What did you do in the Apiary today?

[oliver90owner]

a version of the Dartington underfloor entrance

Might be similar but not quite. The Dartington entrance slot is best part of 50mm from the front wall. I think the Dartington is a fab idea but not as yours for a National. Why? OK in the summer, but can easily get blocked with dead bees over the winter. With the Dartington the colony is hived centrally in the body during closed season, so that scenario is avoided. Good design.

RAB

 

[TOBY-3652]

Collected another swarm and checked supers. Nector coming in will be extracting early next week probably 50 pound of 3 colonies

 

[Summerslease]

Today I hived a swarm (football size) by getting them to walk in from a sheet -for the first time. Even better, this was in my Mam's garden where I have another hive. The girls behaved beautifully while Mam sat with a cuppa and watched my skillful manipulation
The swarm wasn't from her hive but I think it was attracted by the bees in her garden. It landed in a perfect position, 5' up on a border fence. Easy to shake into a skep and then transfer to a sheet. AND I got it on video. This was a good day. It makes up for the swarm I caught and then lost from her hive in April.

 

[Flatters]

Why did I make the floor as I did? I looked at this http://www.edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk/downloads/diy_open_mesh_floor-graham-white.pdf ...
… and saw the side rails and front piece in 3.5” x1.5”; that is big timber. I therefore thought it over engineered. I admit I experiment and ask myself “why? Is there a better way?

So I looked at my current floors and reduced back the timber sizes. The entrance is 18mm from the front wall. I think with your advice Rab I will watch for a build up during winter. I will ensure, if there are blockages I will work at clearing the dead bees away.

Earlier this year when I did the spring tidy up I was sure all my dead bees were piled up in the centre.

I think in spring 2012 I will report back on the design.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Why did I make the floor as I did? I looked at this http://www.edinburghbeekeepers.org.uk/downloads/diy_open_mesh_floor-graham-white.pdf ...
… and saw the side rails and front piece in 3.5” x1.5”; that is big timber. I therefore thought it over engineered. I admit I experiment and ask myself “why? Is there a better way?

So I looked at my current floors and reduced back the timber sizes. The entrance is 18mm from the front wall. I think with your advice Rab I will watch for a build up during winter. I will ensure, if there are blockages I will work at clearing the dead bees away.

Earlier this year when I did the spring tidy up I was sure all my dead bees were piled up in the centre.

I think in spring 2012 I will report back on the design.

i use a variant on two hives ( extra bee space above the mesh @23mm instead of 3mm) i have had no trouble with blockages with frames coldway on, but it might cause a problem if say a cluster splits and lots of bees die all at once....but you can check and clear them with a bent coat hanger

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Swiveled one hive 30 degrees as part of a 180 degree + couple of yards move. Confused them for a bit but they soon seemed to get the hang of it.

 

[MuswellMetro]

i put my waterproofs on over my Bees suit and fought my way around the M25 to an out apiary to feed two nucs that had no stores at last inspection, ( why waterproof, well i was using my landrover 88 which leaks through the soft top)

I put on 150g of nectopol pollen and fondant mix which i rolled into a 5mm slab and placed it on top of the frames, They still on two frames with very little stores

 

[TOBY-3652]

Been trying to get some bees out of hole in tree 3 hours later nuc left up ladder and bees marching in when i left them so hopefully queen is in. Will know 2morrow.. And marked a queen and she flew off could see her flying all over then i looked under the hive managed 2 coax her back in// i am a clumsy be///r

 

[beestie]

Opened plywood 5 frame nuc that was housing a swarm captured 10 days ago. Found HM and gave her the tipp-ex treatment. Still drawing out the first frame of foundation, but seem happy enough. Stores of nectar and pollen going in, still uncapped. Moved all into National with dummy boards and varroa floor . Hope they will be happy in their new, more substantial, warmer (?) and better ventilated home.

