What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Chris Luck]

Poor Frelons.

Chris

 

[Summerslease]

Combined 2 nucs one Q+, the other Q- , using deodorant to mask the scent and sugar water to encourage mutual grooming. Worked a treat. Thank you John Allen from Teesbees for the excellent advice.

 

[milkermel]

checking through the hive I look after in a no phone signal area. 1hr later Im driving home only to have message from OH 40 mins earlier that said I had a small swarm on conifers. Got home No swarm POO!

Go about my day and went to get some water in the evening only to spot a rather large swarm hanging from another tree 15meters away from my hives!
presume they must have moved on a bit quick but settled there, dont know how we didnt spot it all day!
So 2 stings later they are now rehoused and Im hoping they stay put!

 

[Busy Bee]

I took the split from an AS and shook it out into the apiary and took the empty equipment away queen gone stale.


Busy Bee

 

[badger65]

Checked my hive late this evening, did it in my shorts because they are so placid. They have drawn a new frame and its full of eggs and they have started on the next. I should be able to put a super on in a couple of weeks. Fingers crossed.

 

[For want of a better word]

Boiled up a new batch of bait sausage... for tomorrows foray into pastures new with a set of bait hives made from recycled caravans!

 

[davemacdon]

Saw my first swarm on the day that I bought my first hive and bees. Set them up in their new location last night. I'm a beekeeper!

Have to take the wife shopping today.

Dave.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Moved my aggressive bees from their fairly public out-apiary back to my home apiary.
Put a small nuc in their place.

 

[Dewin Dwl]

Pah, watched a swarm disappear over the horizon.....couldn't keep up to spot its resting place. Major headache as that was the only 'definitely queenright' hive I had, now its down to the QCs bearing fruit. The other hives are potentially doomed: virgin Qs getting a little old having waited this long for good weather. What a frustrating spring/winter/spring!

 

[circe]

Checked all 3 hives, sunny 22 oC and breezy - no signs of swarm plans seen - bees very good tempered and a mini flow on but I have no idea what it is - it is not rape -there are horse chestnut trees nearby and they might be on that - military green pollen coming in .. and purple pollen also.

 

[madasafish]

Inspected my first Warre hive: a swarm of mine housed 3 weeks ago. Despite the lousy weather of the past 3 weeks, the box was nearly full of comb with brood, and eggs. Added another box underneath.

My first 2 box warre. It seems to be growing faster than my TBH nucs: probably due to the confined space keeping it warmer in the cold spell we have had.

My TBH nucs (splits) have queens who have mated - I saw one re-entering the hive on Thursday - lots of activity on a nice warm day.

One TBH very grumpy. Could not find queen, but there is evidence that a queen has emerged. Time for a test frame next week I think.

 

[VEG]

I though warre hives weren't supposed to be inspected, or have I got it wrong again lol.

 

[davemacdon]

My 1st hive, 1st inspection

Opened up my new hive and had a good look through. Smoker kept going out and as a fireman, I think I need more practice at keeping it going!!
Couldn't find the queen, but did not want to dwell on this as I had the hive open a lot longer than I originally wanted to.
Saw lots of brood - capped and uncapped, bees flying back with pollen, lots of activity and a lot of frame coverage in the 14x12 bb.
A fair few up in the super, but no honey, just drawn foundation.
Did not see any small eggs. A little concerned, but 1st inspection of my hive, on my own without my mentor and will have to monitor the activity. Did not see any queen cups that I could recognize.
Met the landowner who told me I could keep as many as I liked there.
Gonna have to go buy some wood, I think.

Dave.

 

[MuswellMetro]

started this morning to re combine my articial swarms and requeened with new queens from breeding stock from another apiary rather than rely on apiary mated so now back on swarm cell watch if the weather improves

having failed to find one queen i did a shook swarm and placed the brood(minus one frame) above a QE then to went to the pub for a quick pint and bite to eat

drove out to two out apiaries and did a bit of Nuc feeding, all my Nucs and most Hives are very low on food and i have only taken one frame of capped brood for my own consumptiom ( no OSR)

returned to the shook swarm and recombined the last one

tidied up the "insurance nuc" and frames then.......errr found a full Nuc with new queen i had not used, ok what will we do with that one!!!!

 

[huntsman666]

<i have only taken one frame of capped brood for my own consumptiom >

Salted or dry roasted?

 

[nonstandard]

Queen introduction & thick bees

Did my first queen introduction with a bought queen, nail biting stuff, I removed the attendant bees in a large plastic bag on the dining table and then popped the cage with her in it into the hive. It's fingers crossed now for a few days.

I also tried to educate a swarm that I hived in a WBC yesterday, I opened it up to check the feeder and found all the bees clustered between the lifts and the brood box. I unceremoniously brushed them into the brood box and put the crown board back on dropping the bl***y feeder on the ground, luckily it quickly soaked in.

I went down this evening to put the feeder back on and they have taken the hint and are now where they are supposed to be

 

[oliver90owner]

MM,

i have only taken one frame of capped brood for my own consumptiom

What's this? Eating capped brood? Whatever 'floats your boat', enjoy!!!

Regards, RAB

 

[oliver90owner]

and found all the bees clustered between the lifts and the brood box

A 'hole in the crownboard leaver-opener' I presume?

RAB

 

[Chris Luck]

I though warre hives weren't supposed to be inspected, or have I got it wrong again l

That's the general idea Craig but...........

Chris

 

[MuswellMetro]

<i have only taken one frame of capped brood for my own consumptiom >

Salted or dry roasted?

well they eat them in china

meant capped honey