hat ?

 

[PBee]

Wear the fox hat ?

A hi vis vest down your neck of the woods.

 

[tonybloke]

Wear the fox hat ?

lol

 

[simonrp]

Made up some 14x12 frames with my 4 year old granddaughter. She insisted on driving in the pins her hammer skills were most impressive!

 

[MJBee]

For a change we have clear blue sky, +21C and the bees are making the most of it - the scent (stink?) of ivy leaves no doubt what is being gathered. I have held off feeding waiting for the ivy
The activity and noise is like a summers day heavy flow

 

[Tonych224]

Put a pack of Fondabee on top of frames, bees are getting through 1 pack every 10 days... However their stores are still low and no signs of robbing... Any thoughts?

 

[itma]

Tonych224 -
"Stores are still low" - how much is there?
"Fondabee" & "a pack in 10 days" - fondant, but 2.5kg or 12.5kg packs?


In Sussex its still plenty mild enough to be feeding syrup. Strong syrup can be quickly and easily stored. Quicker than fondant, I'd suggest. And cheaper too.
No need to feed fondant, as yet anyway.
Keep it for late winter panics!


Dependant on how far short of 20kg stores you should happen to be will indicate how much you need to feed.
If you only have less than 5kg of stores in the hive, you are going to need to get about 15kg into them ASAP. Giving them only 1kg of sugar (made into syrup) every day is going to take at least a fortnight from that situation. You'd probably need a bigger feeder ...
But if you have 15kg or so stored, then feeding them 1kg sugar (as syrup) at a time, as the Ivy comes in, is probably more than is actually needed.


20kg is usually enough to get a colony right through the winter.
If you've provided 30kg in the last month and there's only 10kg stored now, ... well, its not your bees that have taken it ...

 

[nikca]

For a change we have clear blue sky, +21C and the bees are making the most of it - the scent (stink?) of ivy leaves no doubt what is being gathered. I have held off feeding waiting for the ivy
The activity and noise is like a summers day heavy flow

Ditto - not a big shock as only about 5 miles away from Mike.

I took the opportunity of everyone being out at work to put on the second Apiguard tray. Falls of Varoa counted on the board have been 400 in the first week and 600 in the second - exactly the same as last year but with a 14x12 colony rather than national. Lets hope for 300/200 like last years second 2 weeks - or even less would be nice.

I put my half filled super frames in a "sealed" super on one side in the barn. The plan being to put it back on,with a small hole in the crownboard above the brood, separated by an empty super to allow them to take down after treatment. Not as well "sealed" as I'd hoped it turns out, as the box is now empty! Just a few dead beed with their heads in the bottom of cells... but how did they get in? It was on a flat bench, with a crown board on... Has anybody encountered bee teleportation before? It seems much of it is now back in the colony I was planning on feeding it to - so at least there is only the energy flying backwards and forwards wasted...

Damn bees...

 

[REDWOOD]

fed hives with syrup surprised to see lots of bees coming and going with HM pollen and also yellow and bright orange pollen coming in

 

[Hivemaker.]

fed hives with syrup surprised to see lots of bees coming and going with HM pollen

What is HM pollen?

 

[drstitson]

stuff being robbed from your hives presumably.

on a personal note - received my delivery of extra feeders from MB. parcel was delivered one floor up and to the uni side of work. signed for by a DR BEE who was a little surprised when she saw the details on the despatch note.

 

[REDWOOD]

What is HM pollen?

Sorry all it should be HB, long week at work

 

[Lorenz]

More feeding syrup. Interesting how some are still taking a gallon a week. Still smell of ivy. They almost feel heavy enough now.