What did you do in the Apiary today?

[keithgrimes]

Raining so cleaned some old frames up ready for new foundation, listening to Radio 2 in the shed (how sad is that?)

 

[freethorpe bees]

I know a bloke who avidly and regularly listens to Women's Hour on Radio 4. Now that's sad, if a little worrying...

 

[MJBee]

Glorious day over here - sorry Keith - Wall to wall sun and +21C.

Checked all my colonies, no sign of swarming (yet) and another 3 required a super and of the 3 supered on 22 March 1 needed a 2nd super - the first is almost full but not capped. Gorse and fruit trees in full flow.

The 2 nationals that I put a 14 x 12 boxes of foundation on - I know it is early but the weather has been in favour - are doing well 6 frames 60% drawn with eggs in 4, in 1 colony the queen was inspecting her new abode.

 

[milkermel]

this morning on my first morning off from milking since the clock change I was hopeing to catch up on some sleep that I have lost with the time change. SO no alarms set and wide awake at 6am Ok so cant get back to sleep OH is out for the count so get up and head off to the hive i look after for someone else as I still hadnt sorted them out, currently they are entering through the sliding omf as there is a slight curve in mesh! arrived at 8am and found their builders already on site to my amazement! anyway floor is now closed up so hopefully they are now using the front door, plan to go back in a couple of days as I should hopefully by then be changing from deep brood to 12x14 set up to try and give them some more room

 

[starflex]

Moved 2 tons of top soil - had to stop and watch the bees at regular intervals!

Weather should be ok for an inspection tomorrow.

 

[tonybloke]

added a super to one of my colonies ( queen is nearly 3 yrs old!)

 

[freethorpe bees]

When I first got my nuc it had plastic spacers on the end of the frames, not good for a newbie confidence when trying to line them up with the hoffmans. I gradually moved one of them to the edge and today removed it, replacing with a frame of foundation. Felt a bit rotten doing it as there were quite a bit of stores on the frame. At least one of the frames with plastic spacers has been removed.

Now crossing all my fingers and hoping I've done the right thing and not done any damage!

Oh and also set out two wasp traps, there are far too many queens around for my liking (despatched two yesterday)

FB

 

[Bcrazy]

What did I do today in the apiary - Nothing as I did not attend the apiary.

Mo

 

[oliver90owner]

FB,

Felt a bit rotten doing it as there were quite a bit of stores on the frame.

You still have the stores. They are available should they be needed before the OSR flow; they can be used for a nuc, or fed back later in the year. No waste, you are in control, more laying space added. All ways round, no need to feel rotten about it at all. Infact you should be feeling good about it as it is a positive move!

Regards, RAB

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks so much RAB, what a treasure you are putting my mind at rest like that, thank you!

I do find myself apologising to my girls on a regular basis because they've ended up with me!

Thank you again, I shall keep the frame for future use. Possibly a daft question, is there any way of feeding it back to them without having to use the frame again ( it's got plastic spacers on which I am trying to avoid)

FB

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Thanks so much RAB, what a treasure you are putting my mind at rest like that, thank you!

I do find myself apologising to my girls on a regular basis because they've ended up with me!

Thank you again, I shall keep the frame for future use. Possibly a daft question, is there any way of feeding it back to them without having to use the frame again ( it's got plastic spacers on which I am trying to avoid)

FB

FB, you can get plastic hoffman converters. Just take the plastic spacers off, put a hoffman converter on and, bingo, back in the box.

 

[freethorpe bees]

Thanks gbh I'll have a look at them in the catalogues. Is it tricky getting them on? My girls are the propolis champions, it was like wading through treacle today!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Dead easy to get on (as long as your frames aren't too irregular). Just slide them on then secure with a gimp pin.
Think I got mine from Th****s - a few quid for loads of the things.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Checked the levels in the contact feeders today and watched the pollen coming in. Then typed up the notes from the inspection last week (must get into the habit of doing on the same day!)

 

[Norton]

Back in Cyprus:
Check nucs for queen cell acceptance. Took delivery of 45 nucs to put queen cells into.

 

[borderer]

Finally got time off and and weather to coincide to allow a first inspection. Very pleased with the outcome. All hives showing plenty of activity with pollen piling in. On looking inside i could see that all were laying well, with eggs crubs and sealed brrod on at least five frames, with plenty of pollen and stores

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Went to Lincoln auction, but nothing of great interest for me in the equipment part, and I decided against waiting for the auction of bees (would be interested to hear from anyone there how much they went for). Lovely and sunny this afternoon so I started a Bailey on my single brood.

 

[zeeb]

inspected the colony that i suspected to be drone laying, and found that it is!
changed from a solid floor to an OMF on the other colony.
browsed the internet for a new suit as the zip is now busted on my jacket!
made up a spare hive (seconds) that i should have made up over the winter.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Very warm day here in North London 19C on the thermometer , hazy cloud, and no wind (19th C walled garden) but breezy on the farm

So spent the morning opening up hives for the first time this year with Molly (MSTROM on this forum) , hives on eight full 14x12 frames ( all above70% cover of brood/larva/eggs per frame) , so QE and supers put on drawn SN1 comb, feeding ekes and insulation off , quick scrap and clean all round, move older frames to outer edge where possible, bruised any Ivy capped honey (POLYHIVE 's recommendation i use to scrap it out to the rib ,seem to work ok)

my hive of carnies on 9 frames of 14x12 have indifferent brood pattern with too much pepper pot and scattered drones in brood but it did have a high varroa drop in autumn, so might be DWV , so removed the dummy and added a 12th hoffman 14x12 to split the outer brood with new foundation to get HM ( 2010) to lay on fresh comb and see what she does (a honey super above QE as well, could just be honeyblock but will defintely think about a requeen)

also took mouseguards of a friends Nuc and hives as asked but think going to phone and say get supers on ASAP or they will swarm

Molly's overwintered 6 frame Nucs in a dummied down standard had drawn out 3 frames of foundation behind the dummy boards and started to fill with honey, so rearrange the frames added 14x12 eke and added a few 14x12 frames on cold side,

 

[Ben2527]

Hi I stayed the day at the Lincoln auction, picked up a few items 5 feeders and bits and bobs for £5 and a new crown board for £8. I hadn't planned on getting bees but the prices seemed to good to miss, The first few nucs went for around £140 and the prices started to fall i picked up what seems to be a good strong nuc for £80, some of the hives with. Got my first bee sting above my right eye....no doubt more to come. Nuc now on a stand on a local farm ready to be moved into the hive when settled.