What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked the one remaining GArn cottage hive with a laying queen (post A/S)......not! two weeks after A/S they've made more QC's and buggered off chose best QC and left them to it. Checked nuc down there with unmated queen - eggs and larvae seen as it was early went back to Brynmair and had a long think about the swarmthat moved into the high bait hive a few days ago - going to GArwick training tomorrow and was going to leave them 'til Friday but now, waited 'til late, closed them up and moved bait hive down to new stand at Garn cottage then nuc from Garn cottage back home - am going to check out a rather nice apiary site (well, about 40 acres to chose a spot in!) next week so not before time.

 

[Anduril]

Found a swarm on the ground today at 9pm, placed a box over it hoping they would go up into it, but by 11pm bees totally indifferent preferring to stay outside. My thoughts are they are staying with an injured queen. I would not have thought a clipped queen. Anyway I need my sleep and have left them to decide. Grass was too long and unable to scoop them into box. they got a little bit annoyed and sent out a lot of alarm pheromone.

 

[Goran]

Found a swarm on the ground today at 9pm, placed a box over it hoping they would go up into it, but by 11pm bees totally indifferent preferring to stay outside. My thoughts are they are staying with an injured queen. I would not have thought a clipped queen. Anyway I need my sleep and have left them to decide. Grass was too long and unable to scoop them into box. they got a little bit annoyed and sent out a lot of alarm pheromone.

Offer them black frame, or black frame sprayed with little honey. They will get on it. I had this season such swarm. The rest I put box near it, also white mop in front of entrance. If they are reluctant may give other frame or as I was hurry of coming storm - smoke at the end to "push" them toward entrance. I suposed something was wrong with queen, and it was - she disappeared, had to add ripe qcells to save it..

 

[Anduril]

Offer them black frame, or black frame sprayed with little honey. They will get on it. I had this season such swarm. The rest I put box near it, also white mop in front of entrance. If they are reluctant may give other frame or as I was hurry of coming storm - smoke at the end to "push" them toward entrance. I suposed something was wrong with queen, and it was - she disappeared, had to add ripe qcells to save it..

I gave them a bait hive with black comb in it but they were reluctant to go in. Will look later today when I finish work.

 

[jd101k2000]

My non-swarmy hive changed its mind today. I now have 8 colonies. Arrrgghh. Absolutely huge swarm - my first prime swarm. Weighed a ton in a wine box... would estimate about 20lb.

Went back to parent hive and found the sealed queen cell embedded in the surface of the comb. Only the tip was protruding.

The neighbouring cell was full of royal jelly

Also caught a video of a scout doing a waggle dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgyYhrJ5UOc

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After taking the dog to the vet this morning - having one of her mammary glands removed - really nasty lump which was really playing her up (swmbo is glad she's going as she's fed up of strange looks from the neighbours as they've heard me shouting in the garden 'stop licking your t!ts !!') called in Garn cottage to check up on the swarm I moved there last night all out re-orienting this morning so I transferred then to a proper hive - they were drawing wax half way down three foundation less frames already and loads of eggs were seen
closed up went home and re-sited bait box with new frames back on it's usual spot. just realised left hive tool at Garn Cottage and I'm on the train to Gatwick!!

 

[Goran]

I gave them a bait hive with black comb in it but they were reluctant to go in. Will look later today when I finish work.

Maybe I didn't wrote correct, just take frame with a black comb and place it to be in touch with bees in swarm. They will clime on it. When "full" place into hive, then if more bees can also add second frame ( or at same time more frames). They will clime on it always.

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

another of the nucs I made up in mid may has a laying queen so that makes it 2 out of 3 so far
cast caught 3 weeks ago is now a 2 frame nuc with laying queen soon to be marked and clipped and introduced to the q- side of the a/s? swarm of last Thursday
other side of the a/s has q laying again
organised a corner of a field to put 3 hives next week 3 miles away but on the way to work so should be good,
still waiting for my order of foundation,seemingly the uk is doing so well this year the main suppliers don't have enough to send over(or that's what they are telling me)

 

[Anduril]

Maybe I didn't wrote correct, just take frame with a black comb and place it to be in touch with bees in swarm. They will clime on it. When "full" place into hive, then if more bees can also add second frame ( or at same time more frames). They will clime on it always.

