What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Chris Luck]

Spotted one of these 'pop up' OSR apiaries with between 6-8 hives that must have appeared in the last week.....about 300 yards from my main mating apiary!!!!

You should be here, hives on large farm trailers arrive overnight.

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beginners day in the association apiary, my bees as laid back as usual but since last Sunday have piled in quite a bit in the super (as well as drawing out some of the comb - half and half drawn and foundation originally) happy days!

 

[VEG]

Nothing done in the apiary today but got another batch of honey to do

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Yet another day not in the apiaries.

I am enjoying my hols - but really missing my bees!


The Cathedral hive was checked over the other day by our mentor, who runs the BKA apiaries. Apparently she thought all was OK. I'd been a bit anxious about what she'd think - especially as I've been changing over to the Dark Side (14 x 12).

And my own mentor is looking over my own hives today. I had to do an A/S all of a sudden a few days before we left - so I'm hoping all is ok.

Good to have reliable people to look after things.

Anyhow, back soon - when no doubt I'll soon be moaning on about having so much work to do......

Dusty

 

[alldigging]

Caught a swarm.


Remembered to take secateurs and drink but need to add chair to list of things to take.

 

[Cellectronic]

Had a drive out to check on 2 bait hives near a colony in an oak tree, Hives are not occupied yet but the bees were very busy and so noisy I was looking for a swarm in the oak. Nothing up in the tree except an inquisitive squirrel who kept an eye on me.

 

[Goran]

Taking parts of time without a rain, two more splits and one more mating nuc.. And of course at the end lot of rain.. These hives wanted to swarm, but when they show desire for swarming after main forage here they are considered OK. After all I planned some splits with or without swarming.. But weather here is no good for jenter now, but when it improve I am trying to be ready..

 

[Erichalfbee]

My first visit to our BKA apiary
One of the hives had an egg in one play cup so the apiary manager crushed it and did an AS he said hoping for enough emergency cells to make two or three splits. This on seven frames of brood ..........shrug!
Didn't say anything as I'm new.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Went through my hives yesterday.
Two 14 x 12 on brood and shallow six or seven frames of brood in both boxes.
Masses of holly flowers, hawthorne to come and good weather forecast so might take a look in again on Thursday (5 days) with supers and extra boxes ready.

 

[VEG]

My first visit to our BKA apiary
One of the hives had an egg in one play cup so the apiary manager crushed it and did an AS he said hoping for enough emergency cells to make two or three splits. This on seven frames of brood ..........shrug!
Didn't say anything as I'm new.

I would have had to ask why

 

[beebopalula]

Went to give syrup to a cast that moved into one of a row of 4 of my bait hives (all different sizes) 2 days ago. Found a full-sized swarm had moved in 2 doors up!
The options were: a 5 frame cedar 14x12 nuc (ignored); a 6 frame 14x12 poly nuc (cast); a 6 frame Dadant poly nuc (ignored) and an 8 frame 14x12 poly nuc (swarm). Hived the swarm but left the cast where it was for now.
On the down side: refused permission to keep bees at one of the best potential apiary locations I have seen - 'Would not have bees here for a £1000' said owner.

 

[Headnavigator]

After two not very good years I am chuffed to bits today to see an empty hive being occupied. They ignored two carefully set up bait hives, clearly a vacated hive is much more interesting.

Two hours before we noticed the bee activity this morning I walked past this hive and stopped because of the smell - intensely 'beehive' and not at all like the existing bees, stronger than anything I'd smelt before. This continued all day but has subsided this evening, where all is now quiet except for a couple of the visitors trying to get into the wrong hive and being rejected.

Am I right in assuming the smell was the pheremone attractant set up by the swarm to bring in all of its members? They took most of the day to arrive in a constant stream, so presumably the swarm had sited itself somewhere nearby before moving in? (And no, they weren't robbers - nothing to rob and no two-way traffic.)

 

[BeeJayBee]

Phone call from a nearby beekeeper's neighbour at about half past four this afternoon, saying there was a large swarm, bigger than a rugby ball, in a tree in their garden. Beekeeper on holiday - they'd been in touch and asked if anybody nearby could help. That was me!

Threw useful bits and pieces into the car and was there within ten minutes ... to see the bees flying off south, at great speed. Beekeeper's neighbour amazed at how fast they were moving and how far they were going to have to go - nearest building or big tree about half a mile in that direction.

 

[psafloyd]

One of my hives threw off a cast. I housed it (cardboard box) and moved it into a super this evening. Will take a look for a virgin and will probably give her the heave-ho and recombine the cast so I get some honey this year. May not and mate her anyway. Not decided.

The hive I thought had thrown it off had two lovely swarm cells and I crushed one only to find a fully formed Q inside. Oops. Still, I did squash the less attractive cell. So, this was the one that had swarmed last weekend. Oops.

A united hive was still ****** in the lower box and the Q hadn't moved down, so I moved HM on her frame into the lower box, put a QE on and will have a BB back once the brood hatches. Maybe I should have made it a split.

Looked into a small cast I picked up (yes, probably one of mine) from last week and HM is laying well. Brood almost in all stages, just none capped yet, but looking good and I marked her.

United a small queenright colony with a medium strength queenless one. Pretty arsey considering weather, and a few emergency cells pulled out and capped this evening. Perhaps Q failed, left or was a virgin and didn't make it home. I'll see in a couple of days if they have accepted the laying Q and if they don't tear down the emergency QCs, I'll give them a hand.

Still got a couple I haven't checked for a couple of weeks, but been so busy. In my short time, I have never seen the bees so intent on swarming. Only have equivalent of a single super on one site and about the same with one colony on the other. Hope it calms down soon...

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Took four supers off and only extracted three due to water content high on one. Amazing to see 80-90lbs of honey running into buckets!!

Should note this was my first extraction!

On the downside I killed a queen accidentally during inspecting not sure how the other day so split into two nucs with queen cell each. Already capped one not looked in other hive yet.

 

[Beanwood]

Had my first go at using a Horsley board - and to make it interesting, I could't find the queen!!

All bees brushed into bottom brood box with three frames of BIAS.
Top box now has remainder of brood,and an open QC.

I'm REALLY hoping the nurse bees HAVE read the book, and will
move up to cover the brood tonight.

 

[theboynelson]

I ended up doing an AS in my local assoc apiary.
Ive taken a couple of the sealed QC's that were taken out and stuck them in my egg incubator, I'll be interested to see if they hatch. Might then use the to scent a bait hive in the hope of increasing stocks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This evening - when the bees were tucked up (about 2015) did a bit of tidying up around the apiary - some tree stumps still needed pulling up, then started spreading the big pile of woodchip I've now got after sorting out all the hedging waste - and still a few bees came out to see what I was up to so i spent a little time in the shed making up another brood box before going back up there and carrying on with the woodchip - another stint tomorrow night should see it almost finished.

 

[beeboybee]

After a horrendous winter with both colonies failing to make it through, Today i was lucky enough to pick up a swarm... feels great to have bee's again.....

 

[beebopalula]

After a horrendous winter with both colonies failing to make it through, Today i was lucky enough to pick up a swarm... feels great to have bee's again.....

Congratulations! Always a delight.