What did you do in the Apiary today?

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Robert Dyas have a cheapncheerful but useful baggage scale on for a fiver at present. I rigged a hook that I slip under the floor, or a couple of eyes would be better, or I may work out the dead weight of the pallet. http://www.robertdyas.co.uk/P~150382~Uni-Com-Luggage-Scale

 

[ichbinpaul]

Good news / bad news. Watched some beautiful black bees coming in a zig zag and going in very marginal flying conditions when my girls were watching the rain. Clearly robbers. Not an issue for my colony hopefully but potentially v interesting neighbours and obviously the situation needs watching so I will keep my eyes open.

Oh yea! blame them just cos their black

 

[Goran]

Temps near 30 celsius, sun all the way, when watching bees in front of hives I can almost feel they are prepared and awaiting cold period, everything is in slow motion even so warm. It is shame that I have no free time to enjoy watching them, day is well shorter and too many things to do..

 

[Glenviewbee]

Bees from both hives still being pretty active. Finally got a chance to remove the (empty) feeders, but the bees were not particularly impressed with me messing around in their 'roof space' so was the subject of some enthusiastic pinging.
I was going to weigh the hives as well but didn't want to stick around the hives for any longer than I had to.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked the feeders in the association apiary - one hive has hardly taken any syrup down so i'm assuming they are replete, i'll give them a while then it's the fun of removing a half filled Maisies BFO feeder
Topped up the home apiary feeders where needed - most are now slowing down on their intake.
Noticed a little cluster of bees with full pollen sacks on one of the landing board - obviously too knackered to go any further and that, with the cold it looks like they'd given up (all huddled together heads in, in a little circel) scooped them up and warmed them in my hands for a while and put them on the crown board next to the feeder (this ones warped a bit so they can gain entry to the hive under it) When i checked a minute or two later they had perked up and were lapping up a drop of the good stuff I'd spilt when re-filling the feeder.

 

[user 6228]

building the load cell circuits to data log hive weights

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

London weather setting warm and fair for next couple of weeks it seems: hope the ivy holds out as no-one is going to bed just yet... I am seriously thinking of trying to get another frame drawn, but will check out situation in the hive when I can get to it on Saturday. What a year to have started beekeeping!

 

[MuswellMetro]

London weather setting warm and fair for next couple of weeks it seems: hope the ivy holds out as no-one is going to bed just yet... I am seriously thinking of trying to get another frame drawn, but will check out situation in the hive when I can get to it on Saturday. What a year to have started beekeeping!

hmmm, We have been told to get the gritting lorries ready fr the weekend of the 8th/10th November and normally similar advacned warnings are quite accurate

 

[pargyle]

Reasonably warm (nearly 17 degrees) when I got home from work at about 5pm so took the opportunity to put a feeder on ... lots of bees out and on the ivy in the garden but some were straight up into the feeder as soon as I started filling it. Had a few minutes just watching through the polycarbonate crown board ... bees over all 13 frames looking down from above. Resisted the urge to put my suit on and open them up - all looking good and very active.

Checked my hive measuring instruments at about 23.30 hrs (had to go out as the dog was barking like mad at the fox and wouldn't come in - don't normally look this late) ... Temp at top of hive 26.9 degrees, at the mesh floor 14.9 degrees with outside air temp only 10.3 degrees. They are obviously working a night shift big time !

 

[cjhart2]

London weather setting warm and fair for next couple of weeks it seems:

Are you sure , have you seen what the met men are predicting for monday . Time to put the hurricane straps on .

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

hmmm, We have been told to get the gritting lorries ready fr the weekend of the 8th/10th November and normally similar advacned warnings are quite accurate

Thanks; this has to end sometime. I think on balance a new frame would be taking the Michael, so that is good info. Thanks again.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Are you sure , have you seen what the met men are predicting for monday . Time to put the hurricane straps on .

I currently see "Generally very unsettled and sometimes very windy through this period, with successive spells of rain sweeping in from the west, separated by brighter but showery weather." for Sunday and Monday, but v warm and then followed by more of what we have now, which is stunning.

Just to celebrate that; it is a stunning day here.

For wind, I find magicseaweed.com really good http://magicseaweed.com/UK-Ireland-Surf-Chart/1/#?chartType=WMAG and yes there's a punchy little storm on its way no doubt; see my reply to MM and thanks to you too.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Did a bit of hefting again today to try and get a 'feel' for weights. Felt more like blinkin weight lifting though! Since the 1st Oct the 2 poly nucs have gained 4.5kg and 4.9kg in weight and most of the full sized hives have gained around 5.5kg in the same time. Only one has lost - 3.5kg! It has only taken 13pts of 2:1/Ambrosia, half what the others have and seem to have completely lost interest now. So today I removed the remaining Ambrosia and whacked on a block of fondant and a wedge of kingspan. Fingers crossed.

 

[Alabamaeee]

For wind, I find magicseaweed.com really good.

Never tried seaweed but Gaviscon or Rennies will normally do the trick

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I disagree - I find fried onions and mushy peas, washed down with a few pints of Bass or General picton works every time

 

[Erichalfbee]

Watched bees bringing back ivy pollen in the sunshine then planted an Elm in the next field.
The apiary field has 20 or 30 patches of this stuff dotted around.
Wondered who/what the hell was depositing this stuff.
Turns out it's a slime mould called "Dog Vomit Fungus" !!!!

 

[Bee Bumble]

I disagree - I find fried onions and mushy peas, washed down with a few pints of Bass or General picton works every time

There is an old saying about Bass:

If the bottom has fallen out of your world, drink a pint of Bass!
...and the world will fall out of your bottom.

 

[alldigging]

Just went out and had a look at how huge the sacks of pollen were! Massive chunks of it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well after an early start to traipse all the way up to Cardiff airport by train with a shuttle bus for the last leg. for a one day course on succeeding at interviews I was met by a locked door and an unlit building so I jumped back on the bus (after a five minute rant at the world in general and specifically the department of imbeciles I work for) which was now making its return journey after going to RAF St Athan to the amusement of the nice little Polish driver and went home to a lovely sunny day so I just chilled in the apiary - watching the bees about their business bringing loads of pollen in to all hives. They were as busy as a summers day with the bees in the nucs (reduced entrances queueing up to get in with bulging sacks.

 

[pargyle]

By the time I got home from work around 6.00pm they had half emptied the feeder I filled up this morning (only a half litre feeder). They emptied if completely overnight last night. So ... being of a generous disposition I decided to top their feeder up for them to have a party again tonight ... in the half light I didn't notice one of the little darlings by the side of the feeder - no idea how she got there - but in getting the lid off the feeder I managed to catch her between my thumb and the surroundng insulation and the ungrateful little minx stung me ! Right alongside the bottom of my thumbnail ... first time any of my bees have stung me ... I suppose I was being a bit optimistic lifting the lid at dusk with no gloves or any PPE for that matter - managed to fill the feeder before getting the sting out. Despite it being a really good sting it's not painful - just a bit stiff in the area of my thumb.. Nothing compared to the one I got at an association members apiary in the summer which really made my eyes water .... and that one was through a glove !

Seems that bees have different levels of sting stuff ?