What did you do in the Apiary today?

[VEG]

Got out of hospital, to find my book on stock fencing has arrived

 

[jd101k2000]

Just been out to the apiary to see LOTs of orientation flights: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152589252012802&l=1183639058000372649
The link is a 19s video, so may not work.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Sunny and warm at midday with all 4 hives active and clouds of orienting bees in front of them. Even a few bees to be seen checking out the border flower beds although nothing of interest to them as far as I could see. By three o clock the sun had gone in, temperature dropped and bees all back in their hives.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Got out of hospital, to find my book on stock fencing has arrived

Fencing! a man of your skills (and massive tool collection) fencing - thought you'd be buying a book on hedge laying

 

[VEG]

Not enough of a hedge there to lay yet so have to fence it, but we did have a job planting a hedge recently so I have ermmm acquired some hedging plants lol.

 

[Suzi Q]

Topped up 2 nucs with fondant, one was grateful, the other boiled out and I picked up a sting on my wrist. I suspect it may be queenless, the crownboard wasn't as warm as the well-behaved nuc.

 

[Chris Luck]

All "managed" hives active, all taking pollen, means nothing, sting to face, wild plum and goat willow starting to flower.

Checked local feral colonies - all active as above.

Interesting winter.

Chris

 

[Goran]

Forest willow-today. If weather behave here will start madness. Too soon..

 

[madasafish]

All hives active.. Yellow and orange pollen in dribs and drabs plus water...

Brooding has started.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Same here
Lovely to watch the bees on the apiary Crocuses and on the garden Hellebores.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

The mouse guard on one particularly busy nuc was causing congestion today so I unpinned it for the afternoon .... and received a sting in the groin for my trouble! Lesson learned.

Plenty of foraging bees in the crocus/hellebores/winter honeysuckle and the Daphne. Another glorious day.

 

[drstitson]

"found a carpet of dead bees outside the hive"

think - how many bees die in a normal colony over winter?

 

[alldigging]

"found a carpet of dead bees outside the hive"

think - how many bees die in a normal colony over winter?

I watched one on undertaking duties today.

 

[pargyle]

Well ... I didn't see them but my son (who was at home) reported that there were 'loads' of bees out and about and 'drinking from the pond'. So looks like the girls were taking advantage of the warm afternoon.

The temperature inside the hive was 15.9 degrees this evening which is the highest it's been for some months now - reflects a maximum ambient temp of 12.5 degrees in the garden but when I took the hive measurement it was only 9 degrees outside and chucking it down with rain (again !!). Hope they found a bit of pollen somewhere to make flying worthwhile ... my son is not really happy getting close to the bees so no hive entrance reports !! Pity ..

 

[Galaxy55]

Lots of bees out of the hive today making the most of a rain shower and gathering water, some flying further a field - I guess orientation flights.
Some cherry trees in flower in the local park, don't know if the bees are attracted to them.
Nice to see them looking healthy.

 

[maddydog]

"found a carpet of dead bees outside the hive"

think - how many bees die in a normal colony over winter?

I understand that a colony will naturally lose a lot of bees over winter. Merely stating the observation that of my 3 colonies of similar size at the time of oxalic treatment one has maybe 20x the casualties of the other two.

 

[Heather]

Cleaned the very last bit of equipment... Ready to Roll! Bring it on. All hives still looking good.
Just need some sunshine... this is the time of year when beekeepers get impatient.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I understand that a colony will naturally lose a lot of bees over winter. Merely stating the observation that of my 3 colonies of similar size at the time of oxalic treatment one has maybe 20x the casualties of the other two.

But each colony has different cleaning habits - sometimes the dead bees pile up on the floor until the colony decides to clear them all out - it doesn't happen on the same day as all the other colonies so it shows up as the other hives are clean outside.
Noticed that with the twelve colonies I have wintering with me.

 

[yellowrage 53]

Cleaned the very last bit of equipment... Ready to Roll! Bring it on. All hives still looking good.
Just need some sunshine... this is the time of year when beekeepers get impatient.

or worried if you are a newbee

 

[Chris Luck]

or worried if you are a newbee

Or totally don't give a toss if you have a life full of other things?

Chris