What did you do in the Apiary today?

[TOBY-3652]

Bit the bullet and finally marked my queen.. First time a bit nervous

 

[For want of a better word]

Thought as it was so warm and sunny would take a look at the super hive of a trio of merged greek colonies. Against my better judgement I had found and gently marked the Queen last week and she was laying as eggs seen.
(Grandad NEVER marked a queen, and NEVER got phased if he couldn't find her!)
I should have let her bee, as today I could not find her, no eggs, loads of sealed brood and a number of superceedure queen cells.
On brood + half plus a brood box with QE under a brood filling with honey.........

The Nationals are all as expected..... packing in the pollen¬!

I will now go and give myself a good kicking!!!

 

[richardbees]

At 7 pm I collected 30 (more or less) mature bees by blocking the entrance and brushing them into a polythene bag as they returned and clustered at where the entrance was supposed to be.

These are now in the freezer as a sample for Nosema microscopy testing on Saturday with Wimbledon BKA at Morden Hall Park.

icanhopit, if Toby has read your post, he'll now have sleepless nights 'til he opens and finds his queen!

 

[For want of a better word]

At 7 pm I collected 30 (more or less) mature bees by blocking the entrance and brushing them into a polythene bag as they returned and clustered at where the entrance was supposed to be.

These are now in the freezer as a sample for Nosema microscopy testing on Saturday with Wimbledon BKA at Morden Hall Park.

icanhopit, if Toby has read your post, he'll now have sleepless nights 'til he opens and finds his queen!

Poor ol' Pollyhive

I PROMISE I am going to TRY to be a bit more considerate to my bees!!!

 

[drstitson]

morden is surely a bit downmarket for you SW19 boys and girls (even if you are holding it at a NT property!!!!).

 

[trapperman]

went through them today brood now on 9 frames and some burr comb between topbars and qe with larve in, so added second brood box under old brood for them to expand down into.

Fair bit of honey in the super to.

 

[tonybloke]

watched the bees bringing in nectar from the local trees, and pollen from the willow in the garden

 

[richardbees]

Took the roof off this afternoon to replace the glass cover board which I'd removed for cleaning - no need at all for smoke.......it's so nice to have docile bees!

Morden has the advantage of being at the end of the Northern Line (which is an egalitarian underground train that runs from posh Highgate, through Balham, Clapham (and other civilised enclaves) specifically to service London's biggest Council estate built post-war to provide housing for bombed-out dockland families.


.

 

[oliver90owner]

Made one bigger colony from a last year split and the drone layer. Really hissed me off as both colonies were pussycats (OK, one queen is still there) but the colony next door to the doomed DLQ in the garden are turning into a load of ASBOs.

I originally blamed the DLQ colony for the sting last week but def the lot next door after getting a freak sting in the week (a sting sac got on my clothes, or in my hair, and when I ran my hand over my head about an hour and a half to 2 hours later, I stung myself!

That now has a screen above (and an OMF below), so I won't be any particular rush to get them onto the OSR tomorrow. I just have to go out to seal the entrance in a few minutes time and strap it all together very firmly.

Regards, RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

Best day of the year so far.

Stayed well away to resist the temptation to mess with them

PH

 

[milkermel]

Checked the hive I look after for someone, going to keep them on double brood as already they are really busy. Super on this one after hunting for the QE, 2 found 2 still missing!

 

[Silly Bee]

Did a first of season inspection.

 

[VEG]

Going to put the rest of the frames into the swarm I picked up, not much room in there at the time so hope with them flying today will be able to fit them in. Sunday will be a thorough inspection of all my other hives to look for queen cells and put some supers on them as well.

 

[Lois]

I did my first full inspection at lunch time today. The girls were all out playing in the sunshine, lovely and warm with no breeze. They were really calm, I only had to puff a little smoke in which was just as well because my smoker went out quickly as usual. I didnt see the queen but I did see brood at all stages. I'm very happy with that.

 

[Cazza]

a sting sac got on my clothes, or in my hair, and when I ran my hand over my head about an hour and a half to 2 hours later, I stung myself!

Regards, RAB

I always wondered if that was possible once the sting had left the bee. Thank you for taking part in that particular experiment!

Cazza

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Added a 2nd brood box onto my biggest colony. Dramatic change in temperament - they were evil last week, today they were pussycats!

 

[nelletap]

Levelled loads of soil that had been placed in the apiary as part of another project. Intend to sow some wildflower seed there - probably Monday or Tuesday as there might be some rain and I don't have a hose long enough to get down to the apiary. As usual, in the sun and the musing about the bees, I started to wonder whether the places I had just put down paving stones for my expansion (want to go from 1 hive to 3 this season) were in the best place. The first hive entrance was still bathed in sun at 3pm whereas the other two were not due to the way the sun has moved round. I could move them to the other side - but then they won't get the morning sun so early.
Charged my strimmer and cleared some of the foliage. They are very keen on their water sources at the moment so I couldn't easily strim round those.
Hasn't it been lovely to have this bout of good weather. If I was a cat I'd be purring.
Tricia

 

[Gardenbees]

Added a 2nd brood box onto my biggest colony. Dramatic change in temperament - they were evil last week, today they were pussycats!

Same happened with my biggest a few days ago. They stung my legs as I moved them on top of a new box (decided to add box underneath as there's a super with some brood in still). Had a right go at me but have now settled and today they are purring idyllically round all the dandelions on my veg patch!

Finished painting new hive stand and putting together frames for a shook swarm into a new 14x12. Also made a new roof. Note to self: hive roofs are actually rather a pain to make and better value for money than they at first seem....

 

[peterbees]

We had 12 people at our first Taster Day of the summer today. They arrived knowing little or nothing about bees or beekeeping and left after a great day, all wanting to start beekeeping as soon as possible.
Peter Mc, C*nwy BKA, North Wales.

 

[tonybloke]

loads of folk at WBG ( Waveney beekeepers group)
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=3673&stc=1&d=1302368098