What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Headnavigator]

Hives 'put to bed' for the Winter, full insulation and emergency fondant on, and a quick rub of boiled linseed oil to the outside of both cedar hives while dry, to be repeated next week. Prefer oiling in situ so all edges of crownboards get a lick of it too. After a week of hurtling out at every opportunity the bees are inside today and quiet.

 

[Tdod]

Do people put fondant on now? I presumed you put it on around christmas time if hive getting a bit light... now I am not sure

 

[whoosling]

I.ve got fondant on now and will give more after xmas if needed.

 

[user 6228]

Completed and tested a PI/PC loadcell interface board prototype(can have up to 4 loadcells per board) for weighing hives. I've tested it with a 13Kg load cell.
It can resolve changes of 2gms. The test software is using VB.net on a PC via a FTDI SPI to USB cable

 

[Swarm]

Gave the double brood poly a new insulated roof. Bees wall to wall under the clear CB looking very snug.
Wished all the hives well for the coming months.

 

[REDWOOD]

Do people put fondant on now? I presumed you put it on around christmas time if hive getting a bit light... now I am not sure

only feed fondant now if your hive is light and no longer taking syrup, but that's my view and other people like to give it just in case

 

[user 6228]

Hives 'put to bed' for the Winter, full insulation and emergency fondant on, and a quick rub of boiled linseed oil to the outside of both cedar hives while dry, to be repeated next week. Prefer oiling in situ so all edges of crownboards get a lick of it too. After a week of hurtling out at every opportunity the bees are inside today and quiet.

yet another active day in north hampshire though...

 

[Tom Bick]

Do people put fondant on now? I presumed you put it on around christmas time if hive getting a bit light... now I am not sure

Most of my hives get a block of fondant now encased in insulation not because they need it but more that it will be there when they want it.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Most of my hives get a block of fondant now encased in insulation not because they need it but more that it will be there when they want it.

You can always take it off if they don't use it, but it's pointless slapping it on later if they're dead - it's whatever you feel comfortable with. I used to do the same as Tom when I worked away two weeks on two off as I wasn't around to heft/know how active they were. This year I probably won't

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Watched one of my red queens: the most beautiful, enormous, bumble with the biggest pollen bags I've ever seen. Good luck your maj and see you in February.

Is it just me or are bumbles getting bigger?

As for AM, final winter shutdown. Feeder off and thick insulator and woodpecker mesh on. Last of the wax product into the freezer, suit into the washing machine.

 

[Hachi]

Fondant on as previously stated its there if they need it no good if they do and its not there. Have put on my kingspan igloos strapped them down, thanked them for a wonderous year and will see them in the spring. Good luck girls.....

 

[Rio]

Put on the fondant above the feed holes (they're active so they need it!). Insulated with old carpet and put on a few breeze blocks just in case its a windy winter!

 

[WelshPaul]

Does anyone in the South Wales area have an extractor I can borrow for a couple of days? I have so much to extract but not got around to affording one yet, pm me or email me at sheep2405 @ hotmail.com. Thanks in advance.

Paul


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[alldigging]

Is it just me or are bumbles getting bigger?

Saw a massive bumble bee in the dirt yesterday after someone did some rotavating. Rescued her and put her in my compost heap pile. Absolutely enormous about as big as my thumb.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

OK, everyone: pick up a nice big fat stone. Ready?

I put Apiguard on. See current varroa threads for the sort of thing I am experiencing, albeit less bad than some of the OPs. Weird drop patterns: negligible, then 70 over 5 days, 14 over the next day, back to negligible, for an average of about 7 a day. not red alert levels, but something to kill and if I read my girls right, there will be no broodless period. REALLY not crazy about the Apistan big gun, so here we are and I'll see what happens. I know it's not >=17C, but it seems to me it's the internal temp that matters and that is warm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The internal temps will work for the fumigation element but the reason they go on about external temperatures is that with bees flying and foraging you get plenty of movement around the hive so the bees take the gel around with them and you get better contact. It will still work though - extract from the Vita website:

Apiguard works best in temperatures above 15°C. But it is also effective at lower temperatures even though the gel takes longer to evaporate and the gel needs to be left I place for longer.


How Apiguard works
Once in place, vapour from the Apiguard gel is given off. Unlike some other formulations and raw crystals, the release from the gel works steadily and does not disturb the bees unduly.

Worker bees climb into the Apiguard tray, remove the gel as a hive-cleaning behaviour and distribute it throughout the colony. The gel sticks to the bees’ body hairs and, as the bees move through the hive, particles are left throughout the hive. The worker eventually throws out the gel it is carrying, but the traces remain until they too are removed later.

Good luck anyway.

Today in the apiary i put all the hives 'to bed' washed out all the feeders which are now drying in the greenhouse before being put away.

Finished preparing all my entries (wax,honey) for the Association show on Tuesday. But found on filling in the entry form they've dropped chunk honey from the list! after me taking ages preparing it for showing and it's a right ba.. ache!!

 

[Goran]

OK, everyone: pick up a nice big fat stone. Ready?

I put Apiguard on. See current varroa threads for the sort of thing I am experiencing, albeit less bad than some of the OPs. Weird drop patterns: negligible, then 70 over 5 days, 14 over the next day, back to negligible, for an average of about 7 a day. not red alert levels, but something to kill and if I read my girls right, there will be no broodless period. REALLY not crazy about the Apistan big gun, so here we are and I'll see what happens. I know it's not >=17C, but it seems to me it's the internal temp that matters and that is warm.

If I feel unease of varroa in my hives I would rather do some shock short treatment when temp is over 15 celsius than constant nuisance above their heads when bees need peace.. I am certain that I have pretty much varroa in my hives, but damage is done ( less or more). I will sort things soon with oxalic acid cause all colonies will be broodless soon ..

All the best in whatever..

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If I feel unease of varroa in my hives I would rather do some shock short treatment when temp is over 15 celsius than constant nuisance above their heads when bees need peace.. I am certain that I have pretty much varroa in my hives, but damage is done ( less or more). I will sort things soon with oxalic acid cause all colonies will be broodless soon ..

All the best in whatever..

Thanks, G., and JBM. It can be argued both ways, I know, but the hive is still quite active, I got the tray on in 15s and the daytime temps are 2-digit, if not 15.

Thanks for the good wishes and G., as I said, I expect no broodless period and MAKING one is going to be far more disruptive than the sweet smell of Thymol for a month, so I'm really not sure about oxalic.

 

[Swarm]

Agree with Goran, rather a dose of oxalic later than something which may be ineffectual.

 

[itma]

... I expect no broodless period ...

I seem to have missed out on the rationale for that.