Checked after work bees now in hive.

 

[Goran]

Checked after work bees now in hive.

Even better..

 

[WelshPaul]

Houses my second swarm of the week, and got a £10 tip for picking them up after a 15 mile journey, tried telling the lady it wasn't needed but she said should would be insulted if I didn't take it. View attachment 10417


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[WelshPaul]

Also after making a choice I'm going to unite one of my strong nuc's with my large Q- hive by following a method on here, by putting the nuc in a super, with newspaper on top then the Q- hive on top of the news paper, two questions, do I block up the entrance on the super with the nuc in? And do I perforate the newspaper?


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[Loubee7]

Well, it was yesterday I did this but...

I extracted my 1st ever batch of honey! So chuffed!!!

 

[Nige.Coll]

Panicked....
Arrived to find a colony bearding down the front almost to the floor and wow what a noise, had a look and I must have missed Q cells . One was now sealed . Managed to get them back into the hive with the non swarmy bees and q cells in another box.
Fingers crossed they will not leave now .
They were split 7 or 8 weeks ago didn't expect to have to do it again so soon.

Queens don't swarm in their first season .. blah rubbish.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yesterday and today

9pm last night spotted a swarm in tree at the apiary. Luckily have stuff to hand there so managed to get them into a hive I'd prepared for a possible AS just as it got dark; piece of excluder over front entrance as the transfer was bit clumsy.
We'd looked in the hives 2 days prior :hair pull:
So...today had to go through 6 boxes AGAIN starting with the most likely.
One had 2 QCs maybe two days from sealing so not taking any chances AS'd that one.
BUT.....all queens present and correct ....blow me down.
I started with 4 colonies this Spring. Why have I now got 9 boxes of bees

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Well, it was yesterday I did this but...



I extracted my 1st ever batch of honey! So chuffed!!!

In the apiary?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Frenetic. Took a Q- nuc off Buckybeast to get a new Buckfast (ish) Q. Then found the nuc made of a QC after a 19 May swarm had charged cells, so split. Useful really as they can host the Bucky Qs; I want none of their genes. Big sister in the other split is laying up a storm and is now on double brood so we'll keep her.

 

[gregior]

Well i feel like a total amateur after today's debacle .

I,m trying for some cut comb on my strongest hve ,but the bees were very reluctant to go up and draw the starter strps,so last inspecton i removed the qx to try to encourage them to get going on them.

Opened them up today and removed the frst starter frame and-yup queen on there laying up all the new drawn drone comb Put the frame with the q on to the side incase the were cells in the brood box and i needed to do an AS.All the starter frames were layed up with drone brood so cut them all back to the starter strip,checked the brood box and no cells so decided to replace the qx and leave them to it.

Returned to the frame with the queen on that i'd set aside and yup she'd disappeared looked everywhere for her but nowhere to be seen.I had stupidly leant the frame with the queen on against the side of one of my other hives so it's more than possible she ended up in that hive .

Anyway put everything back together and now just praying she finds her way back home

 

[Erichalfbee]

Returned to the frame with the queen on that i'd set aside and yup she'd disappeared.I had stupidly leant the frame with the queen on against the side of one of my other hives so it's more than possible she ended up in that hive .

Bad luck with the queen.
I ALWAYS keep an empty nuc box it the apiary so that I can isolate the queen and look through her box without worry.

Today I consolidated another combine and added to my nicely growing pile of drawn brood frames in the freezer

 

[madasafish]

I collected a swarm on the ground yesterday - leaving at most 100 bees which would not go into my swarm box.

Phone call this pm from owner: another swarm same place - as big as the previous one... Another cast from the same hive or a different hive?


Messy as on edge of path and in grass...

Another callout to "bees " in a single storey conservancy roof. Arrived thinking it was another tree bumble story.. it was honey bees and taking in lots of pollen.. Tile removal job ... Declined regretfully and just gave advice...