What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swarm]

Not here in the marches that's for sure! Sorry, quoted wrong thread meant to quote the one about flying drones.......durrrr!

.......Senior moment alert

 

[Tdod]

I will Keep my fingers crossed and hope everything will be ok reguarding drones......

 

[MuswellMetro]

tried to put mouse guards on and retired hurt half way through, I'll come back when its colder later in the week and finish the other hives

 

[Polyanwood]

I had exactly the same experience MM. Even hives with mild mannered queens were defensive yesterday when I was fumbling around the boxes making sure mouse guards were secure.

 

[Pete D]

I had put a couple of wet supers back on a couple of hives after extracting some Ivy honey. These were above the crown board with just a small hole for access. I thought I would whip them off early yesterday while it was cold and the bees were all downstairs..............wrong, 1st one was full of bees who didnt appreciate the rude awakening................plan B came into operation............. quick lift and shift and put them below the brood box.
2nd one was the same and a quick lift of the crown board revealed the brood to be stuffed with bees too spilling out of every seam.
Note to self.............. just put them on the bottom next time and leave them for the winter.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I had put a couple of wet supers back on a couple of hives after extracting some Ivy honey. .

So Pete - what is your verdict on the honey? F N Howes maintains that - contrary to the belief on here - although the flower is a bit smelly the honey is 'greenish in colour with a pleasantly aromatic flavour'

 

[Heather]

Why wont these damned wasps die!! Still trying to protect one hive which I considered strong, but they don't seem to be defending at all. About 6d here now, and wasps still abundant!! Wish I could find their nest.

 

[Pete D]

So Pete - what is your verdict on the honey? F N Howes maintains that - contrary to the belief on here - although the flower is a bit smelly the honey is 'greenish in colour with a pleasantly aromatic flavour'

I wouldnt describe it as greenish, its medium to dark, good flavour and a nice aftertaste. They certainly worked quick filling and capping the supers in 10 days including some none flying days, even then some had crystallised. They may have found something else to mix in with it but I couldnt say what.
I will save you a jar.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wouldnt describe it as greenish, its medium to dark, good flavour and a nice aftertaste. They certainly worked quick filling and capping the supers in 10 days including some none flying days, even then some had crystallised. They may have found something else to mix in with it but I couldnt say what.
I will save you a jar.

Thanks! it will go well with my collection of weird and wonderful honeys which I will get around to trying one day (even the Chilli honey from france)

 

[enrico]

Why wont these damned wasps die!! Still trying to protect one hive which I considered strong, but they don't seem to be defending at all. About 6d here now, and wasps still abundant!! Wish I could find their nest.

Move to the welsh borders.....all dead ages ago here! Too warm where the shandy drinkers live!

 

[Michael Palmer]

Promised Photos on wrapping hives with black felt paper.

Hive ready to wrap. Inner cover Insulation (crown board to you), upper entrance, and mouse screen. Note bottom entrance is wide open. No entrance block. We need more ventilation here than you. Sorry Derek.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_0625_zps8816efc5.jpg

Mouse protection is a wedge of 1/2" hardware cloth. This photo was taken in the spring after the first few flight days. Because they can't fly during the winter, refuse builds up within the hive. This brown pile of duff indicates to me a strong colony. It doesn't need to be opened, only hefted to check weight.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_0777.jpg

This is part of the apiary that we wrapped yesterday. There are 22 colonies in the yard. The sun is starting to go down.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6156_zpse4bf2e27.jpg

Remove the cover (roof to you). Put the wrapper around the hive, and staple. Three or four staples in the back along the seam, and one in the front to hold the wrap against the upper entrance. Replace the cover, and tie it down with bailing twine.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6158_zps11a0a3c3.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6165_zpse496af43.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6169_zpsd2ef0151.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6176_zpsb537f8a4.jpg

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6188_zpsbd407e8b.jpg


The apiary ready for winter. I'll be back in March. Sleep tight.

http://i241.photobucket.com/albums/ff61/frenchhill/DSC_6194_zpsa492eaa3.jpg

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Why wont these damned wasps die!! Still trying to protect one hive which I considered strong, but they don't seem to be defending at all. About 6d here now, and wasps still abundant!! Wish I could find their nest.

Touch wood, I have not seen any this week, so you may not have long to wait. ALTHOUGH, a few days ago I did see some very busy on the last ivy, so...

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Promised Photos on wrapping hives with black felt paper.

Do you have woodpeckers that attack hives? If so, obviously tar paper/roofing felt is a defence. My wire feels a bit porous to hungry beaks...

<ADD>Derek will no doubt be along :- )</ADD>

 

[Michael Palmer]

No, no woodpeckers that would drill holes in the hives. We have Black bears that require considerably more than roofing felt as a deterrent.

 

[user 6228]

michael,
If i can get loan of some Wooden langstroth boxes , can you send me the details and dimensions of the top vent/entrance you use and any little twists you use putting it together. I will then test the thermal conductance of the hive in a genuine North American configuration and then again in European.Then we can have real hard Data to chew over.

 

[drstitson]

wasps all over the blossom on an exotic bush here at work - blossom opened suddenly last week. no bees on it though.

 

[Michael Palmer]

michael,
If i can get loan of some Wooden langstroth boxes , can you send me the details and dimensions of the top vent/entrance you use and any little twists you use putting it together.

The entrance is created by cutting a notch in the crown board rim. You do have a rim on one side of your crown boards? Here, the inner cover...crown board...is flat on one side and has a 3/8"-3/4" rim on the other. For summer, the flat side is down so bee space above the frames in maintained. Our bee space is at the top of the box. For winter, the rim side is down, which increases the ability of the bees to cluster and communicate over the tops of the frames, and creates the upper entrance.

The notch is 3/8" deep x 1" wide

 

[BeeJayBee]

Promised Photos on wrapping hives with black felt paper.

One thing I've noticed from your pictures is that your hives are very close to the ground. Is there any reason why your stands are so low?

 

[Michael Palmer]

Easier management and warmer in winter.

Any higher and the top supers are over my head during the honey flow. Also I can take the hive completely apart for broodnest reversal, without lifting off every box...by laying the hive onto its back and even inspecting from the bottom up. Now that's a crazy idea, eh? Inspecting a colony from the bottom up?

And if the hive is close to the ground, and sitting in snow, cold can't get under the hive...so warmer.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Same height that i keep mine, most commercial beekeepers i know keep them the same.