What did you do in the Apiary today?

[dickbowyer]

Cold and frosty enough at last for bees to be clustered enough to treat 10 hives and 2 nucs this morning with 3.2% w/v Oxalic acid solution here in the south. No woodpecker damage seen (no protection on). One nuc and one hive had only 3 seams but rest had 6 seams or so. Most have a super under national BB and seemed heavy enough so here is hoping for the spring!

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
Pleased to hear a soft hum from the hive I put OA on yday, as I woke up to a very heavy frost! Supposedly, if you have a strong colony it does not take long for them to fan themselves dry again?

 

[pargyle]

Could they be bringing water back to use ivy stores?

I thought about that but they usually pick water up from my garden pond (I have actually followed them and watched them do it) but they were going and coming from a completely different direction and heading upwards as well ... when they go for water they stay at about head height and go roiund the side of the house not up in the air. They are flying again this morning and it's only 4 degrees out there but dry and sunny... doesn't seem to be worrying them.

Still a bit worried that they have found a dead out somewhere to rob ....

 

[pargyle]

- and how are you going to secure their little feet to the slabs?

Duct tape or cable ties ... you can secure anything with either of these .... Essentials in any tool kit !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nice frosty but sunny morning so decided to mix up a batch of OA and slather it on the bees. - all looking good apart from one nuc which is a bit small (cluster about the size of a melon on three seams) and one hive on 3/4 seams although it was hard to tell as they could have been right at the bottom of the brood chamber. Others all on between six and eight. Good stores levels on mist of the hives too.

 

[Goran]

Not " Tenerife" , but..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Pollen!!!
What's in flower, Goran?

Here we have Mahonia and Winter Honeysuckle; The first of many Hellebores are out too.
Lovely sunny day here but cold. More rain and wind to come.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I also shifted 500 honey jars (Christmas sales you know - stupid priced bargains if you know where to look ) from the vehicle up into the attic - high winds forecast so it'll help keep the roof on.
Arranged another assignation in a rural car park for Tuesday

 

[Salamagundy]

Arranged another assignation in a rural car park for Tuesday

If it's the one beside the Tywi on the B4300, be careful! The police are aware....

 

[Goran]

Pollen!!!
What's in flower, Goran?

Here we have Mahonia and Winter Honeysuckle; The first of many Hellebores are out too.
Lovely sunny day here but cold. More rain and wind to come.

Hazels start to open male flowers.
Also saw red tips of female flowers ( which isn't important for us beekeepers and bees).
Overall strange weather, we miss a snow. This warm period unfortunately I think encourage brood.. Too early. But this evening should start here some weather change and hope cold.

 

[JCD]

I applied oxalic acid yesterday, and took a look at the varroa board today......approx. 100 varroa dropped already! It just goes to show that the treatment needs to be done. Back in the summer it was impossible to gauge varroa numbers. I was optimistic that the numbers were low, but also thought the wasps might have been munching them. I treated with Apilifevar in August.
I gave them some fondant, and also the good news that, not so far away, the first of the snowdrops are out !!

 

[Melbee]

I gave my colony fondant today. It's warm and sunny this afternoon in Noth Staffordshire. I went out about 30 mins ago, there were quite a number of bees flying and crowding around the reduced, small entrance to my WBC.

 

[REDWOOD]

tapped hives

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Lurked in a car park in Llandeilo and got a nice surprise
Swapped a few roofs around (these ones with insulation fixed inside)
Tapped a bottle of Jura malt. Thanks EricA

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine's a Talisker at the moment.....cheers

 

[lakelander]

Treated 15 colonies with oxalic acid in between the showers. 12 more to do.

 

[user 6228]

Fixing foam rubber seals to 3 "trees"

 

[Goran]

Finally bees weren't out today, day temp 6C. All quiet. More suitable for date on calender..

 

[weebee]

4ºC, minimal wind and dry so it was OA time today. Boards are in so tomorrow I’ll start counting. From the quick glace I got they all look cosy with plenty of stores. Here’s to the new season as the ground work looks good (touch wood).

 

[parkranger]

Let's start the year with a treat!

Thought today was as good a day as any to treat with oxalic so did all four hives and one poly nuc. Pleased to see 8 seams on three but a only 3 to 4ish on the other. Replenished fondant on all.
Hopefully the smaller colony will survive. Will monitor the drop over the next couple of weeks.