What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Swallows avoid insects that sting.....

....it's the dragons you need to worry about.

Chris

I plant snapdragons every year and have not seen one dragon.....

 

[MJBee]

Overcast with a light breeze and +14C in the home apiary.

All the hives were flying hard and bringing in loads of pollen. A quick weigh showed that 5 of the 6 colonies had increased in weight

Willow, gorse and dandelions available at the moment with fruit tree blossom not far away. All we need is a little warmth and they will be swarming

 

[Erichalfbee]

Got up to 17˚in the bee field.
I moved some new floors and crowns to the apiary in prep for a look at the weekend.
Husband got the whole field cut so that's it till the autumn.

 

[enrico]

Barely reached ten in east Wales, they flew for half an hour....then gave up!

 

[VEG]

been working near a colony of bees in an oak tree today they have been going like the clappers all day. Surprisingly their entrance is right at the base of the tree the local kids have been having a go at them but the bees seem to be doing ok.

 

[beehive1234]

Saw my first bluebell of the year today, and the Bees orientating.
I was just thinking today the Swallows will be here probably next week, taking over the barn. Poo everywhere. I do love seeing them duck and dive. The mess is worth being able to watch all the babies learn to fly out of the barn. Not sure if they eat my bees, they do swoop over the hives, but I am sure they only catch slow ones, or the drones? If any at all.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not sure if they eat my bees, they do swoop over the hives, but I am sure they only catch slow ones, or the drones? If any at all.

Yes they enjoy snacking on bees, i am sure they specialized in virgin queens last year, there was a general lack of other insect feed for them.

 

[beehive1234]

Not here, as the farmers spread cow dung on the fields in the winter ensuring myriads of knats and other biting insects the moment a warm evening occurs. Annoying but essential.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Not here, as the farmers spread cow dung on the fields in the winter ensuring myriads of knats and other biting insects the moment a warm evening occurs. Annoying but essential.

They do the same here, but the weather killed off much of the insect life,even the wasps died off.

 

[beehive1234]

Nature has it's way of cleansing, Nature is everlasting.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Nature has it's way of cleansing, Nature is everlasting.

I agree, and it is doing a wonderful job of cleansing at the movement.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nature has it's way of cleansing, Nature is everlasting.

Nice watching preps for new life though.
We have a pair of blue tits putting the final touches to a nest we have a camera on and we have a very good view of the Kite nest through the scope. Waiting for the dramas to unfold now.

 

[cjhart2]

I was just thinking today the Swallows will be here probably next week, taking over the barn.

Do not hold your breath , migration of house martins and swallows very poor this year in the south west of France . Only seen two lots of 4 heading north , the weather is C*ap down here as well . No cherry blossom , peach blossom blasted off by a mini tempest , the surviving blossom stripped by hail stones . Hot burst expected at the weekend coming direct from the south , i hope they are right .

 

[victor meldrew]

Saw my first bluebell of the year today, and the Bees orientating.
I was just thinking today the Swallows will be here probably next week, taking over the barn. Poo everywhere. I do love seeing them duck and dive. The mess is worth being able to watch all the babies learn to fly out of the barn. Not sure if they eat my bees, they do swoop over the hives, but I am sure they only catch slow ones, or the drones? If any at all.

So the cycle revolves
Entry in my bee book 23rd April 1990." Swallows arrived Alder Farm "
VM


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[YorkshireBees]

Yesterday (after work) finished off the job I started last year!

That is to install flags under each hive (well at least one of the two out apiaries is done) to provide stable and level bases.

Still relatively warm but cool enough that no bees were venturing out of the hives. I was even able to gently move 2 hives onto their new flagstone bases without bees coming out.

Also spent 30mins cutting back brambles that were threatening to encroach on the line of hives I have and discovered that the thorns CAN pierce leather gloves and hurt more than bee stings!

 

[victor meldrew]

Brambles or shall we say lack of respect for them, had me posterior over mammaries a few years ago! I tripped whilst carrying a full super. , caught my foot under a sneaky rooted leader shoot .
Ever since, I make sure the grass is kept short so as not to obscure any. More of them!
VM

 

[Luminos]

Do not hold your breath , migration of house martins and swallows very poor this year in the south west of France . Only seen two lots of 4 heading north , the weather is C*ap down here as well . No cherry blossom , peach blossom blasted off by a mini tempest , the surviving blossom stripped by hail stones . Hot burst expected at the weekend coming direct from the south , i hope they are right .

How odd.
Plenty of cherry and peach blossom here?

 

[cjhart2]

How odd.
Plenty of cherry and peach blossom here?

NOT up here in Haute Charente . The blast we got on Tuesday , had the missus doing her Mary Poppins impression trying to hold down the Polytunnel front door . Looked like a drowned rat when i got back to her . Saved the polytunnel though. Looks like we will have to move the 10 miles across the border to get the good weather !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Any spare peaches gratefully received .

 

[itma]

... Hot burst expected at the weekend coming direct from the south , i hope they are right .

The Charente might get the patch of weather that the optimists hoped would hit the UK this weekend. But I think we will get (at most) only the edge of it.

 

[madasafish]

Helped our neighbour instal his new fence between his garden and our hives. Second day of a three day job. Started raining so we skipped the ones where the panels needed adjusting and completed the 21 that were a simple job (well some posts needed adjustment with a big rubber hammer at times).

Five to go tomorrow. Hope it's not raining.

Sleet in the middle of the job. 4C. Bit wet and cold...

Not a bee in sight.