What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

Checked four colonies 12 days post MAQS
One BIAS another eggs and queen seen.
Bit despondent about the other two
Both completely brood less no queens seen. One has a supercedure cell smack bang in the middle of each of two frames.
All bees busy bringing in balsam and pollen

 

[victor meldrew]

Watched hubby work the bees and I counted varroa - wasted the treatment from the look of it - 4 hives with treatment on for 2 weeks, highest count?? 12! Pleased, but wish hubby had checked before putting on the Bayvarol...I should have thought to say so - but wasn't with it at the

As Devon (Torbay ) was the area that varroa was discovered , and bayvoral has little or no effect on the mutated mites, I wouldn't take low mite count as an indication of low mite load ?
VM

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Popped MAQS on the last hive and made up a batch of Hivemaker's thymol mix to pep up the autumn feed

 

[drstitson]

queens59 - as per VM. why did you choose to use bayvarol?

 

[Roola]

queens59 - as per VM. why did you choose to use bayvarol?

I used Bayvarol last week as an experiment to see its effectiveness around here following a divisional meeting mentioned it had not been used by members for a while. Seems to be working a treat on my hives with 80 odd initial drop and a steady flow since, i'd seen very little natural drop prior.

 

[dpearce4]

Put the third lot of syrup onto hives in one apiary each hive had 15ltr of 2:1 and still not increasing weight but they are all wall to wall brood. It will prove interesting if they are that big going into winter.

 

[drstitson]

checked 1st week drop on ALV of swarm which arrived 17th July (the hot week): A massive ... NIL.
Presumably the dose of hiveclean they got a week after arriving helped.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Checked four colonies 12 days post MAQS
One BIAS another eggs and queen seen.
Bit despondent about the other two
Both completely brood less no queens seen. One has a supercedure cell smack bang in the middle of each of two frames.
All bees busy bringing in balsam and pollen

Well I never!!! Bee inspector just called!!!
Having a look tomorrow;he can see what a cock up I've made of it all.

 

[drstitson]

watched a large hornet like hoverfly (presume volucella zonaria) sniffing about hive entrance. bees didn't pay it much attention. it suddenly flew off - not sure whether it grabbed a bee or felt best to make an exit.

i know they lay eggs in wasp and bumbly nests but not sure about honeybees.

 

[jd101k2000]

Went down to watch the bees. The (formerly Italian x) hive gradually went into uproar. Today the girls decided off that they were better off without the men. Several dragged out by their wings, etc. I think the other hive had done this a week or so ago. No drones there.

 

[Shabro]

had a quick look at a couple of hive and had to bung some food on

 

[REDWOOD]

Bees working overtime today, lots of ghost bees on the HB, heather started to produce probably because of the mist on the hills the last few mornings, knot weed in full flower being worked like crazy and the ice plants being ignored totally, varroa drop over the last 3 days 0. Probably remove supers early next week and start feeding hivemakers thymol treatment

 

[Hachi]

Made 3 Eke's
Painted new stand and newly made Eke's
Bought a sheet of Celotex and the guy gave me 3" thick instead of 2" and began cutting it up to make the covers Derek has made and posted photo's of.
Bought some 2nd hand gear from a really nice old boy downsizing, I could have chatted to him for hours about bee keeping. He was very kind to pass on a few tips that I will be trying out next season.
Tried to sort out what I've got in the garage to get organised. Can't b eleive I've so much gear with only four hives....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Put clearer boards on two hives to take half the supers off, will take more off Friday and the dribs and drabs next week probably.
Made room for some nucs I seem to have obtained, two might struggle to get through winter but if they do they're bound for the association apiary.

 

[Hachi]

Nice photos DP ... Vulcan brings back memories of the RAF Finningley (Doncaster)

It was a real treat ... loads of static displays and lots of wartime aircraft.

Finningly brings back memories, I went to one of the last Air displays from there with my first wife, her family lived in Rossington.

Crikey it must be close on 25 years ago now.

 

[pargyle]

Finningly brings back memories, I went to one of the last Air displays from there with my first wife, her family lived in Rossington.

Crikey it must be close on 25 years ago now.

It closed its doors as an RAF station in 1996 so that was probably the last airshow there ... last show I went to there would have been 1969 I think .. Douglas Bader was there and he signed a copy of 'Reach for the Sky', his biography, for me ... "more bloody money for Brickhill" he said as he signed it ! ... It was years later that I found out that he was p...ssed about the fact that he just got a single fee of £15000 for the book, no royalties or anything for either the book or the film ... Paul Brickhill, the author, did quite well out of them though.

 

[victor meldrew]

It closed its doors as an RAF station in 1996 so that was probably the last airshow there ... last show I went to there would have been 1969 I think .. Douglas Bader was there and he signed a copy of 'Reach for the Sky', his biography, for me ... "more bloody money for Brickhill" he said as he signed it ! ... It was years later that I found out that he was p...ssed about the fact that he just got a single fee of £15000 for the book, no royalties or anything for either the book or the film ... Paul Brickhill, the author, did quite well out of them though.

RAF Leuchars bites the dust this year . Week ends sees the last Battle of Britain Memorial Air show this week end !
The British Army of the Rhine takes over next year .
I suppose our politicians will stop sabre rattling only when there are no sabres left to rattle
VM

 

[Goran]

Today I had to explain this little fellow to don't even think to grab the bees.. But I think he didn't listen me too much, his heart went to " bottom" as he think will I eat him or not.. I let him go..

 

[Queens59]

As Devon (Torbay ) was the area that varroa was discovered , and bayvoral has little or no effect on the mutated mites, I wouldn't take low mite count as an indication of low mite load ?
VM

I did check with an experienced Devon beek who said they are not as immune as they had been due to non use, and I had used it 2 years ago - with a very successful drop...I have 1 home-made varroa treatment, which I will pop on for a few days to check - but they all seem healthy...? No damaged wings or othe signs I would usually look for...

 

[Hachi]

Removed a super not being filled and started feeding.

Modified a hive entrance block by drilling 5 x 8mm holes to help defend from the wasps.