What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swarm]

Total washout, both of us bed ridden until today with flu. What a wonderful Christmas that was!! Needless to say, haven't even thought about bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Total washout, both of us bed ridden until today with flu.

Hmmm - think I caught flu last night again - must have been a dodgy batch of Bombay Saphire Gin (you have to be careful when you're handling industrial quantities) Held a surprise party for my mother (she's seventy on new year's day) - only a quiet family affair (about a 100) and a few selelct friends, lucky she was an only child actually! unfortunately the venue didn't sell decent beer so I was forced on to the gin - the sacrifices I make!

 

[borderer]

Took the opportunity between heavy showers and gale force winds to check on the bees,both my own and the local association. No losses yet for the 6 association hives, two were a little light so gave them some candy. One loss in my own out apiary, a top bar hive, which was a late swarm that had never really got going in the poor late summer weather. The other eight seem OK for now, though I did treat three of them to some candy.

Time now for a Drambuie while I formulate a plan for tidying the shed tomorrow

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

OA

I treated 5 colonies with OA, and found two from seven hives dead outs, it didnt come as a suprise as they were very small colonies going into winter and the had plenty of stores. I was in two minds as to unite them earlier.
Just have to wait till march now other than give fondant as needed.

Dave W

 

[beeno]

I treated 5 colonies with OA, and found two from seven hives dead outs, it didnt come as a suprise as they were very small colonies going into winter and the had plenty of stores. I was in two minds as to unite them earlier.
Just have to wait till march now other than give fondant as needed.

Dave W

Hi Dave,
Sorry to hear of your loss. Lost my nuc for the same reason.

 

[VEG]

Did my OA today all hives alive with plenty of stores. Did a friends hives and his all ok.

 

[dpearce4]

Good to hear veg.

 

[Walrus]

I did the OA today too. 2 hives are getting light so will add fondant. I thought I'd fed enough in Autumn but clearly way off. The other hive is still quite heavy.

I also moved one of the hives about 1 metre as it was too close to another.

Here's hoping for a fantastic 2013

 

[Polyanwood]

Been doing OA on mine and buddies hives as well as the association hives. All alive. Some needed fondant. Some looking too small to make it, but you never know. Surprisingly, none of the 40 we did were dead.

Added some insulation (kingspan or polystyrene) on top of hives that did not have it.

 

[user 6228]

Had look in all 4, gave some more fondant (about 0.5kg each ), inserted 4channel temp pcbs monitoring PCBS . They seem to be ok.

Havent treated with OA yet ...
need to make so ally roofs as the correx is breaking up due to UV (another excuse to use the christmas presents )

 

[ultreen1]

Put paving slabs under and around the hive stands to help reduce the amount of grass in the spring.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Did my first ever oxalis acid treatment.

That may not mean much to most of you, but it's another 'first' out of the way.

It was great to see the bees so active in the hive.
And it looks a really strong colony, too.
Bees on 8 or 9 frames.
And although a few of them wanted to know what was going on,
they maintained their reputation as a well-tempered colony.

Dusty

 

[Walrus]

Gave fondant to the 2 hives that were light (2.5kg each). Checked mite drop from OA given yesterday; one had about 200, the other 20, and don't know about the other one as hadn't put the tray in.

Visited local th*rnes agent and had nice chat about bees & weather

 

[VEG]

Did my first ever oxalis acid treatment.

That may not mean much to most of you, but it's another 'first' out of the way.

It was great to see the bees so active in the hive.
And it looks a really strong colony, too.
Bees on 8 or 9 frames.
And although a few of them wanted to know what was going on,
they maintained their reputation as a well-tempered colony.

Dusty

Lots are interested I can assure you it is always good to see the bees doing well after not seeing them for a while

 

[Outlander]

Did my first ever oxalis acid treatment.

That may not mean much to most of you, but it's another 'first' out of the way.

It was great to see the bees so active in the hive.
And it looks a really strong colony, too.
Bees on 8 or 9 frames.
And although a few of them wanted to know what was going on,
they maintained their reputation as a well-tempered colony.

Dusty

How are the church bees doing Dusty.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

How are the church bees doing Dusty.

Still alive! Or they were 2 weeks ago,

Only got them mid-July and had them on brood and a half.
They totally filled the super, but the brood box was not very full.
They stopped taking syrup quite early, too.
So I was a bit anxious about stores and whether they were established enough to survive.

Anyhow, a couple of weeks ago I realised I'd left them with a narrow opening. [I'd not bothered with a mouse guard - not on a totally barren, huge lead roof, high up above the Cathedral. You've heard the expression, "Poor as a church mouse"?]

Worried the narrow hole might get easily blocked with dead bees, I took out the entrance block and ferreted behind with a screwdriver - only to pull out half a dozen sloppy, perplexed bees!

I checked the fondant - untouched.
Tomorrow, if still relatively warm, I'll OA the little dears.

We get our next 3 flat pack hives in 6 weeks or so - and the unemployed volunteers will have to put them together. And just ordered nucs.

Can't wait!

Thanks for asking, Outlander.

Dusty

 

[hedgehog66]

Just extinguished a chinese lantern off one of my nationals
Good job it didnt land on poly hive
Checked bees last year, plenty food and active in hive.
Hope they keep buzzing

Happy new year all.....

 

[beeno]

Gave fondant to the 2 hives that were light (2.5kg each). Checked mite drop from OA given yesterday; one had about 200, the other 20, and don't know about the other one as hadn't put the tray in.

Visited local th*rnes agent and had nice chat about bees & weather

Hi,
Same as some of mine, but what does it mean? It goes on for 14 days someone said on the forum.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Most of the mites drop in the first two weeks.

Did my four today.
Two good,one middling and one useless at 2 maybe 3 seams in a cavernous 14 x 12. This was the colony that went off lay completely with thymol.
5˚ and sunny, one lot came up and stung my assistant on the nose...he who said,"Pah! I don't need a suit!" and one lot were complete sweeties and took their medicine

Oh well, happy new year to everybody and may this year be a good one.

 

[Walrus]

Hi,
Same as some of mine, but what does it mean? It goes on for 14 days someone said on the forum.

What it means to me is that I killed some mites, which is good news! There can be big variability between hives so not too bothered as long as most of the mites in there die. The hive with the big drop only got half measures of thymol in autumn as temperature was getting low so I'm glad to have OA as part of the IPM.