What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

I've noticed that the ivy is humming in the morning but by the afternoon there is hardly an insect on it.........till the following morning.

Ahh ... perhaps that's what's going on then ? Sadly. apart from weekends, I don't see them much earlier in the day.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

My apiary would if it were not for the reek of thymol
I'll not make the mistake of only one MAQS strip again!

In the apiary today I counted mites. I've made a couple of mistakes with this colony re mites but with any luck they'll be OK. Still processing a lot of honey, bless them. Only 500 today (from a peak of 1,200) for a running total of just under 5,000. About 300 a day for 10 days, I reckon, making the 8,000 that "managing varroa" says you get to at this time of the year if you're not careful. That is a great manual.

 

[BrianO]

stood and watched when I got home from work ... the smell of ivy around the hives is so strong you could almost gag on it. Bees very busy and bringing in buckets full of pollen but there were only a handful on the ivy on my garden trees which, at long last, is now in bloom.

First year and wow , surprised had never noticed it before being into gardening and wildlife, the heady ( sickly ) scent of newly blossomed Ivy, also had a taste of some Ivy honey from an uncapped side of a frame removed from a super ... ahhh not a nice taste !!!. Going back to the bees ASAP.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Ivy is insane this year. A nuc where I am waiting for the Q to lay has gone from light to "nailed down" in 5 days.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Ivy is insane this year.

Started about a week ago here, and i started autumn feeding today, most don't need any due to the heather...but i intend to cram it into them one way or another.

 

[yeogi75]

united 4 nucs two which have no queen so boosted them up, moved on to brood hives first one full of drone obviously drone laying , next has on one side off frame nice long supersede cell and on the other side seven small swarm cells , now I now the next step remove all except supersedeure cell, now is there any way of keeping the outer queens as I have just reunited 4 nucs and don't want to mess with them anymore.

 

[ugcheleuce]

Visited my one apiary (two hives) with a friend with a camera and took out all of the frames and had them photographed. Also saw what ten days of strong varroa treatment does when you've never treated in the past year:

http://i58.tinypic.com/5uh4s3.jpg

 

[Goran]

I rushed today to bees and gave nozevit as nosema prevention and will repeat after 7-10 days to the most bees get the contact with it. Time and money are the same to me these days ( not enough time and not enough money..). Pretty weird end of pretty weird season over here. I am standing at 58 colonies going into winter ( on double lang boxes).
By the way, does someone in such setup remove extra frames from langs. I used to remove 2 frames from bottom box as winter prep. Now thinking what others do or don't.

Forgot, our aster these days.

Regards,
Goran.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Started about a week ago here, and i started autumn feeding today, most don't need any due to the heather...but i intend to cram it into them one way or another.

In conversation with another beekeeper it was suggested that only a limited amount of thymolised syrup should be fed. I'm thinking there shouldn't be a problem with giving the HM mixture until the bees stop taking it. As the originator of the recipe what's your opinion?

 

[Hivemaker.]

As the originator of the recipe what's your opinion?

5ml of thymol mixture goes into every gallon of thick syrup i feed in autumn, whether i feed them one gallon or five.

 

[ugcheleuce]

Yesterday and today, I did something which more experienced beeks in my area said I should not have done (gasp!). I took out all the frames of all my hives (all six of them) and took a photograph of every frame. Yesterday I had help, so you can see me holding the frames. Today I used a frame holder to hold the frames.

The images of the frames are clickable.

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Klarenbeek apiary (private farmland)

(gesloten voer = capped syrup, ongesloten voer = uncapped syrup, broed = brood)



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Casimir Avenue apiary, Ugchelen (someone's backyard)

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Hoenderloo apiary (local beek club apiary)

 

[irishguy]

In the apiary today I counted mites. I've made a couple of mistakes with this colony re mites but with any luck they'll be OK. Still processing a lot of honey, bless them. Only 500 today (from a peak of 1,200) for a running total of just under 5,000. About 300 a day for 10 days, I reckon, making the 8,000 that "managing varroa" says you get to at this time of the year if you're not careful. That is a great manual.

Am I reading this right, are you saying 300 varroa mites a day per hive!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Am I reading this right, are you saying 300 varroa mites a day per hive!

Peak 1,200 in one day from the colony that has a mite problem. Serious "PPB" (piss-poor beekeeping)

 

[irishguy]

Peak 1,200 in one day from the colony that has a mite problem. Serious "PPB" (piss-poor beekeeping)

1200 mites in 1 colony!! Makes my 6 or 7 mites seem ridiculously small. I'm wondering now I didn't really need to treat!

