What did you do in the Apiary today?

[psafloyd]

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

I saw more wasps this weekend than I did ALL last year.

Even saw a couple trying to get into a colony with a pretty full super.

 

[Erichalfbee]

AH..........TOWIE wasps

 

[Polyanwood]

I got quite wet and I got stung a bit. Surprisingly one lot of bees were filling the super and capping, but the others with supers didn't have much income - about a third of the frames had something in them.

The Demareed hive might have swarmed. They were very pingy and following. A girl who was passing the apiary said she got stung last week. There were eggs, but possibly fewer bees and sealed QCs (9 days since last inspection), and I couldn't find Q. They were really foul tempered and all over my veil. There were still a lot of bees and frames full of sealed brood, so I took a split away as I don't want any more passersby stung.

I clipped and marked 3 queens. Clippers seem blunt.

 

[Hachi]

Finaly

Finally managed to move my hives from the shared apiary with my mentor to my own place following about eight months of crap weather that meant I couldn't get my truck anywhere near them until now.

Flying solo now...... woo hoo

Also been offered a third hive and there is a maahoosive field of flowering rape next door to my new out apiary

 

[Haughton Honey]

Temps 10-11c, slight drizzle but less windy than yesterday around these parts.

16 x inspections, 3 x AS's, 1 x DLW squished and united to another hive and 1 x Demaree (strong colony that I want QCs from). Supered 8 x hives for space, added a 2nd super to 4 x strong hives

.......and next week is looking better weather-wise!

 

[beebopalula]

Looked at possible new out apiary.

 

[richardbees]

What's the black boxes with wires?

I've got similar but mine contain fused semtex in case they get that little bit too aggresive.

 

[WelshPaul]

Lol thanks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What's the black boxes with wires?

I've got similar but mine contain fused semtex in case they get that little bit too aggresive.

I'e heard of a military weapons engineer who wired his hives up to thunderflashes to discourage pi.......... err thieves

Topped up feeder on two hives (in between showers - i did have two minutes!)
HAa a sitrep on my hive at the association apiary from the chairman who gave it a quick check on Sunday - she's doing very nicely on five frames with plenty of stores (good for this area at the moment!!)

 

[MJBee]

Conned

On 6th May I decided to leave the Q- side of an artificial swarm alone because there was great excitement at the entrance - bees everywhere and running up the front of the hive. I assumed (should have remembered the flight safety poster "Don't assume CHECK!!) that the virgin queen was either out orientating or on a mating flight.
Went to see if there were eggs yesterday and it was swarming
Fortunately they settled onto a low branch of an adjacent willow and were easily captured.
Examining the colony I found one "emerged" queen cell and another 2 sealed cells about to emerge. I removed the smallest and squished it as soon as the other emerged and a healthy queen was seen.
Moral of the story:- Regardless of what the bees are doing check for queen cells 7 days after an AS - Queen cells wait for no man.

 

[itma]

...
Examining the colony I found one "emerged" queen cell and another 2 sealed cells about to emerge. I removed the smallest and squished it as soon as the other emerged and a healthy queen was seen.
...

So, what is the thinking behind your choice of having two virgins running around in there?
I'd be worried about a cast departing.

I think I might have caged one, and tried to set up a mating nuc with her asap. Thereby 'getting two bites' at the er, early-season mating, er... cherry.

 

[Chris Luck]

So, what is the thinking behind your choice of having two virgins running around in there?
I'd be worried about a cast departing.

I think I might have caged one, and tried to set up a mating nuc with her asap. Thereby 'getting two bites' at the er, early-season mating, er... cherry.

No shortage of mating going on here and not really early season, drones and swarms for a while now - if anything a tad late this year due to jet stream slippage.

Chris

 

[MJBee]

So, what is the thinking behind your choice of having two virgins running around in there?
I'd be worried about a cast departing.

I think I might have caged one, and tried to set up a mating nuc with her asap. Thereby 'getting two bites' at the er, early-season mating, er... cherry.

Hi itma, as I said in the OP I was inspecting was was left after a swarm had departed 5 mins earlier, So my deduction (right or wrong) was "emerged" QC was the queen in the swarm and the virgin I saw emerge is (hopefuly) the only queen in the colony.
The swarm incidentally was a big one, it has filled a Commercial brood of 11 frames

 

[itma]

Hi itma, as I said in the OP I was inspecting was was left after a swarm had departed 5 mins earlier, So my deduction (right or wrong) was "emerged" QC was the queen in the swarm and the virgin I saw emerge is (hopefuly) the only queen in the colony.
The swarm incidentally was a big one, it has filled a Commercial brood of 11 frames

Sorry, yes, you did say it was from the Q- side of an A/S. Doh!

So that was one pretty enormous 'cast'!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I just wanted people - especially Finman - to know that it's a year today since I got my first nuc.

So, I'm now in my second year, with two hives.

I therefore know everything about beekeeping and intend to dispense my wisdom to all and sundry - especially if it differs from the advice of those with dozens or even hundreds of hives and decades of experience.

Dusty

 

[madasafish]

I just wanted people - especially Finman - to know that it's a year today since I got my first nuc.

So, I'm now in my second year, with two hives.

I therefore know everything about beekeeping and intend to dispense my wisdom to all and sundry - especially if it differs from the advice of those with dozens or even hundreds of hives and decades of experience.

Dusty

I'll hang onto your every word with bated breath..

 

[itma]

So, I'm now in my second year, with two hives.

I therefore know everything about beekeeping and intend to dispense my wisdom to all and sundry - PARTICULARLY if it differs from the advice of those with dozens or even hundreds of hives and decades of experience - as the humble hobbyist has entirely different problems and constraints on possible solutions!

Dusty

Fixed that for you, Dusty!

 

[Cazza]

I just wanted people - especially Finman - to know that it's a year today since I got my first nuc.

So, I'm now in my second year, with two hives.

I therefore know everything about beekeeping and intend to dispense my wisdom to all and sundry - especially if it differs from the advice of those with dozens or even hundreds of hives and decades of experience.

Dusty

No change there then!!!!!
Cazza

 

[user 6228]

watched bees flying in the rain

 

[mbc]

So, what is the thinking behind your choice of having two virgins running around in there?
I'd be worried about a cast departing.

I think I might have caged one, and tried to set up a mating nuc with her asap. Thereby 'getting two bites' at the er, early-season mating, er... cherry.

"pulling" virgins is a known technique to avoid them throwing a cast swarm. You can have as many virgins running around as you like - and they'll fight it out to the last girl standing ! - but the colony wont throw a cast swarm unless there is a sealed queen cell.