What did you do in the Apiary today?

[beebopalula]

Checked the 3 Hives

This will be my 4th year and today got my first Sting! Not dead yet!

Are they AMM ?

 

[Brian Bush]

Are they AMM ?

The bee is though!!!!

 

[busybee53]

Yep beeswax ones. Using skep mould from Th****s. pleased with results but keep re-heating wax to make the next one each time the previous one is ready. One day I will afford another mould in a different design. Also tried container candles, ones with home made moulds and sand candles. What have others tried?

 

[Chris Luck]

OSR in flower here now.

Chris

 

[TOBY-3652]

OSR in flower here now.

Chris

be about 2 weeks then we will have some in flower

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

First dive into the colonies yesterday. Very please to see all laying well, have stores, and not too shirty.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Inspected all 6 hives externally with my young helper - 15 degrees and sunny again! Gorgeous.


Set up 3 bait hives over my 2 apiaries - just in case

 

[sipa]

Been to Chichester today, just East of Southampton off the M27 Oilseed Rape in flower.


That's the first I've seen this year, although we have some near one of our apiaries and that's only around 10 days off I reckon.

 

[Tim.S]

Yep the rape is coming out round here and the girls are starting to fill up the brood boxes with nectar, whether it's Rape or not a bit too early to tell. Although they are very yellow when coming back to the hive they do not seem to be in that nice pale yellow shade that comes from Rape. Yet.
I see from faceache that P*ynes have started putting a few supers on the strongest of their hives. I don't think mine are quite that far advanced yet, maybe another 2 weeks if the sun shines!

 

[abi-e]

Inspected 2 hives and a nuc box - all doing well. Oil seed rape in flower near here too.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Checked the 3 Hives.

This will be my 4th year and today got my first Sting! Not dead yet!

Damaged people are dangerous - they know they can survive!

 

[Chris Luck]

I don't know how people can avoid being stung, they must be incredibly careful and wear a lot of clobber and keep away from their colonies.

Not sure whether I'm pragmatic or stoic.

Chris

 

[Glenviewbee]

Watched the bees from both colonies piling in with bright yellow pollen and tango orange pollen. The black bee hive seems to be more active and numerous than the yellow/back bee hive - though the bb hive were a smaller colony (6 frames) going into the winter. The other colony had 10 frames.

 

[Cazza]

I don't know how people can avoid being stung, they must be incredibly careful and wear a lot of clobber and keep away from their colonies.

Not sure whether I'm pragmatic or stoic.

Chris

I wear appropriate PPE (suit, gloves), am incredibly careful and never go within 10ft without a suit on. That's all, no big effort. just care.
Cazza ( a wuss)

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Enjoyed the miracle of my first full-on spring day as a beek. Thank you everyone for your help in what seems to have been a successful overwintering.

Observed a "WCA" where my girls seem to hang out until they follow a sister up the beeline. Missed the waggle dance, I suppose.

 

[Heather]

One colony wall to wall bees 5 frames brood, QE super on (drawn frames).. going to be an interesting year...never supered in March before.
Note.. no crops near me, just gardens and wild flowers.

 

[Tom Bick]

Checked seven hives all in great shape plenty of brood eggs and surprisingly lots of nectar. One hive bees covering all eleven frames and a couple over seven and non smaller than five. I agree with you Heather if this continues it could be an interesting year.

 

[Floyd]

I don't know how people can avoid being stung, they must be incredibly careful and wear a lot of clobber and keep away from their colonies.

Not sure whether I'm pragmatic or stoic.

Chris

OK at times I have been dressed like working at the Fukushima Nuclear Plant, at one time last year I was sure that the bees had mutated into my ex-wife! (I couldn't do anything right and certainly knew when they weren't happy)

I also take my time and try to treat with real care as I get an amazing sense of well being whilst working with an open hive and feel greatly appreciative of the opportunity.

I walk daily within 10 feet of my hives which are located in a derelict outbuilding with shoulder height walls. I don't see the point in taking risks, I view my suit and gloves as protective clothing, in the same way that I wouldn't use my angle grinder without eye protection.

 

[Chris Luck]

Which is what I thought.

Dandelions busy today and so far only one sting this year.

Chris

 

[whoosling]

Which is what I thought.

Dandelions busy today and so far only one sting this year.

Chris

great photo