What did you do in the Apiary today?

[lebouche]

So yesterday not today. Off topic?!
Performed a demaree to get bees onto smaller spaced 32mm frames. Also reunited two colonies just a month after uniting. Think I united too late and they swarmed then virus failed to mate well. One hive has been quite aggressive and couldn't see and bias. Some foundation less comb they had extended from a super frame broke and it seemed robbing broke out in the demareed hive. Closed them up to one bee space and hoping for the best.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Also reunited two colonies just a month after uniting.

Surely they were already united then, how could you reunite already united colonies?

Think I united too late and they swarmed then virus failed to mate well.

What kind of virus failed to mate well?

 

[lebouche]

Hahaha, sorry. Tapatalk has a bug where you can't see what u r typing. I had split the colonies. And I think the virgin in one failed to mate. Population was quite low and they were angry and couldn't find a queen.

 

[Somerford]

Have had a running situation with the farmer on whose land I have my out apiary:

Yesterday at 11am "I'll be spraying at noon it has pesticide in it but its bee friendly I'm told"

"Your what???? You've got to be kidding"

"Nope"

"Hang on a minute you'll destroy all my bees can we talk about it?"

Conversation had the outcome was I'll shut them in at last light he will spray at 9am today.

I rocks up at 9am no activity so sent a text message

"Too much dew, will do it at 11.30"

Whilst I was contemplating my options along comes the farmer so we had another chat. I explained why this was a bad idea.

We eventually agreed he would do it at last light tonight......................

Think I need to start looking for another out apiary.

At least he tells you !!!

I dread to think how many just spray regardless because they want and early supper

s

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Garn cottage inspections this evening - the A/S from a week or so ago seemed very quiet and laid back - checked BB - hardly anything drawn since A/S the one frame is chock a block with brood and eleven sealed QC's larvae present but nowt else (no sign of queen) so reduced to two QC's and closed up. the q_ side of the A/S seems to be doing fine.
Checked the other hive (this is the one that also had QC's last time, couldn't find queen so reduced to one and left alone, then last Monday no QC's and layning like a train) today a good ten frames chock a block BIAS, quite a few open QC's and lo! the queen - just saw her bum as she blended into a pile of bees, so A/S finally performed.

 

[pargyle]

Well .... I just stood for about half an hour just after 7.00pm and watched them still flying ... it was quite warm and the threatened rain hasn't materialised ...lots of grey coloured pollen coming in ... brood food ? ... three hives with laying queens !.... can't quite get my head around it yet !! Bit like having triplets when you just expected one ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well .... I just stood for about half an hour just after 7.00pm and watched them still flying ... it was quite warm and the threatened rain hasn't materialised ...lots of grey coloured pollen coming in ... brood food ? ... three hives with laying queens !.... can't quite get my head around it yet !! Bit like having triplets when you just expected one ...

So have you been officially elevated to the multiple hive pantheon yet? I believe it involves being beaten with a birch stick, running naked through the snow then immersing in ice cold water

 

[pargyle]

So have you been officially elevated to the multiple hive pantheon yet? I believe it involves being beaten with a birch stick, running naked through the snow then immersing in ice cold water

No ... I think he's moved the bar upwards in view of my newly elevated status ! I'm still below the salt ....

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

a crazy situation got crazier today
started the year with 2 colonies and after todays madness im now at 14 and 4 mating nucs.
I think ill leave before the wife does.

 

[Hachi]

I think he was being very reasonable. At least he contacted you and having your bees closed in for that time length wasn't bad. He was trying to be accommodating for you. Some farmers never contact, even if a request went out. Mine phoned me at 5 am to say, 'sorry such short notice.. spraying 8am'.
Work together and don't get too huffy.
Maybe he needs to use a product to protect his own product... sad but true.. he has a living to make too. Need to go out in the wilds of moorland to get free of any such product. Gardeners use too. A long haul to be free of such products.

You've copied my whole post and so it makes it difficult to understand where you think his reasonableness was so I'll hazard a guess.

