What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Jimmys Mum]

Checked 4 of the 6 today. Other two are tomorrows job!
Brood on 5,8,7 and 5 frames. All looking good! Drone brood in all hives. Also 2 new but empty play cups seen in one of the smaller colonies which is clearly a bit tight for space. I've got a frame of uncapped store soaking as I write, ready to rinse, dry and pop in later in the week.
I think it's super time!

 

[mister_oxo]

Going to check today whether a 'suspect Qless' hive has used the BIAS I offered last week. Still a dilemma as no drones yet. May just dump those Q cells - if present , and give more BIAS, to keep them ticking over till drones emerging generally. It may prevent them becoming DLW.

I have no suitable hive to join them to as they are on 5 frames and only hive near enough is very big and doesn't need the extra.

Heather, what is BIAS, that you used ?

 

[Alabamaeee]

Brood In All Stages

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Had a quick look at the Apiary this morning then drove down to Scampton (Lincolnshire showground) to have a look at the LBKA auction. There were a tremendous number of hives for sale. I wasn't looking for bees so I stayed inside. I came away with a four frame manual extractor in stainless steel.
On the way home I made a short detour for a cuppa with some horsey friends who it turned out had a feral hive in one of their trees and I was thoroughly pumped about beekeeping.

 

[Chris Luck]

Hi Chris,
Appreciate seeing yellow OSR pollen. Question, in your experience is it always yellow?

A very pale or pale lemon yellow and always on the face as in the photo, nothing else we have around here is like that. Stating the obvious it's a result of the flowers structure and the way the bee reaches the nectar, I never see them bother with the OSR pollen which mine source earlier in the day elsewhere.

Chris

 

[YorkshireBees]

A very pale or pale lemon yellow and always on the face as in the photo, nothing else we have around here is like that. Stating the obvious it's a result of the flowers structure and the way the bee reaches the nectar, I never see them bother with the OSR pollen which mine source earlier in the day elsewhere.

Chris

A photo of a bee taking nectar from OSR flower as then you know why they have the yellow dot on their faces!

 

[YorkshireBees]

Checked 3 colonies then unfortunately the wind got up and had to stop.

All polyhives on 5,6,9 full frames of BIAS.

Moved one of them onto a new stand and hard standing and anchored the hive strap down to the ground as that hive had blown over at least twice over winter.

7 to inspect tomorrow if the weather is good.

 

[galileo]

Mating nuc (standard national deep divided into 2 by 6) checked for first time this season. Both halves with 4 bias with one colony packed with bees. Thinking is to unite under best Queen and super for the OSR which is just about fit to forage only half a mile away. Spare Queen will do nicely to requeen a nasty (inherited) colony which seems to produce very powerful venom. The sooner that gene is out of my stocks, the better! The new queen in the C colony, which incredibly arose by supercedure in OCTOBER last year, not only made enough winter bees to get them through easily, but is now sitting on 5 bias, spotted and dotted. Nadir removed, ready to pop on as a super in a week or 3. So far, so good,

 

[Goran]

 

[Tim.S]

Supers put on 5 out of 6 hives today as the girls are going mad on rape. Not my choice, just that we are surrounded by the stuff! Quick look inside reveals loads of brood and surprisingly placid bees. It won't take long for them to get back into their grumpy ways!

 

[Chris Luck]

Supers put on 5 out of 6 hives today as the girls are going mad on rape. Not my choice, just that we are surrounded by the stuff! Quick look inside reveals loads of brood and surprisingly placid bees. It won't take long for them to get back into their grumpy ways!

When the rape stops flowing.

Chris

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

First full inspection. All the girls very busy.
Very pleased with the amount of brood. OSR just coming into flower in this area, lets hope the weather holds for a while.

My that's a pretty frame of brood.

 

[TOBY-3652]

put a colonie on double brood in to 1 box and gave them 2 supers, and checked a small colonie that was getting a lot of attention.. and sorry 2 say it has been robbed out

 

[jd101k2000]

Checked both colonies (one on brood and a half, the other on 14x12 and a half). 8 frames of brood and the rest filled with honey, nectar and pollen. Supered them both up, QX on, entrance blocks out. The 14x12 had about 10-15lb of sealed honey!

 

[theeggman]

This morning at 8.00 am (with the clock change) there were 300 bees on a shrubby prunus (Kojo something I'm informed) in the garden.
Later all the poly's were very active and pleased that the mouseguards have gone. About 1 hour later the cedar colony came to life as well.
Then I checked emails to find that the results of the nosema tests were NIL for all 4 colonies. A good start to the season!!

Tim.

 

[stephenpug]

checked the ladies today four hives building up nicely one i HAD to get a super on straight away and the last one was rammed so upgraded to brood with a super underneath and a Qexcluder with a super on top
all hives very busy in the sunshine and i got 3 stings :-c

 

[Erichalfbee]

Checked both colonies 8 frames of brood and the rest filled with honey, nectar and pollen. Supered them both up, The 14x12 had about 10-15lb of sealed honey!

Had to look up where you are.
Not so far from me.....I haven't looked in mine yet, have it planned for this week.
I better be prepared...............

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The armchair beekeeper

Did some virtual beekeeping - had the report of the first full inspection of my hives by my top notch bee minder. all looking good, as usual the Cardigan hooligans surging ahead but my home bred ones not too far behind.
Spent a little time watching a wild colony in a hollow willow tree just a hundred yards from my lodge. I pass close to the tree nearly every day but it's only today I noticed the bees!
More African bee inspections planned for tomorrow

 

[jd101k2000]

Had to look up where you are.
Not so far from me.....I haven't looked in mine yet, have it planned for this week.
I better be prepared...............

Mine are absolutely bursting at the seams. It was a great pleasure to spend the day with them. Good luck!

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Ooooh Horror !

First full inspection on the shrubbery colony. Fondant almost gone, Mouldy Pollen in Brood box no Queen in sight but that did not stop her laying last year. Then a horrible sight: no brood and some very dodgy looking sunk cappings; took out all affected frames and looked at the dodgy capped cells. Suspecting foul brood, found a watery filling with several having hard white bits looking a little like eggs. Queen Margaret Elisabeth is not Pleased: but is puzzled? Will give the BI a call tomorrow.

Other colony so much better Queen Seen on super comb stores her white crown almost worn away. I left two supers on top plus a 4 inch quilt over a crown board and added fondant on both hives before Christmas. Lots more bees than the other hive. I left them in peace as I was tired by then and did not want to unsettle a happy colony. Next opportunity I will have a look properly and probably move the brood box up over the stores. This colony has sun from ten until noon I am thinking of moving the other one to be next to it and get the morning sun, but it seems to be more defensive. opinions on both problems please, but I wont do anything until I have spoken to the BI.