What did you do in the Apiary today?

[theeggman]

Oh thank you so much...I will note this plant down on my list. This is so much fun...to actually start some planting for my bees. Mind you...my daughter who lives next door and has an enormous garden has been busy all last year planting for them. Today she was gardening and was surrounded by bees....she loved it ...she said it felt like they were all working together.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

It was great to get the first inspections done today.

13 degrees, overcast but a bit of wind.

I always get a bit apprehensive about the first inspections of the year. Not so much what will I find? but more, Will I have forgotten what to do? Will they be stroppy - and if so will I have lost me nerve?

Anyhow, I inspected all 8 on 3 sites. No surprises.
The weak hive with a weak queen is doing ok but not spectacularly.
(I should have backed my own judgement, not listened to the student who wanted me to give the queen another chance.)
The stroppy hive was still stroppy. They'll be requeened for sure!

It was so relaxing and familiar. I can wait a couple of weeks or more before needing to get in again (apart from checking the fondant).

The only down side was that Kaz wasn't available to share the fun!

Dusty

 

[Erichalfbee]

Good to hear, Dusty.
All I got to do is check the weights on mine. 1 light and another very very light so both got some going-out-of-date Nektapoll.
Looking back on my records 1st inspections were 16th April, last year and 21st the year before.
Last year I had a colony on only 2 seams coming out of winter. I took pity on them and popped them into a nuc box rather than doing the queen in and uniting.
She did well, giving me three supers.
Nasty queens.....haven't really had any bees from hell...yet.

 

[beeno]

It was great to get the first inspections done today.
I always get a bit apprehensive about the first inspections of the year. Not so much what will I find? but more, Will I have forgotten what to do? Will they be stroppy - and if so will I have lost me nerve?
Dusty

I don't feel like that any more, so it is a passing thing after a few years of experience!

 

[beeno]

Good to hear, Dusty.
All I got to do is check the weights on mine. 1 light and another very very light so both got some going-out-of-date Nektapoll.
Looking back on my records 1st inspections were 16th April, last year and 21st the year before.
Last year I had a colony on only 2 seams coming out of winter. I took pity on them and popped them into a nuc box rather than doing the queen in and uniting.
She did well, giving me three supers.
Nasty queens.....haven't really had any bees from hell...yet.

Hi Ericha,
Yep, fondant going quickly all of a sudden. A couple of small ones here, so it is still hope of getting some honey from them then - that's good. Ditto on the nasty queens.

 

[busybee53]

13 degrees yesterday and so did first inspection. Wax building underway and nectar being stored into brace comb. Brood in hives, including sealed drone brood in one. Cripes. Glad I inspected.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Cripes. Glad I inspected.

Why, did you find anything wrong?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

sealed drone brood in one. Cripes.

What else do you expect in a healthy thriving hive? (or wasn't it?)

 

[user 6228]

It was great to get the first inspections done today.

13 degrees, overcast but a bit of wind.

I always get a bit apprehensive about the first inspections of the year. Not so much what will I find? but more, Will I have forgotten what to do? Will they be stroppy - a...

Dusty

At 13C all of ours will be stroppy...

 

[beeno]

Hi Busybee, Hivemaker and Jenkins,
I would not expect the bees to go straight into producing drone brood. Also, I though collecting nectar in brace comb was a sign of running out of space as is drawing comb. Perhaps some drawn comb should be added to the hive?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Perhaps some drawn comb should be added to the hive?

Indeed yes. If there was no space. Busybee didn't say.
Last spring I pulled 2 full store frames out of two boxes and replaced with drawn comb.

 

[itma]

13 degrees yesterday and so did first inspection. Wax building underway and nectar being stored into brace comb. Brood in hives, including sealed drone brood in one. Cripes. Glad I inspected.

The detail matters as to what you should "make of it".


Was it a little bit of Drone around the edge of a frame or two, essentially at the edge of a good solid pattern of worker brood? That would indicate that the colony was well-advanced and you'd need to be thinking around ensuring adequate q-laying space to avoid premature swarming.

Or was most of the sealed brood Drone? In which case, you'd be worrying about DLQ or laying workers ...



/// ADDED as a PS --- What's that about "wax-building underway"? Have they got foundation in there? And nectar in brace comb makes me wonder if they are actually short of drawn comb ...

 

[Mikeb123]

I was very pleased on the first inspection of the year today. Both colonies doing very well. Spotted the queens, both looking well. My bigger had bias across 5 frames and smaller 4 which I thought was good! The bigger had cleared the super underneath of stores to the point I was shocked!
Managed to paint up all my spare boxes ready for my spring clean next visit. Can't wait to get stuck into this season!

 

[jonnybeegood]

Checked my nucs had enough fondant, 2 had eaten quite a bit so i added some more one hadnt been touched i couldnt see any bees but when i lifted the fondant the bees were underneath in a really tight cluster, the fondant felt really cold so i got some fresh, put it in the microwave for 30 seconds untill it felt slightly warm to touch , this went back on top of the frames with the bottom sliced in several places.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Brood in hives, including sealed drone brood in one. Cripes. Glad I inspected.

You're not alone. Beekeepers in my area have reported eggs in drone cells for a week or so, some are expecting 'early' (April) swarms. Colony populations are generally high, so are likely to build up quickly if they don't starve.

Drones are mature enough to mate about 38 days after the eggs were laid - so your drones will be ready for the first virgin queens on or around 20th April.

Queens might be sexually mature from about 23 days after the egg is laid. So maybe expect to see active queen cells in that hive before the end of March?

Here's a quote from Walt Wright, who is based in Washington DC, probably a bit warmer than most of UK, so a bit earlier than we'd expect.

Toward the end of the second brood cycle, in late February here, the colony is ready to start rearing drones on a priority basis. They may have reared a few in random cells along the way, but drone rearing takes on urgency at this point. It takes over a month to get mature drones on the wing in sufficient numbers to support the impending mating season. And the swarm issue season starts in about five weeks. ​

From http://www.beesource.com/point-of-view/walt-wright/drone-management/

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well.......what an exciting season to look forward to
I probably won't get a look in till mid/end April. Might miss everything

 

[bontbee]

Too cold and miserable for all but a few hardy souls to fly yesterday, (yes, I know that strictly this is ), so did a bit of clearing around the back of the hives where the neighbours jungle is encroaching through, over and under the fence. I bashed one hive when a rope of ivy gave way, unexpectedly; a handful of bees came out for an inquisitive look, and then went back in again.

 

[BILL.HEARD]

Down here in S. Devon very cold and miserable today, yesterday most hives were bringing in pollen/water, certainly won't be doing any full inspections for a week or two yet, would do more harm than good. Keep hefting the hives to keep a check on stores but most are heavy enough for now.
It will certainly be several weeks before any supers come out of the stores. Beekeepers can do a lot of damage putting on supers this early yet I keep reading about people wishing to do so!!!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yesterday most hives were bringing in pollen/water, certainly won't be doing any full inspections for a week or two yet, would do more harm than good. Keep hefting the hives to keep a check on stores but most are heavy enough for now.
It will certainly be several weeks before any supers come out of the stores. Beekeepers can do a lot of damage putting on supers this early yet I keep reading about people wishing to do so!!!!

Pottered around the association apiary - topped up fondant on one hive and did a bit of brush cutting down the bottom end where I laid the hedge last month. Have a few hives at Brynmair marked down for a quick fondant check this afternoon - too cold for anything else

 

[bontbee]

Rescued this little lady - comatose on the floor until a few breaths warmed her up and a little dash of honey revived her

I should have just trodden on her on the way out to the garden - silly place to land.