What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Margaret Elisabeth]

Reunited a colony I split after the queen introduction failed. Glad I kept the queen in one half of the colony, she now seems to be laying well and that part of the colony seemed much more quite and calm. After I say that the other (full)colony is bursting with bees and running about like mad things. 5 supers on and I could hardly lift the top one. put a clearer board under it as it is almost capped. Will add another super when I remove the full one.

 

[Goran]

Over here 32C in shade.. I should move the hives into shade to enjoy that low temp.. After some work I have to do with bees, my clothes were ( really) soaking wet..
While I was transfering larvae from jenter to bars, had several larvas too many.. In a fuss I also completed with wider part of artificial qcell an press into wax comb where was brood in hive next to breeder colony. That hive is on 3 lang boxes size with 12-13 frames of brood ( bb/qe/box/box). So I place it in top box in the frame with brood. Of three placed, one seems succeeded. Lavishly filled with royal jelly.. If it remain OK till the end will use it also..
Beekeeping is fun..

 

[wondervet]

All happening in our little apiary

little cast in nuc has gone drone-layer. Single eggs per cell but couldn't find the Q (probably hiding somewhere down in the hive floor i think). Slipped in a virgin from another hive and fingers crossed.

Catching up on colonies collected as swarms in spring. Marked and clipped one monster Q with obscenely long abdomen -biggest ever seen.

Strongest colony intent on making queen cells whatever we do.

Supers starting to fill nicely. Full on balsam, clover, rosebay and bramble.

 

[jd101k2000]

Should find out what I really learned in my first year - took WBKA basic assessment yesterday.

 

[REDWOOD]

Picked up a swarm yesterday from the Mond nickel works that was clustered under a seat in the smoking shelter. Security was a nightmare, I was issued with hard hat, badge, eye and ear protection and a security pass for the main gate, Can you imagine me with a bee suit and a yellow hard hat lol.

 

[alldigging]

Picked up a swarm yesterday from the Mond nickel works that was clustered under a seat in the smoking shelter. Security was a nightmare, I was issued with hard hat, badge, eye and ear protection and a security pass for the main gate, Can you imagine me with a bee suit and a yellow hard hat lol.

Oh I think you needed to get a picture taken of you wearing that combo!

 

[user 6228]

As the beekeeper wasnt around I got to put the extra frames in the big swarm we caught in the garden last evening (some where around 1.5 to 2Kg). so many bees the frames slid in as though in very thick treacle.

Now buildling more boxes and floors as we have somewhat exceeded the beekeepers forecast increase...
To put that into perspective.. This swarm had to go into our wooden hive...

Luckily I made up lots of kits from Recticel the last time, so its "just" glueing, taping, gasketing them.

 

[user 6228]

Picked up a swarm yesterday from the Mond nickel works that was clustered under a seat in the smoking shelter. Security was a nightmare, I was issued with hard hat, badge, eye and ear protection and a security pass for the main gate, Can you imagine me with a bee suit and a yellow hard hat lol.

chromed bees?
i would make sure that the apiary has a heavy metal disposal licence

 

[pargyle]

Went to check the two 'new' colonies and discovered that the little darlings in the poly hive had discovered they could get over the top of the dummy board separating them from the last two frames of empty space in the hive ... And despite having half a frame of comb left to fill out in the brood area had decided they would start and build three combs north to south at right angles to the frames and hang them from the crown board. Clearly fancied a bit if fen shui in the hive ... Sadly couldn't allow it to continue so removed it added another frame and closed the gap off above the dummy board. Note for next year - all hives orientated with frames aligned north to south - bees obviously like it better that way !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I must say that on the few occasions when I've had the strange urge to dummy down a hive when introducing a nuc I always put in the full complement of frames and just move the board along - a few years ago I had them drawing out all the frames both sides of the dummy board between inspections. Now, unless a very weak colony (in which case why take them out of the nuc) or unseasonably cold I give them all the frames and let them get on with it. This year, the Brynmair bait hive swarm when hived drew all the frames (some foundationless some not) and have almost filled a super just in time to celebrate the emerging of the first brood.

 

[BeeJayBee]

- all hives orientated with frames aligned north to south - bees obviously like it better that way !

I've noticed that too.

 

[theeggman]

I wandered up to the apiary this pm to see what I thought was synchronized swarming but on longer inspection all of bees were heading into the hives.

The air was thick with them.

10 mins. later we had violent storm come up from Cornwall and 3.5 mm of rain.

The bees know a lot more than we do, the sun was still shining when I wandered out, not a grey cloud in the sky.

Tim.

 

[pargyle]

I wandered up to the apiary this pm to see what I thought was synchronized swarming but on longer inspection all of bees were heading into the hives.

The air was thick with them.

10 mins. later we had violent storm come up from Cornwall and 3.5 mm of rain.

The bees know a lot more than we do, the sun was still shining when I wandered out, not a grey cloud in the sky.

Tim.

Yehhhh .. I had that a couple of weeks ago but I had the hive open at the time - wondered what the hell was going on, I was covered in bees ... first big drops of rain came down whilst there wasn't a visible cloud in the sky and within a few minutes it was like standing under a waterfall. They are clever little beggars !

 

[YuShin]

Captured a swarm that was outside work today. I also had a swarm land in a bait hive last Tuesday. Two swarms in two weeks!

 

[pargyle]

I must say that on the few occasions when I've had the strange urge to dummy down a hive when introducing a nuc I always put in the full complement of frames and just move the board along - a few years ago I had them drawing out all the frames both sides of the dummy board between inspections. /QUOTE]

Yes ...but I'm completely foundationless and I've found that if I give them more than one or two empty frames without a drawn out frame alongside to guide them then they get a bit creative with their comb building ... I suppose it's what bees do in the wild !

I could have put empty frames the other side of the dummy board but my dummy board is made out of 50mm Kingspan so I figured they would be happy in the 'warm' side ... they obviously decided that the 'cold' side was equally attractive - it has been very warm lately.

 

[Goran]

Soon will open goldenrod, we had pretty much of rain and temps are now lower ( below 30 celsius). Soon all around will turn into yellow ( now is in white cause of white clover).. Due to that could be some more honey

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Got a clean bill of health from the SBI, and transferred the most beautiful, wall to wall, frame top to frame bottom, two-sided foundationless frame of sealed worker brood from Buckybeast to my Hivemaker Q nuc. "That's what you're supposed to expect", says an unimpressed SBI. Maybe in a perfect world, but in my world I was pretty proud of it...

 

[Hachi]

Quote:
Originally Posted by pargyle View Post
- all hives orientated with frames aligned north to south - bees obviously like it better that way !
I've noticed that too.

So your saying the "cold way" is best???

 

[Hachi]

is it the same with the supers?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think pargyle means North South so face your entrance East for warm, South for cold