WE agreed a plan I sealed them in, he changed the plan without telling me so when I rocked up to let my bees out I checked with him the job was done or going to start as we'd agreed, it was then he told me of the change of plan. Despite us talking yesterday about the effects of spraying in hot weather with no breeze would have on five full working hives not eight feet from where he was spraying insecticide, he figures to do it at 11:30 is ok. Now I'm no rocket scientist but I think I was pretty close to the mark when I deduced my message had fell on stoney ground the day previous.

I took advice from two fellow beeks who I hold the utmost respect for both as individuals and as beeks and when they advise that to have your five full colonies of bees sealed in for over 14 hours in temps increasing well beyond 20 C will end in disaster.... I listen.

So not to be thwarted I explained again, as I have done last year and the year before the need for us to WORK TOGETHER with regard to spraying. I do not consider having one hours notice reasonable when there is absolutely nothing I could have done except watch them perish had he continued. I did what I had to do, I was courteous and polite throughout and put my case as best I could and on this occasion we managed to agree another plan which was executed last night.

I fully understand and am cognisant of the need to spray and will gladly provide every assistance and support to my landowner in achieving his goal but I cant do that if he wont listen and wont engage. Over the past three years I have unfortunately come to the conclusion its not going to happen, then so be it. I'd be delighted to pass on your details and let you have it when I'm gone if you want?

 

[Nige.Coll]

removed supers by shaking bees off the frames.

I was told bee escapes were too slow for OSr honey. A little upset as i got 8 rhombus on boards i made...
I had to shake the bees off the frames as that was the quickest way. Other than a leaf blower .
So me and my highly allergic wife set about this task.
After going from 2 to 8 hives i was a little nervous and 2 more i was watching.
We managed the task and I got stung 8 times and she was stung none.
Never ever inspect or mess with your worst hive first...
Damn they upset everyone within 10 feet .

But today i am very happy.
I have gone from 2 to 8 hives
I am watching 2 more and all are thriving.
I've had to split hives to try and stop swarming and ended up with 8 after getting another one.( 3 to 8 not 2 i guess)
I have no spare stuff now lol and I had a pile..
After the darlings drawing out all that comb and queen raising and putting up with me I got 80 lbs of honey..
OK it's not amazing but i'm like a dog in a lamp post factory about it.
I've expected them to do so much and they did it.
Roll on the main flow i have frames ordered...

 

[drex]

Rhombus escapes clear quickly. I use them on osr honey. No problems. Porters are a waste of time though.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Rhombus escapes clear quickly. I use them on osr honey. No problems. Porters are a waste of time though.

Rhombus or leaf blower for me.

Yesterday evening I moved the Nuc from under the tree where I collected a swarm down the field to it's permanent position.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

after todays madness im now at 14 and 4 mating nucs.
I think ill leave before the wife does.

Hmmm, leave me with that thought for a while (haven't officially put my nucs and splits into the Brynmair total yet) SWMBO currently packing her bags for a long weekend in Paris with a friend of hers who now lives in France (no accounting for taste) and aparently has rented a Paris apartment for a few weeks. I wonder......................................................

 

[Mellifera397]

AS'd school's hive

M

 

[cjhart2]

SWMBO currently packing her bags for a long weekend in Paris with a friend of hers who now lives in France (no accounting for taste) .

She just wants to stop wearing wellies for a weekend .

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

She just wants to stop wearing wellies for a weekend .

you don't know my wife - on the odd occasions she helps me with the bees it's in high heeled sandals!

 

[Rio]

Grafted from my calmest hive as I need to re-queen two bitter, angry hives. Then set up a bait hive, just in case a swarm might appear. Got my lemon grass essential oil and my peppermint essential oil bottles mixed up so ended up applying both to the bait hive. Within 15 minutes or so the hive was surrounded by bees checking it out. Not a great sign as I must have missed a queen cell somewhere in one of the hives.
'Fly' bees.

 

[TOBY-3652]

first I have used rhombus and boy were they quick

 

[Goran]

At my place swarming season officially over, there can be some wild one but hardly. After for now catastrophic season, bees getting themselves on slow wild blackberry forage..
Started preparations for queen rearing, will have to change about 80% of queens till September..