What did you do in the Apiary today?

[itma]

...
Not true surely? March 'Beecraft', title page (p3):
Beecraft
The Official Journal of the British Beekeepers' Association

Umm, actually that's on page 4 not 3 !
Well, it is complicated and I may have not got it entirely straight, but my understanding was that the BBKA had relinquished its shareholding in Beecraft when BBKA decided to develop BBKA News into an A4 glossy.

HOWEVER, you'll also note that on that same page it says

The views expressed herein are those of the contributors, and not necessarily those of the Editor, Directors or the BBKA.

And there is a similar disclaimer at the bottom of the Contents page of BBKA News.

My main point was that articles in both of these magazines should NOT be considered to be "endorsed by the BBKA" as the earlier poster wrongly believed.

 

[itma]

It is only 9C here, but when the sun is out between the clouds, there are lots of bees coming out orienting - the flood being due to the lack of such outings in the last week or so.
Time is coming for inspections even if the weather isn't ideal ...

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

moving bees

moved 4 hives out of our garden to out apiary more than 3 miles away complete with stands roofs the lot also moved another 5 hives to another out apiary more than 3 miles from the last. Now all that's to do is move the last 3 hives out before we have to put up the marque in the garden for my sons wedding in a few months time ! swarms and weddings don't go together !
Glad to say the moves were all successful.

Dave

 

[BrianO]

Reading, over and over the recurring theme is " insulate " makes great sense, and have plans to up my paltry quickly cobbled last minute black refuse plastic bags of wood shavings sitting on the crown boards overwinter .

That seemed to work as got all 3 hives with this thru the winter .... BUT.... Where I am confused is the the absolute need or not for OMF open, fully or partially closed. ??

Went this winter with Nadired supers... Rationale, apart from food source is these would buffer wind preventing gales most of the time blowing up thru OMF.

Then, correctly , as I still believe , to close OMF's over winter ( sill closed ) can see some mould in corners of sodden crown boards, hives are timber Nationals.... What to do ?

Think.... Makes good sense to close omf's ???

 

[BeeJayBee]

Makes good sense to close omf?

"Closing" the open mesh floor by leaving the varroa counting tray beneath it means all the hive debris (including wax moth eggs) stays there, because the bees can't get at it to clear it away. Some of the debris will rot.

Leaving the tray in place, beneath a layer of mesh, is not the same as using a solid floor.

The varroa tray should only be in place when you need to count varroa, the rest of the time it should be in the shed.

You will not get "gales blowing up through the omf" because the mesh itself will act as a screen and restrict air movement/turbulence in the same way as a mesh fence reduces wind damage in a garden. But, it will let the bees move air if they want to.

 

[pargyle]

Makes good sense to close omf?

"Closing" the open mesh floor by leaving the varroa counting tray beneath it means all the hive debris (including wax moth eggs) stays there, because the bees can't get at it to clear it away. Some of the debris will rot.

Leaving the tray in place, beneath a layer of mesh, is not the same as using a solid floor.

The varroa tray should only be in place when you need to count varroa, the rest of the time it should be in the shed.

You will not get "gales blowing up through the omf" because the mesh itself will act as a screen and restrict air movement/turbulence in the same way as a mesh fence reduces wind damage in a garden. But, it will let the bees move air if they want to.

The problem with most commercially sourced hives is that the inspection board is immediately under the OMF and debris builds up quite quickly - I think any live mites may also be able to climb back up into the hive.

I've got two Paynes polys and I don't use the slot where they intended the OMF to go for exactly the reasons that BJB states above .. I've made the hive stands so that the inspection board sits about 3" below the OMF. My hives are in the garden and I leave the board in place all the time as I count mite drop on an (almost) daily basis and I clean the board every time I inspect it.

I find the pattern of debris on the board useful in my colony monitoring as it tells me where the bees are in the hive and to some extent what they are doing ..you can see pollen where they are storing it, wax cappings where they are uncapping and the level of activity. It's useful in winter to be assured where the colony is sited in the hive and reassuring when you see that they are clearly doing something.

I also note where the dead mites are in relation to the hive and I occasionally see live mites (not for long though !). I don't grease my inspection board as it seems to work without it - it's just a sheet of white correx as supplied as standard by Paynes.

I would not keep the boards in place unless I was able to check and clean them regularly ... and check for wax moth because they will be attracted to the wax debris.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/99514363@N06/sets/72157644503927472/

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The varroa tray should only be in place when you need to count varroa, the rest of the time it should be in the shed.

You will not get "gales blowing up through the omf" because the mesh itself will act as a screen and restrict air movement/turbulence in the same way as a mesh fence reduces wind damage in a garden. But, it will let the bees move air if they want to.

Floor open, crownboard totally shut (AND NO MATCHES!!)

 

[irishguy]

Checked my own boards after a few days in. Not 1 mite drop in all three boards and I had a good look. All there was was white droppings which I put down to fondant and other brown cappings. What I noticed, the hive that consumed the most fondant had the most brown cappings. Back to a rock and a hardplace again, we don't get a flow for another 2 weeks and I'm thinking them brown cappings are brood and bees used fondant more to feed them. I'm thinking do they need more fondant or do they have enough stores to last these few weeks.

