What did you do in the Apiary today?

[malx]

Managed to get out an put on some Neopol in between the rainy days. Hive is full of bees
Still very cold up here so haven't noticed many flying.

 

[Goran]

We have rains, cold, all the moisture of the ground and in the air.. Seems will last one more week such..
By the way, seems beeks from EU showed interest for migratory to our forages. Jut to obey the rules and only carnies can come. Other cannot come..
It will be interesting.

 

[Bosleeu]

Just went out to shut the chickens and had a peek through a few crownboards - bees are pretty active and all over the top bars!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Checked the stores situation in some hives of Cordovan bees, first check since last October, colonies very strong and no extra feeding needed.

 

[REDWOOD]

Are they Italian or home grown, do they have good traits?

 

[Tremyfro]

Fondant sweeties for my Girls

Added more fondant to the bees today. Although the weather started out as a horrible day...the afternoon was sunny, cold, and a bit windy. So grabbed our bee suits and walked around the pond to the hives.
Hive 1... The tops of the frames were absolutely covered with bees. I had to carefully wriggle the two boxes of fondant over the bees...just as well that I had left a little...bees space..in them!
Hive 2..... Bees covering about a third of the top of the frames. Took off the old fondant bag and replaced with two fondant boxes.
Hive 3..... This is the Nuc we made from trying to prevent Hive 2 from swarming last year. The bees were fewer in here. Covering about a quarter of the tops of the frames. I put the fondant boxes close together.
All the bees were crawling over the fondant as we were closing up each hive.
So I hope it will ensure sufficient food for them. All three hives were weighing less...so they have been gobbling up their stores.
Still waiting for some extra brood boxes etc to arrive. So I can get them painted ready for the coming season.
Still cogitating over how to deal with the big colony in Hive 1.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sunny day yesterday and all hives flying in 8˚ largely collecting water but some pollen going in.
Just waiting for the willow and more sunny days

 

[alldigging]

Activity from my hives but no pollen going in.

 

[bpmurray]

My poly hive is really busy, with yellow pollen coming in. My wooden hive has flying bees but I couldn't see any pollen.

 

[Firefly]

Scraped propolis off polynucs, trying not to cause too much damage. Looked at the divider between the box and the feeder and wish I felt competent enough to get rid of it and convert to 8 frame as shown on this forum. 5 thumbs on each hand is a drawback

Pollen shipping in to 3 hives out of 7, the other 4 sulking today

 

[dpearce4]

lovely sunny afternoon here. stopped on the way home at one site, all hives flying. didn't have suit so wasn't able to heft. will do that next week after the winds.

 

[sussexbaker]

This is the worst thing about working an hour away from home, I leave in the darkness and get home in the darkness. Sitting at my desk wondering if there's pollen coming into my hives or not!

 

[busybee53]

Yellow pollen going in one hive, white pollen into another and brown pollen (no not propolis) going into 3rd hive which is not mine.

 

[BrianO]

Been worried 1 of my hives ( strong ) might have starved as was one I had not fed, went up today , first opened polynuc ( lid only leaving Perspex in place , looked good and strong lots of bees on the move and fondant I had smeared like Swiss chese , happy days !

Other hive , really strong, took off lid , removed covering cardboard over feeder holes... Plenty of bees , plonked down a ziplock bag of fondant.... And went home happy !!!

 

[wessexmario]

It has been a very mild winter, which should be good for colony strength going forward;
The Met Office has just reported that this winter is likely to have been the sunniest winter on record: www.metoffice.gov.uk/.../sunniest-winter-on-record

 

[protheroe]

This is the worst thing about working an hour away from home, I leave in the darkness and get home in the darkness. Sitting at my desk wondering if there's pollen coming into my hives or not!

Same with me but at least I get three days off which I need in spring and summer for inspections and hive making

 

[Excession]

POLLEN!!! And lots of it!!!

Yippee!!!

 

[Tremyfro]

Me too...me too...my girls were bringing in pollen today...dark orange pollen. And I saw some bees which were really fluffy going in and out....so are they new flying bees?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sunshine but a cold biting wind then rain in the afternoon. Snow forecast for tomorrow.

 

[Goran]

Distributed fondants to colonies which needed. At hillside apiary no wind, bees don't fly much. At top apiary, got frozen even sun was shining. But bees very active and flying around.. Temps around 10 celsius..