 

[pargyle]

Yesterday and today, I did something which more experienced beeks in my area said I should not have done (gasp!). I took out all the frames of all my hives (all six of them) and took a photograph of every frame. QUOTE]

Why ?

Was there a purpose other than curiosity ?

Strikes me that all the more experienced beeks were right and probably all the inexperienced beeks if you had asked them ...

I can understand it during the inspection season - indeed, I take photos of my frames as I inspect them but ... at this point in the season ? Verging on stupidity Sam ...

 

[ugcheleuce]

Was there a purpose other than curiosity?

Nope, not really. Basically I had no idea what was going on in my hives and I wanted to find out how, just after the varroa treatment. I had no idea that it would be wrong to do it. Yes, it is October, but it is a very mild October.

The main reason I'm told I should not do this is because the queen is sluggish and may not be able to scurry off in good time, so you risk killing her or losing her. Anyway, it's a good thing I inspected the Klarenbeek hives because I would have thought (after feeding them for a month) that they should be fully fed by now, but... they need another 10 kg of sugar each.

I can understand it during the inspection season - indeed, I take photos of my frames as I inspect them but ... at this point in the season?

I suspect that if I hadn't been able to secure a fellow beekeeper yesterday to take photos, I would not have taken photos of every frame -- I probably would not have inspected the entire hives. But since I was able to get pictures of all frames in one apiary, it struck me as an opportunity to do the same for the other apiaries as well.

Also, the experienced beeks initially didn't criticise my decision to take photos at the first apiary, but instead gave helpful advice based on the photos. I suppose I thought that this is a good opportunity to get some helpful advice on the other hives as well. It was only when they realised that I had taken the cue and photographed the other hives as well that they changed their tune and reprimanded me for the inspections instead of giving more advice.

Anyway, I'm satisfied with the results. I learnt a lot in these two days.

Say, what would your reason be for saying that this action is stupid?

 

[BeeJayBee]

I rushed today to bees and gave nozevit as nosema prevention and will repeat after 7-10 days to the most bees get the contact with it. Time and money are the same to me these days ( not enough time and not enough money..). Pretty weird end of pretty weird season over here. I am standing at 58 colonies going into winter ( on double lang boxes).
By the way, does someone in such setup remove extra frames from langs. I used to remove 2 frames from bottom box as winter prep. Now thinking what others do or don't.

It's been a difficult year for you, hasn't it, with the appalling weather you've had. I hope next year will be better for you.

I'm glad you've got a good number of hives going into winter - 58 is a lot!

I don't know anybody that removes frames from lower boxes before winter. Why would you do that?

 

[pargyle]

[Quote Ugcheleuce] "Anyway, I'm satisfied with the results. I learnt a lot in these two days.

Say, what would your reason be for saying that this action is stupid? "


Basically, at this time of the year your bees are getting themselves ready for winter. They tend to close every nook and cranny up with propolis or brace comb, the queen will be laying the eggs that become winter bees and what they need is to be left alone to get on with these preparations.

If you felt that there was a reason to inspect then a quick look was all you needed ... and even then perhaps only to see what stores were being laid down - you didn't need to lift every frame out, hang it up, photo it and then put it back, including the brood nest - the bees certainly didn't need you to do this. They will recover but you just made life more difficult and more stressful for them at a time when they need to use all their energy and endeavours in their build up to winter.

Perhaps stupid was too strong a word, I'll retract that Sam .. unnecessary is a better word.

Phil

 

[BeeJayBee]

They will recover but you just made life more difficult and more stressful for them at a time when they need to use all their energy and endeavours in their build up to winter.

It might be warmer than usual (mild) during the day, but the nights are getting longer and colder because that's what happens at this time of year. The bees will recover, but it will take them longer and take more effort than in the summer.

 

[Goran]

It's been a difficult year for you, hasn't it, with the appalling weather you've had. I hope next year will be better for you.

I'm glad you've got a good number of hives going into winter - 58 is a lot!

I don't know anybody that removes frames from lower boxes before winter. Why would you do that?

Hi B.

Main reason is when have to do first operations in spring with frames don't have to remove frames from a hive. I just lift down 2 frames with sealed brood and put foundations ( usually) in upperbox between food and brood frames. Also cause there is no need to have completed box bellow during the winter ( cluster is in upper box mainly, centered), there is less chance to have moulded side frames from excess of water from upper box which can occur at sides of hive.
About numbers, I plan to reduce it to a hobby in spring. New demanding job, less time for bees.
About this season here, best to forget it as soon as possible.