What did you do in the Apiary today?

[victor meldrew]

Checked the inspection trays 5 days after o/a treatment . A few hundred on 3 trays 4th tray had thousands. . All quiet save for the colony with the biggest mite drop, these were out in quantity on being 'disturbed'
VM

 

[WelshPaul]

Checked the hives, all still alive thank god. Put some insulation on.

 

[Greatbigchicken]

Checked the inspection trays 5 days after o/a treatment . A few hundred on 3 trays 4th tray had thousands. . All quiet save for the colony with the biggest mite drop, these were out in quantity on being 'disturbed'
VM

Mine were exactly the same, got 3 stings in the thigh off them too.

 

[Little John]

Closed off the small top vents and partially closed the OMFs ready for the cold spell which has been forecast. Looks likely, today being just 2 degrees. Girls still very active, bless 'em.

LJ

 

[victor meldrew]

Closed off the small top vents and partially closed the OMFs ready for the cold spell which has been forecast. Looks likely, today being just 2 degrees. Girls still very active, bless 'em.

LJ

Do you use match sticks for small top ventilation ?
VM

 

[WelshPaul]

Ooh matchsticks, I got to take mine out lol

runs and hides.....

 

[VEG]

Matchsticks are old news gaping holes are the new matchsticks. Lol

 

[Little John]

Do you use match sticks for small top ventilation ?
VM

Naaah - 15mm hole, installed 'cause it's been so warm.

LJ

 

[Little John]

Out of curiosity, just thought I'd run the numbers ...

Assuming matchsticks are 2mm, and the box in question is 460mm square, then propping open one side will give a 920 sq mm vent. The sloping vents at either side will add another 920, so that's 1840 sq mm total.

In contrast a 15mm hole creates a 177 sq mm vent - 1/10th the area.

Just in case anyone was wondering/ feeling aghast at the idea/ or whatever ...

LJ

 

[victor meldrew]

Dug a trench 5 metres long 1.5 spit deep.
Now. I need enough cheap quick growing evergreen trees to plant a hedge .
This because neighbouring farm has cleared the boundary to grass level thus exposing their grand children / animals to the apiary .
2 colonies were flying well dumping cling film through the slots of my under floor entranced omfs, the other 2 had the odd few water carriers venturing forth
VM

 

[Chris Ibbo]

I spent some time knocking together some deep frames, then another hour completing some ceder planter boxes for family. Good job I did thought because its freed up some space in the garage for the frames. We all know how much ear ache we get from our other halves when you try and make a new table top feature out of 50 deeps lol.

 

[hedgehog66]

Victor
not evergreen, but i just got packs of 10 dog rose from Aldi. marked at £2.99 but went through til at 59p per pack
grow quick and nice and prickly, certain to keed pesky kids out til evergreens grow
they have buds on them already, im making a nice barrier at allotment to keep chavs out ! ( and feed bees)

 

[dpearce4]

Went up to out apiary today, 7 of 11 hives now have fondant on, these are all 14x12 or commercials which were all to heavy to lift in october. 3 of them now have had 2 lots of fondant. Bonkers.

 

[victor meldrew]

Dug another trench ready for hedge planting . In the form of a modesty wall (if anyone remembers modesty these days )
Idea is to provide a portion of a labrynth to shield the colony guards from getting wound up watching the kids on the next farm trampolining
VM

 

[dpearce4]

Anyone who trampolines in a garden deserves to be stung lol lol lol

 

[Dishmop]

the novelty soon wears off after they have injured themselves afew times, or been impalled on the garden fence.

 

[Dishmop]

I wonder, do vegans enquire of the greengrocer if any caterpillers were injured (or worse) during the production of the cabbage they are considering for the making of the splendid soup they will be making for their dinner guests?

 

[starflex]

Hefted all hives and nucs. 14 x 12s and nucs all ok. 1 x National got a bag of fondant. So far so good this winter. Could do with 6 weeks of cold, dry weather!

 

[Pete D]

To quote 'Tonybloke' I put some fondant on one of my hives........
the double std National brood 2nd up in the picture to be exact.
Pete D

 

[Glenviewbee]

Put 1kg of fondant on both my hives - it has been so mild down here and the bees have been out flying in the brief spells when it isn't raining. We do have daffodils and gorse coming into flower all around us but I can't imagine that the bees can get very much from them, plus the temp, although milder than the rest of the UK, is still a bit nippy.
Being a complete novice at this I'm just waiting and hoping