 

[Amari]

The need for more food depends on how many stores are in each hive. Isolation starvation is unlikely now that it's getting warmer. Regular hefting helps decide - or regular weighing (luggage scale affixed to screw each side of the hive floor in my case) - or a quick look into the top box on a warm day. I plan to give a couple of litres of dilute syrup via a contact feeder to my two lightest hives anytime soon - after which I will be dusting down the supers - a few OSR flowers are already out.

 

[madasafish]

We have lots of high winds in winter and being on the side of a hill, they swirl round our hives.
So for langs, super underneath broodbox and leave OMFs open..

For TBHs, I leave bottom boards - which are NOT a very close fit in all year. And remove every month or so to clear debris. The drop from OMF on TBHs to bottom board is c 6cms and the air gaps each side mean they are rarely blocked .. With one thymol treatment each autumn, I don't appear to have a major mite problem in TBHs..

 

[Bee Bob Delux]

Busy trap building day today, bit early know but better prepared! Waxed 48 top bars, set up 2 Warre as traps & built 40l box.

One for the garden, one for the Apiary & the box for poaching my neighbours swarms up in a tree!

Fingers crossed!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Checked fondant. Two colonies have gobbled all theirs up so dodging the gales and Deluvian rain forecast tomorrow I will replace it with some Nektapoll.
All the lovely Japanese willow in the apiary is going to waste, all pollen washed away

 

[Goran]

Wild plums in bloom, forest willow is ending, cornel still has flowers but is over, bees also on meadow. Warmer weather with rains is coming to us.. Fresh nectar and a lot of pollen. Interesting. Awaiting wild cherries, I think we left on only one jar of last spring honey ( wild cherry). Right on time if weather behave..

 

[madasafish]

Sunny windy and cold this morning after a weekend's rain ... worse forecast to come.

So I checked fondant on three langs (inserted varroa boards first to cut down draughts from the wind and took them away when finished). All there had finished last fondant - as expected - so duly replaced.

Checked TBH nuc for stores- topped up two weeks ago. OK...(this was a cursory check by removing an end dummy board, divider and sliding back the end comb (full of honey) so I could see the next comb.. no combs lifted out).

Used a smoker on langs as bees disliked the wind going through the hives - despite the varroa boards.. (a gentle two puffs per hive were enough)

 

[Goran]

In a week medium strength colonies are plus in weight for 4kg. This is from nearby apiary cause I don't have scale.
I sold this afternoon 2 colonies. First I was very sad when remember how much I sacrifice to get them, and after I felt some calm satisfaction cause I sold more than nice colonies to a relative beginner who was amazed of their strength, temper and stores they got.. Hopefully he will get right blow to be successfull. They were 6 frames of brood, about 70-80% brood at frames, pattern as carpet..The rest filled with stores. Till 15-20th April if properly done can be at 12-16 frames of brood.
One we opened was at 8 frames of brood and sprinkled nectar below, usually that happens to me when they prepare space to queen go down in bottom box. Have to make them busy with foundations..

 

[Glenviewbee]

Despite the gales the bees have been very busy piling back to the hives with loads of orange pollen. Watching their ability to handle the wind is amazing. Yesterday the strongest hive was out and about in the wind and the drizzle.

 

[oliver90owner]

I had to go and rescue two colonies, one upside down and the other on its side.

Wind blew a large veg frame 4 metres over a 0.9 metre high fence, then about another 5m and crashed it into the hives. One strong enough, the other very weak (but was easily recoverable). I need the queen from the weak colony to replace a nasty B in another colony, so hoping she survives the ordeal.

 

[madasafish]

Looked out of window at 7pm last night. Through the hail (!), I could see a four foot wide TBH had tipped over in the wind. So went out and righted it asap. No apparent damage done...

It appears that a sudden gust had caught it under the hinged roof - at the unhinged side- and flipped the roof open, broken the ropes acting as stays to prevent the opening more than 100 degrees to the horizontal, and the wind and roof had dragged the hive onto its side . Righted a few displaced topbars. Removed wet insulation.

(The roof is made of pallet wood and quite heavy).The entire hive is partially full of unextracted honey and must weigh 75KGs or so..

Went out this am and inserted new more substantial nylon ropes (ex Lidl offer a few months ago). Found missing insulation board 20 meters away in hedge..

Bees are ex Carnies a few generations ago so very placid,just crawled around the entrance.

First time it's ever happened.. in five winters. must have been a combination of gusts and direction..(up to 50mph gusts).

Tie down job in future storms.

 

[BeeJayBee]

I need the queen from the weak colony to replace a nasty B in another colony, so hoping she survives the ordeal.

I hope all is okay.

Looked out of window at 7pm last night. Through the hail (!), I could see a four foot wide TBH had tipped over in the wind.

Not in the apiary, but our (old, teak) garden bench has ended up in the pond. Managed to fly a good few feet to get there!

 

[Brian Bush]

My landlord called to say several hives were blown over. Fortunately only one was occupied and he had reassembled this one for me.