What did you do in the Apiary today?

[user 6228]

too cold to do a fullinspect so a quick look from the top and a guess. So we double suppered two. The other stroppy of a couple of weeks ago is now docile...
Possibly being kept busy using the extra space when it was double supered last week.

 

[Stickyfingers]

2 nucs I moved into main hives a couple of weeks ago have run out of space. Pollen patties were probably to effective! Capped queen cells in both. 1AS done although not sure if it was correct. Tore down the others in the other hive even though couldn't see her and added a super. She's seems to be very elusive in fact only spotted here for a second last week. Risky as she may have gone but there were fresh eggs and too many bees.
Grafted the third hive as this is the stock I want.

going on holiday soon so I bet it all kicks off then.

Hardest day ever...feeling slightly overwhelmed!

 

[LeoP]

Visited a potential out apiary site. Looks good and not too far away.

Too cold wet and windy to do the planned inspections this evening, so I'm hoping it'll be better tomorrow. I need to check as one colony had a play cup in the middle of a frame. The colony was pretty feisty - poured out the moment I opened it (but very quickly calmed down when I put the CB back on). 6f eggs & bias, so still Q+.

 

[HelenHP16]

My first artificial swarm!

 

[richardbees]

Helen

Congratulations!

isn't it a great feeling to actually do something you've only so far read about doing? .....almost as good as the first time you find an unmarked Q

Richard

ps You'll have to change your personal information "number of colonies"

 

[Pete D]

Inspected all hives at the weekend.
Most had doubled number of frames of BIAS in the last 12 days. Some drone brood now in about half of the hives. 1 hive had 3 play cups, empty.
1 hive had only sealed brood, no eggs and no sign of queen ? Gave them a frame of brood from neighbouring hive complete with eggs.

Checked this at the weekend and no queen cells had been raised so the hive must have a queen. No new brood though. Had a good look through and found the small skinny queen, gave her the squish treatment and introduced another frame with some eggs on.
Also brought another hive to the apiary and put it alongside this one in case I need to do a unite.
Still dont like killing queens but am gradually getting hardened to it.
Also my best hive last year was headed by a blue queen who was still present in September. However she looks to have been replaced as the queen now present is unmarked. I dont think she has had it cleaned off as it was still large and bright after 2 years. Lets hope she is properly mated.

 

[HelenHP16]

Helen

Congratulations!

isn't it a great feeling to actually do something you've only so far read about doing? .....almost as good as the first time you find an unmarked Q

Richard

ps You'll have to change your personal information "number of colonies"

Thank you - certainly a sense of achievement!

 

[enrico]

Well done Helen, we are proud of you. Just a tip, it is easy to forget about the old queen thinking you have done what needs to be done......but......check again in five days time for further queen cells, they have a habit of going for it again! OMG just watching the weather and wet snow forecast!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Helen, do you want to come round and find one of mine....please.

 

[Glenviewbee]

Just been up to where my remaining hive is (top of hill). I decided to increase the windbreak I have around the hives - made up of old hay bales. It is blowing pretty badly here today - has been for the last few days in fact, and not likely to let up in the near future
The bees do seem to be going great guns from the colony, lots out flying and bringing in pollen and presumably nectar - so now I am worried that I haven't been able to properly inspect since 2 May when I did the spring clean - it has just been too cold and miserable! Right now it is about 12 degrees but I don't want to open up as it is just so windy.

 

[Mellifera397]

Went through the hive for the first time since thursday the 2nd of may and found that the foundationless frame that I put into the hive has been fully drawn out with what I think is drone comb so I can do a drone cull. Overall the colony has 5 frames of brood but only 2 of stores. The queen's laying pattern is quite good so I'm pretty sure that they're okay.

M

 

[psafloyd]

Have left the split (possibly swarmed) hive alone for a week as it has been grumpy as hell and may even have bothered another allotment member (unconfirmed).

Put in a few extra frames of foundation as i had run out, but still not happy. May feed it as not much going on in terms of drawing the comb. Others all quite happy, but we'll see if weather caught me out again this year.

Went to check on at another site (lovely nature, white marked – 2011? – queen I picked up in a swarm last year. They had a super left on over winter, much of which was used up, but while building up nicely, they have filled it in the last 10 days, so I got ready for an AS.
Had gone through and found nothing but playcups when I remembered there hadn't been a QE on this hive and there was a little drone in the super. Lo and behold, when I looked right in the middle of the super, there were a couple of charged cells, one with a 5/6 day old larva.

So, instead of closing up to check in a couple of days, I split them and left a couple of full brood combs of stores as I couldn't leave this super above the original hive. At least not without banging about the frames an perhaps damaging the QCs.

If I get a nice queen from the split and they are still docile, I may use her to produce more queens as she they are a pleasant bunch.

 

[For want of a better word]

Set up the wasp traps..... chickens love them!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I haven't seen a wasp at all this year.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I haven't seen a wasp at all this year.

.. except for the dead one on a floor at the bottom of a stack of stuff.

 

[Mike a]

Moved a hive (strong brood and a half) close to two fields with a couple of hundred acres of OSR in total. I'm not expecting much this year as the weather has settled down again.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Added extra brood box to strong hive below existing brood nest. Also added an extra super to both hive's above a crownboard with hole in. I couldnt do a full check due to the temperatures only quickly checked supers, both hives had lots of bees in the super and the stronger hive had lots of fresh nectar on the newly drawn comb.

 

[madasafish]

Checked all roofs for leaks... 11C at most and snow and very heavy rain forecast for rest of week.

Where's my ark?


"Survivors To Enjoy Glorious Summer, Says Met Office"

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/?p=1738&print=1

 

[WelshPaul]

Added extra brood box to strong hive below existing brood nest. Also added an extra super to both hive's above a crownboard with hole in. I couldnt do a full check due to the temperatures only quickly checked supers, both hives had lots of bees in the super and the stronger hive had lots of fresh nectar on the newly drawn comb.

What's the black boxes with wires?

 

[herefordshirehoney]

What's the black boxes with wires?

Arnia hive monitors, I pulled the brood nest thermostats on one this morning and didnt replace as didnt want to chill the brood nest.