What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Roola]

Not a good video but shows the levels of activity here today on Ivy, all colonies the same and dull overcast weather.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQsBbAbBCTA

Chris

thats really busy!

 

[Headnavigator]

Ooooh! That doesn't cheer me at all, but it might explain it. Thank you.

 

[richardbees]

Nav

was half off as though it had been lifted from one side and pushed forward

I don't know how heavy your roof is but stray 'gusts' can easily lift roofs enough to shift them a little and this is exacerbated by the fact we tend to keep hives in shielded corners that can create mini air whirlpools.

From now 'til Spring I always put a brick on top.

Richard.

 

[ichbinpaul]

Made three insulated crownboard feeders today to replace, what I had made afortnight ago, only one was being used I discovered, the reason was the feed holes were too small and too far away from the brood area, now it is above them I'll see how it goes tomorrow, executed 29 Vespas today and the girls were busy dragging them out of the entrances also.

 

[VEG]

Extracted the last of the honey for this year.

 

[youngyoungs]

My dad drove over with 2 of the 3 new brood boxes he has made for me. Fantastic!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After much prevarication, i couldn't put it off much longer so lunchtime i said my goodbyes at the office and Loins girded made my way to the association apiary to Apiguard the turbonutterbastardpsycho bees. I decided (as is my wont with my bees) not to use smoke but had fully revved up smoker and water spray to hand - the roof was stuck solid on it and no crown board!! managed to prize it off and remove still in situ supers and............. lambs, not even a squeak let alone a roar (for a second I thought the dream I had last night was actually a sleepwalk and I had poured a pint of petrol through the feeder hole) they came up for a look, moched around on my hand and went back down,So my thougths - smoke winds them up and the owner's banging each super firmly on the one below to shake off bees before removing also gets them a bit miffed , either that or they recognise true authority when the meet it!!! . Apiguard on, not one sting and not one follow (record for this colony is chasing the jeep for 500 yards before giving up)
Went back to the apiary at 1845 hours to close up the two nucs and put them in the jeep before the association committee meeting then taking them to my apiary to overwinter. Bees still flying at dusk - piling in the balsam to all hives so I had to leave a few behind o find lodgings elsewhere, two very heavy 6 frame nucs to cart back to my apiary at 2200 tonight!

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

You've got a touch like a ruddy midwife, Jenkinsbrynmair.


Dusty.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As my father once said 'I'm not a gynaecologist - but I'll have a ruddy good look at it for you!'

 

[richardbees]

Jenkins, probably because just for once you weren't cussing and swearing under your breath.

Bees have a Victorian sense of propriety.....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Jenkins, probably because just for once you weren't cussing and swearing under your breath.
.

Who said I did? it takes a lot to make me curse and swear (usually connected to this forum )

 

[Erichalfbee]

lambs, not even a squeak let alone a roar

Ah what a pity the "students" didn't see the master at work

 

[user 6228]

....the roof was stuck solid on it and no crown board!! managed to prize it off and remove still in situ supers and............. lambs, not even a squeak let alone a roar (for a second I thought the dream I had last night was actually a sleepwalk and I had poured a pint of petrol through the feeder hole) they came up for a look, moched around on my hand and went back down,So my thougths - smoke winds them up and the owner's banging each super firmly on the one below to shake off bees before removing also gets them a bit miffed , either that or they recognise true authority when the meet it!!! ....

You are joking about banging the supers. Aren't you?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You are joking about banging the supers. Aren't you?

No - usually accompanied by string of expletives. It's how he clears them for extracting as well which is why this winter 'Soweto' as his collection of hives is known is being moved further away from the training apiary. Not very funny boasting to your students about your 'gentle, laid back bees' when all of a sudden you're enveloped in a cloud of turbonutterpsychobastard bees from accross the screen seperating the training apiary from the rest (bit like a rood screen actually separating the profane from........ the insane?)

 

[VEG]

If he treats his bees like that in an association apiary I would ask him to move them or change his ways.


Craig

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If he treats his bees like that in an association apiary I would ask him to move them or change his ways.
Craig

Can't- we 'inherited' him with the site so he was there first! he's the only member with permanent hives there as from this month as we are keen to expand the training apiary so we are only allowing members keep their hives there temporarily for '3 mile' purposed or emergencies where bees have to be moved quickly and new apiaries found. He likes to interact and tag along the teaching sessions, so maybe I can slowly change his ways \i always like to stress that the gentler you handle the bees the coller they become.
This lot are good foragers though, he had quite a few supers off them this year. He's alright though just a bit of a 'character' shall we say.
We always look forward to the association honey show - the judging is done 'open' and it's fun watching how many bits of bee the judge can find in his honey!!

 

[user 6228]

Yesterday was moving the experimental hive data logging from the development PC to a dedicated "headless" PC. The beekeeper fed some colonies that were low on stores despite the ivy flow.

 

[summo]

last of the winter covers over my hives. Some are insulated permanently, but this was a national, so I needed to build one. All covered, mouse guards on, waiting to see if winter will rush in, or Autumn keep rolling on.

 

[richardbees]

Hello Summo

Good to see another Scandinavian here (if Finland counts)

Out of interest, do you keep your bees on open mesh floors? My reason for asking is that since I converted from solid floors I changed my entrance block to a long shallow approx 7 mm deep slot which is mouse proof. Also the bees find it easier to defend against wasps

 

[summo]

yes, on mesh, open the whole year round. Cold feet, warm heads is the adage here.