Inspected Hive 2 National containing 5 frame bought nuc installed last Saturday. Chalk brood
2 very patchy frames of brood and mummified corpses on the floor (removed). Removed miller feeder as there are 2 frames of capped stores now, and I think miller feeders restrict ventilation - esp as I had to rig a cardboard cover with holes drilled into it for the front top part of the feeder (supplied glass cover must restrict ventilation completely?)... Will use mesh if/when replacing it. Feed also attracting wasps outside the hive, drowning bees in the syrup inside and some mould spores on inside of feeder despite having disinfected and scrubbed and scorched several days before installing .
Placed an order for Bee vital as not wanting to requeen just now despite undoubted eyes rolling from experts Never used said product, so hope its not just snake oil...The research on t'internet looked good, though.

I just wish the beggers would draw comb out a bit quicker...

 

[darren64]

was gonna reunite a couple of frames of bees in a nuc back into the main hive,so I filled a sprayer with sugar solution ready and when I opened it and checked it there was a queen,I couldn't find her yesterday so I thought maybe they had broken the cell down but she is there now.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Checked all 5 hives at home apiary, one awaiting Queen to mate / start laying. The other 4 are packing in the nectar, had to add 2nd super to 3 and the 4th has a deep on it as they had already half filled it with honey after a demaree manipulation. This also gives me the option of retaining the deep frames to use as stores for colones that need them later!

All in all a good day as it didn't rain, yet!

 

[aberreef]

Couldn't get up to much today due to some seriously heavy showers. Just sitting down to a honey butty though

 

[Ed Woods]

Been sitting watching the coming and goings of my hive the past few days.

Have noticed the local blackbirds eat all the drenched bees that crash land before they reach the hive - then the bluetits pick off the bees from the landing board - and I have discovered why my bait hive is surrounded by dead bees - one of my cats thinks its fun to climb on top and kill any bee trying to fly in Bait hive now moved.

Why the cat can't scare the birds away from the hive instead I don't know.

 

[Foxylad]

Clive delivered my new extractor yesterday. Very pleased i am too, only wish my bees hadn't eaten all there honey in the June gap.

Sweet chestnut starting to flower, fingers crossed for honey this year.

 

[tonybloke]

He also delivered one of those extractors to me yesterday!!

Today I inspected 3 colonies at out-apiary, it started to rain just I was finishing the first one, so I worked quickly with my back to the rain to shield the brood boxes while I inspected the other two. all queens seen, something that doesn't seem to happen on a sunny day?

 

[beesbepleased]

After reading "What did you do.........etc." for a while, thought it was time I contributed. Busy day today:-
Found eggs and larva in newly mated queen hive, she only emerged max. 15 days ago. Glad we looked as they had already started with some QCs.
Had to squish another newly mated queen as tlaying nothing but drones. First drone layer this year. United with strong nuc.
First wasp victim(?) in the wasp traps.
Made up nuc from our quietest (and favourite) colony, as we hope for more like mother like daughter.

 

[Ellem]

Inspected the hive with trepidation as hadn't seen any eggs or larvae last week. Found eggs in newly drawn comb Still anxious though as mainly 2 to a cell and on the junction of base and wall. Will have to wait to see how they are capped before I panic about laying workers!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Had a very pleasant open apiary session yesterday. Slightly dismayed to find that half of my grumpy colony appear to have swarmed - larvae on last inspection, nothing now. My fault for delaying nspection. Will wait and see if they can get another virgin mated, as looking for her is no fun.

 

[oliver90owner]

I like the extactor stand design - basically a separate support frame for the legs attachment - better than my Lega where the legs are bolted directly to the drum. Just a little worried about the speed control being on the drill - I like it more accessible for those times when imbalance is a problem (although there is always the socket switch as an alternative).

RAB

 

[tonybloke]

if you switch the drill on, lock ( using side button ) the trigger in the 'on' position, the variable speed dial will go from 0 revs to full speed.