What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drstitson]

Looks like bait hive at midweek "lodgings" has had another hit (first time was a late small swarm in early oct 2011). steady stream of surveyors last night checking out dimensions inside and out. tonight busy entrance and lovely wax working crackling coming from inside (it's a bog standard lidded poly box converted to take frames - that and being balanced on a shed roof helps amplify the sound).

will aim to move to a proper home one night once temp drops (it'll be a 135 mile drive to apiary).

 

[user 6228]

A swarm panic bodge job of a floor made a year ago has now to be replaced. By not taping the floor joints the bees have found a way into the foam and have now finally come through the bottom floor sheet. Out with the table saw...
and new floor, properly taped this time.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Took delivery of some new kit and prayed (not to the point of opening on a humid evening) my nuc has enough space in its new hive till I do open on Sat. I'm sure it does.

 

[REDWOOD]

Checked a cast swarm I hived 5 weeks ago, marked the queen and now needs a super

 

[user 6228]

The installation of a new floor meant a rebuild of hive as there was comb hanging off the bottoms of the frames. During this we found they have nearly filled 2 supers with a mixture of honey and nearly ripe honey, since Friday . Took 5 frames of the ripe and added another super

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

What a flow everyone's having. I'm going to be twitchy until Saturday.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Mate came around to have a look at the beekeeping empire and a cuppa - then went to his parents' to take the bait hive down from the tree - this time managed it with very little drama (has to be some hasn't there - it's compulsory), on the way home stopped at the field to pick up that bait hive, but it's empty - obviously all the framtic bee activity today with bees jamming the entrance was just extreme scout activity - maybe tomorrow then
Garn cottage bait hive now safely installed at Brynmair, I'll hive it tomorrow

 

[Suzi Q]

Noticed my bees have taken to 'washboarding', on the landing board, and on one hive without a landing board, below the entrance. Anybody got any ideas why they indulge in this behaviour? My pet theory is they are smearing the alarm pheromone around the entrance of the hive, they seem to be rubbing their jaws on the wood/poly. A kind of 'keep out' private property? For other bees and wasps? Co-incidently have seen some wasps mooching around.

 

[sunhivebee]

Checked four swarms of recent weeks. All great. Hived three swarms for other people today. Discovered bait hives happily occupied.
My only successful bait hives are those placed high up.
Noticed that the lime trees appear to have no nectar flow, certainly not after about ten in the morning. Too much sun, I gather from the relevant descriptions in the very excellent Plants for Bees book by Kirk & Howes

 

[Erichalfbee]

What a flow everyone's having. I'm going to be twitchy until Saturday.

ditto

 

[Jagmn]

Checked out the hives again today. HM Margaret - the swarm - looking good but with only 1 frame of wax drawn they might have to be shuftied into a nuc when/if the weather cools. Saw Queen Margaret herself and managed to get her into a hairclip trap only for her to scarper back to a cluster when I tried tipping her into the plunger assembly for marking. Still; happy with my first ever spotting and catching of a queen, just need to work on the next bit! Tidied up a bit of wild comb where the frames were the frame was not close enough to the wall of the box and put a transparent cover on before replacing the roof.

Checked out HM Aisha (the original colony bought as a Nuc at the end of June): brood box fully filled, two frames in box 2 drawn with another 2 on the way. Sooo much sticky propolis holding everything together. Put me in mind of melted toffee. Also put a transparent cover on before replacing the roof. Did not attempt to find the queen as there was BIAS and a lot of bees. Noted a rather large collection of capped drone cells in the middle of a frame; about the size of a side-plate. The rest of the frame was capped worker cells. Is that much area taken up with drones normal? The frames are all Langstroth full depth (MB compatible).

Both hives are on OMF; would one put/leave the tray in the smaller colony to make it easier for them to maintain brood-rearing and wax-working temperatures even in this heatwave?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You name all your queens! i was tempted and thought maybe a snow white theme, but the way things are going I may have to plump for 101 dalmatians

 

[clv101]

Received this from the council today:

Stay out of the heat:
• Keep out of the sun between 11.00am and 3.00pm.
• If you have to go out in the heat, walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a hat.
• Avoid extreme physical exertion.
• Wear light, loose-fitting cotton clothes.

At midday today I was re-hiving a nuc into a 14x12, physical exertion in a beesuit isn't fun!

 

[madasafish]

Grumpy,Dozy1,Dozy2,Dozy3,Dozy4,Sleepy1,Sleepy2, Dopey1and Dopey2 are mine. Easy to remember.

Physical exertion? Lifted a heavy glass until it grew lighter..

 

[Jagmn]

Naming HM just seemed easier than constantly referring to "The one in that corner" or "The one next to the garage"

Agreed; full beesuit in this weather makes for wet work.

 

[witchcraft]

United a hopelessly Q- hive with the AS taken from it in May

 

[madasafish]

Switched two colonies around into each other's TBH as one - a June swarm - was outgrowing its nuc..

An interesting logistical exercise but quite simple.

Both OK this am.

 

[ultreen1]

Found this at my out apiary down at the Abby after an inspection 100m away from the hives!

View attachment 8518

 

[Swarm]

I notice the Tree Bumble, surprised your bees aren't on them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Due to me not getting my forum hit suppertime last night, or breakfast this morning (I have mine at 8 Admin ):
Last night,went to Garn Cottage and put the third super on the Pembrokeshire hooligans (they do seem to be a bit over tetchy on the whole) and supered the colony which was a queen introduced into a 2 frame nuc on 26/6 now on 6 frames in a full hive and chocker with honey - needs space!
This morning, Put the fourth super on the Cardigan 1 hive also supered the hive I introduced Cardigan 2 into three weeks ago - again none of her brood have emerged yet but she's on seven frames and they are running short of space, same with the mating nucs - they are both in full hives, leaving brood arches but no sign of laying yet but were in danger of being stores bound in nucs.Cardigan 3 will have a super Monday.