What did you do in the Apiary today?

[garlicpickle]

Oxalic today, I've been hanging on in the hope of a cold snap but thought I'd better do it before it gets too late. I had to smoke one of the colonies down as they weren't too happy when I took the lid off.
First time I've visited the apiary since the recent storms, lots of trees came down and the landowner has been busy tidying up, but fortunately none of them fell onto the hives.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
Walked around my hives today. All doing cleansing flights, but no pollen going in. Probably a bit cold to be foraging. Clusters seems to be moving now as the cappings are spreading out and the hives smell of wax and honey!

 

[beehive1234]

Tired out from chain sawing a hedge. Well over it's time for layering. Upside lots of wood from the bits I did 2 months ago. Mostly Hazel and Black Thorn. Bring on the snow.

 

[clv101]

Applied OA treatment a few days ago, once we had cut up the large ash three which had blown over onto three hives and the polytunnel! Amazingly there was no damage to the hives or even the tunnel even though the tree had managed to touch everything.

 

[beehive1234]

Oh forgot to add bees tucked up not needing cleansing flights. No 2:1 to get rid of. All that h2o. But then they are Welsh bees. From the Holy Grail. Giggles. No OA. Oooooppsss I feel a burning sensation coming on.

 

[theeggman]

Wandered past the hives and NO signs of life but it was mizzleing at the time (Dartmoor rain), very wetting but you can't see it.
Just spent too much with the big T on super frames and foundation and with P's on a couple more poly's. Aren't the sales great??
Planning to OA on Sat. when we're informed it should be drier and no gale force winds.

Fingers crossed.

Tim

 

[Tim.S]

Had a quick peek at the hives at lunchtime and they were flying well in the sun with yellow and white pollen coming back in some quantity. I suspect that the commercial green houses near us had the vents open today and something growing inside had got the girls attention - no idea what though. 5 out of 6 hives flying well but one new split from last year seems very sluggish when the weather warms up yet when I had a peek under the lid they seem to be clustered over 5 or 6 frames so who knows. Bee's being bee's I guess.

 

[blackie]

Pollen

Hi all,
Walked around my hives today. All doing cleansing flights, but no pollen going in. Probably a bit cold to be foraging. Clusters seems to be moving now as the cappings are spreading out and the hives smell of wax and honey!

What pollen would be going in ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What pollen would be going in ?

Shrug

Mahonia is in flower here but it's been too cold and windy for the bees to venture out.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Tired out from chain sawing a hedge. .

Tend to leave my hedge laying until heavy frosts - when you're bulked up in your heavy 'thorn proof' kit it means you don't 'overheat' quite so much (sweat in gentlemens terms )

 

[user 6228]

Lots of activity from all 5 hives. The experimental hive with its tiny colony has 20c on one wall while outside is 3c, while the sun shone it was at 27c

 

[yellowrage 53]

put my beans in outside in oct thay are around 10cm high now

 

[pargyle]

***

 

[pargyle]

put my beans in outside in oct thay are around 10cm high now

Best get ready with the fleece then ... if that cold snap comes in next week, at that height, they are not going to like it. Lost the tops off mine last year in one night of hard frost - they grew again up from the roots but lost all the advantage of the over winter growth...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Best get ready with the fleece then ... if that cold snap comes in next week

There was the most beautiful orange/red/purple/blue sunrise this morning; quite extraordinary. I had a photo of a very similar one I took last year. I had a look and it was taken on January 16th....two days before it snowed. Hmmmmmm.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Broke my scales hefting so not really needed but done for fun. Down 1.5kg since 15 Dec. poly! So a lesson learned and barring this cold snap being long, a mess of filled, drawn frames for the new nuc. Put board in because I strongly suspect brooding now.

 

[yellowrage 53]

Broke my scales hefting so not really needed but done for fun. Down 1.5kg since 15 Dec. poly! So a lesson learned and barring this cold snap being long, a mess of filled, drawn frames for the new nuc. Put board in because I strongly suspect brooding now.

which one and why ? am very new to bee keeping

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

which one and why ? am very new to bee keeping

Not sure I understand but I meant the "varroa" inspection tray, and I suspect brooding because others in less mild parts are seeing it and because my bees have clustered in tighter even in warmer weather and in a poly hive. I'm learning too, so I wanted to check. May be weeks off but I am learning as I go.

 

[Queens59]

Checked how the bees were going with the fondant (fed because they are flying every day and shooting through stores)...all fine and active - and brooding too I think as we have had what appear to be a few orientations going on.

Varroa drop v v low, but could be because they are hiding in occupied cells - boo hiss.

 

[yellowrage 53]

Not sure I understand but I meant the "varroa" inspection tray, and I suspect brooding because others in less mild parts are seeing it and because my bees have clustered in tighter even in warmer weather and in a poly hive. I'm learning too, so I wanted to check. May be weeks off but I am learning as I go.

right with you now ta for the reply