What did you do in the Apiary today?

[oliver90owner]

Well, I've just got home from collecting a swarm. A friend rang and said he had lots of bees hanging under a gutter and a large clump on the ground underneath it.

Was similar to Chris's above, except all the bees would have fitted easily into a pint pot, and not so much over the half!

It was grumbling loudly when I got home. At least I have one queen, so I will add a few - no, a lot - extra bees tomorrow. It can eventually be returned to my friend's place when it gets going (or just take another for him to 'nurture').

RAB

 

[Polyanwood]

If you were lucky all the time, you wouldn't enjoy it so much when you do have good fortune.

 

[fredbloggs]

that was a wren nest, fred!

Hi tony why do you think that? The eggs or the nest?

Me no expert but that is a lot of nest for such a small bird. You are looking at about one third of the nest in that bush. Plus i have never seen a wren there in 6 years. But i have noticed the odd pecker or two!!

On the egg front there are a number of species who all seem to have very similar eggs. I would be keen to get them pos id'd and i'll check out the nest soon. Maybe get better pikkies.

Regards

Fred

 

[For want of a better word]

Went to look at my WBC bait hive today...... in our favorite Aunties flower garden, just 3 miles away.

................EXITIO ! a swarm moved in like a massive sock of swirling bees 20 feet high... apparently flew down the lane did a sharp left at the pub and followed the hedge to the hive.

............... Viva Buckie & Cucumber bait sausage

agree wit pollywatsits,,, not peckers in bushes...... OOOER Misses!!!

 

[nelletap]

Can't help being curious about the Buckie and cucumber bait sausage. We have a chain of buckie (and Buckee) surnames in my family tree but I expect it refers to something completely different.
Tricia

 

[For want of a better word]

A much praised and strange brew of fortified wine produced at Buckfast Abbey Devon

Glasgow residents preferred tipple apparently!

 

[YorkshireBees]

Check on hive at my brothers, they have swarmed! Must have missed an inspection at some point but there are plenty of bees in the hive still and enough sealed brood. So reduced Qcells to 2 nice ones and left them alone.

On a good note had time this afternoon to try my new extractor and extract just 3 deep frames from my demareed 1st hive that had been mainly filled with honey both capped and some not capped (tested with a shake).

3 deep frames got me 3.5Kg (7 lbs) of honey not including any from the cappings!

Wow I love my new extractor.

 

[fredbloggs]

Well i can't help being curious about most of it? Am i the only one wishing i had a translation manual?

?

 

[tonybloke]

Hi tony why do you think that? The eggs or the nest?

Me no expert but that is a lot of nest for such a small bird. You are looking at about one third of the nest in that bush. Plus i have never seen a wren there in 6 years. But i have noticed the odd pecker or two!!

On the egg front there are a number of species who all seem to have very similar eggs. I would be keen to get them pos id'd and i'll check out the nest soon. Maybe get better pikkies.

Regards

Fred

just looked 'em up in my 'observers book of birds eggs, deffo wren. their nest is usually made of moss and other fibres, hair etc. and quite large, the bird gets right inside the nest, it's like a globe with a side entrance.

 

[Haughton Honey]

Not a great deal in the apiary today.

Spent 7 hours in the car driving to Cambridge and back to take my kids out for the afternoon.

Love 'em. Miss 'em daily.

I did wonder as I headed down the A14, where the fields of OSR just melt from one in to another, whether any of our dear fellow forum members have hives set in the 0000's and 0000's of hectares of the stuff.

Back to it tomorrow.............

 

[justal]

We started our first ever hive over the weekend. We collected a nuc on Friday night and then transferred the frames from nuc to hive under the cover of darkness. Maybe not an ideal way to carry out our first ever manipulation of bees but it seemed to go OK. Although in the poor light we were unable to see the queen.

We didn't wait until the next day to transfer them as the forecast was for 50-60 mph winds all day and it has indeed been blowing at around that since we put the bees in the hive - and looks set to stay that way for another few days yet. The bees were struggling with the wind yesterday so I spent the afternoon building a windbreak for our newly installed bees.

Full story etc here.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Put frame of brood/larvae from a peaceful nuc into aggressive colony #2 in hope they can raise a queen that will change their ways and save them from the fate of aggressive colony #1

 

[dpearce4]

just been down to watch my new bees that i got at the auction at brinsbury yesterday. i got the real cheap ones £80 for a nuc.

i opened them up this morning at about 8am put my lemon bush infront so they didnt all shoot out and bugger off. left the bush there for about 30mins and then moved it away. went off and left them while i did the weekly shop and got some ply to do a few repairs to a box.

came back and sat and watched my bees drinking a cup of tea. sat about 2ft away from the nuc box and watched. bees coming back with masses of pollen (so much that a couple of them could hardly walk they had so much on them).

also watched as about 2cm inside the entrance there were about 5 or 6 bees standing there fanning with abdomens in the air. i think they like their new home.

the other hive i had next to it being scouted for the last few days is still getting bees come to it aswell so might end up with 2 hives not just one. now that would be cool.

 

[TOBY-3652]

Couldnt wait any longer/// well it was the kids that made extract first time new extractor from clive newbit. Realy pleased with it... Nearly filled 30lb bucket

 

[starflex]

Clearing boards placed under the top supers on 2 hives. Watched the bees coming and going for 20 minutes. Also got my first sting of the season.

 

[Chris Luck]

Bloody bees!!!!! I've never seen anything like it.

I hived the swarm in the photo yesterday evening, fine, no worries, all trooped in and settled down for the night....

...lot's of activity today as one would expect, plenty of comings and goings although they never appeared quite settled, but large swarms can be like that for a day or two....

....this evening as I passed I noticed a lot of activity on the landing board and front of the hive and proceeded to observe more closely what was going on, and there on the landing board was the Queen. Next thing I know She takes flight, (6.30pm), all by herself and wafts away. 10 minutes later she arrives back, enters one side of the entrance slot and exits a few seconds later the other side, has a group of bees round her AND THEN FLIES AWAY AGAIN by herself. Hasn't returned at 9.00pm, bees panicking.

Bear in mind this was a prime with I assume the old Queen - possibly senile.

Grrrrrrrrr, now I'll have to work tomorrow, I hope it's dry with light cloud.

Chris

 

[fredbloggs]

came back and sat and watched my bees drinking a cup of tea

.

Well I think that would make a good sticky? Whats the next line?

Regards

Fred

 

[VEG]

Went through all my hives, started putting together more hives but dont tell the missus lol

 

[dpearce4]

came back and sat and watched my bees drinking a cup of tea

.

Well I think that would make a good sticky? Whats the next line?

Regards

Fred

well it was a nice day and im a real caring sharing type of guy. the sugar was good for them and they loved the caffene were busy for the rest of the day lol

 

[Mike a]

First crop of OSR extracted today. As always I give my friend the honey from the cappings and what's left in the extractor to make mead, plus a jar or two for all her help.

Straight out of the extractor through two sieves (C/F) with added air bubbles as its not had time to settle.

The last 18-20 odd LBS worth going the double sieves into the spare bucket.