What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You are so WRONG .

feeling's mutual

 

[Jagmn]

Nabbed a swarm which alighted in the cooking apple tree. I checked the three other colonies and they did not look obviously to have had a swarm escape. But the second swarm in 9 days? Coincidence?

Now to count the pennies order some more kit…

 

[Headnavigator]

Wasn't well enough to inspect hives this last week though I knew they were swarmy, yesterday it kicked off and OH bravely cut the prime swarm out of our chestnut tree. Really pleased as my bee buddy who was on the same course several years ago is at last able to put her top-bar hive into use - she has been waiting all this time, helping me sometimes for a 'bee-fix' and now at last is on her way. Nice bees going to a good home.

 

[leonotron]

You are so WRONG .

Can you explain what is so wrong about it? I've seen people discuss it recently and likening clipping a wing to us cutting a nail or some hair. Someone also mentioned that bees often get killed during inspections and manipulations and this is far worse compared to clipping a wing.

 

[theeggman]

This lunchtime

Was stood listening to all sorts of bees working a variegated holly in flower and they sounded like a swarm. Wandered 100 mts. to hives to find the air thick with bees, first question was is it a Q mating flight or a cast swarm. An hour later they showed me it was a swarm as they were in the hedge at waist height 10 mts. away. Now in poly nuc. with QE open.
Bugger I missed a QC during A/S.

Tim.

 

[REDWOOD]

Looks good. The grass under mine is dreadful. I think I will put weed suppressant down in the winter and pour that sandy stoney ballast stuff on it.
Hawthorn out here and the next few days are sunny sunny.
Mine have been going ballistic on a couple of whitebeams that are in full flower.

I'm going to plant grass seeds, (the stuff they put on rugby pitches) and if that doesn't work I think I'll be doing the same

 

[Dazzabee]

Come home from my holiday at the weekend and started to take ripe/capped supers off. Decided I'd best extract the supers of the hives nearest the OSR first and got 55lb from 3 supers with a couple more supers still to come as it wasn't quite ready yet. All good there.

Today I went to the other site and weirdly in these hives which are furthest away from the OSR the honey is approx 50% set in the frames already....... damn.

 

[theeggman]

I'm going to plant grass seeds, (the stuff they put on rugby pitches) and if that doesn't work I think I'll be doing the same

I think you will find that grass in any form will grow away to a fair length in not mown.
We used weed fabric topped with a thick layer of wood chip and still get grass and brambles rooting in it.

As a result of today's cast I've now got to double the size of the apiary (dog proof area) to accommodate our rapid expansion for a week or two at least until Q's are mated and laying and can then pick the best before uniting.

Tim

 

[REDWOOD]

I think you will find that grass in any form will grow away to a fair length in not mown.
We used weed fabric topped with a thick layer of wood chip and still get grass and brambles rooting in it.

As a result of today's cast I've now got to double the size of the apiary (dog proof area) to accommodate our rapid expansion for a week or two at least until Q's are mated and laying and can then pick the best before uniting.

Tim

Because the field has lots of bare batches after I cut the reed I need to get a good root system going to hold the soil, cutting it is not a problem. I have to be careful what I do there as the field does not belong to me but a kind old lady, I don't want to rock the boat so to speak and everything I intend to do I will ask her first

 

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Not strictly in the apiary but behind it, moving the compost heap got sung on the head as a be got caught under the brim of my hat and then in my hair. Nice lump rising on my head now. serves me right for not donning a jacket and veil in my haste to get something done.
Does anyone know if this is any more dangerous than my normal reaction to stings, which is fairly bad. Local association meeting tonight.

 

[Cazza]

Interesting use of the word legitimate.

It depends on what yardstick you are using as there are no rules or laws regarding what you can do to honey bees.

Personally I stopped mutilating other species when I was about eleven but I do of course have a different attitude to life than most people here appear to have.

Chris

I'm with you Chris.
Cazza

 

[einsteinagogo]

What a day! Caught a swarm, hived a swarm, inspected four colonies, united one small cast. Left the other cast!

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Soooo excited. Tonight I extracted 43lb of honey from just one of my hives! I've quadrupled last years harvest already. Now to read up on how to deal with OSR honey!

 

[Summerslease]

I had a dream today. My best hive swarmed into a tree which was too high for me to collect. There was a thunderstorm and all the bees were soaked and died. Two thousand bees and my best queen.

Then I woke up and realised I kill at least one bee in every inspection and one dies every time I allow myself to be stung. So I felt a lot better about clipping the queen's wing.

 

[dpearce4]

Not actually in my apiary as that is no longer in my back garden, but came home today to a huge prime swarm in an empty poly box that I put out there for swarms. Its the second one in it this year.

Who needs to be on the swarm list, they deliver themselves to my house, so considerate of them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As soon as I got back from London (England that is not Lesotho) got changed and popped down to check the Garn Cottage hives - weather and work commitments had meant I haven't inspected for a fortnight,both coming along nicely and jam packed full of brood, put on a second super on both.
Had a cup of tea and then went over the mountain to the association apiary where I transferred three nucs into full size hives and inspected the strongest of the other hives there (the others I'll do when I'm at work tomorrow) this hive is on two supers already and I'll probably be putting the third on at the weekend - not bad for a hive we'd written off last year as a no hoper! All this at the same time as instructing two of our beginners how to hive their nuc when they got home that evening.
Had a quick look around Brynmair apiary - all fine.
All the apiaries are stinking of Hawthorn honey, and the bees are packing it in.

Ripped the legs off a few spiders and ate some meat (we pro - queen clipping lads are like that )

 

[VEG]

I planted the start of my orchard.

 

[Ely]

Later on today I will be extracting the spring honey.

This doesn't deserve a thread of its own so I'll put it here and hope someone with the same jars will notice. Does anyone know what size lids the pattersons 12oz hex jars take? I'm finding it difficult as there is no obvious guide on the site, I'm sure it used to tell you which jars each lid fitted but not anymore. Thanks

Nevermind. Found the information on the pallet section

 

[Ely]

As soon as I got back from London (England that is not Lesotho) got changed and popped down to check the Garn Cottage hives - weather and work commitments had meant I haven't inspected for a fortnight,both coming along nicely and jam packed full of brood, put on a second super on both.
Had a cup of tea and then went over the mountain to the association apiary where I transferred three nucs into full size hives and inspected the strongest of the other hives there (the others I'll do when I'm at work tomorrow) this hive is on two supers already and I'll probably be putting the third on at the weekend - not bad for a hive we'd written off last year as a no hoper! All this at the same time as instructing two of our beginners how to hive their nuc when they got home that evening.
Had a quick look around Brynmair apiary - all fine.
All the apiaries are stinking of Hawthorn honey, and the bees are packing it in.

Ripped the legs off a few spiders and ate some meat (we pro - queen clipping lads are like that )

What does hawthorn honey smell like?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Strong - some people would say is a bit unpleasant. tastes fine though