What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

econd frame two

really odd day. Just had to feed one hive and put supers on 2 others.

This season is weird - just had the same kind of thing - one apiary piling it in and a mile or two upstream the bees have used up every scrap of ample stores they had
Opened up one hive yesterday (I had the feeling she wanted to swarm some time ago) first frame BIAS and plenty of eggs, phew
Second frame two sealed well developed QC's one which I damaged
Next three frames loads of sealed and opened QC's
And the middle frame? Queenie merrily wandering around happily laying.

 

[carrodale]

Robbing?

No a AS that is taking its time getting going

 

[gregior]

Had a quick look at my 4 today,all on national brood 1/2.Strongest has 8 frames bias,weakest 6.no signs of real swarming intent,but the strongest had los of polished play cups.They all look very healthy and the pollen was piling in,all are a bit light of stores and certainly no sign of any surplus honey ;-{
Don't think i've ever had all my hives superless so late on in the year and reckon it will be another couple of weeks yet before i'll be adding any.

 

[madasafish]

Inspected one TBH. Looks like AFB.
Rang bee inspector:-(

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Watched a mating flight , Spectacular.
Inspected 2 Apidea,s and all still alive . So pleased.

Quite envious. I have a few virgins waiting to get out and reckon today was probably the day but have been too busy to do much watching!

Found open brood from the new queen produced from my first AS of the season. So looks like she did manage to get out sometime in the last week or two! Hopefully it will be capped as worker brood at the next inspection.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This season is weird
Next three frames loads of sealed and opened QC's
And the middle frame? Queenie merrily wandering around happily laying.

What did you do JBM?
Nuc the queen?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This afternoon a cluster of bees gathered on the top front of hive 6 and another one in the old bonfire. I put the bonfire cluster into an empty brood box with floor and crownboard then went off to make up some frames. I only had 8 spare so I was going to put 4 in the box and the other 4 in another box for the other cluster then order more straight away in the hope the few frames would suffice for a couple of days.
By the time I got back the bees I had caught had up and gone but the cluster on the top of hive 6 were still hanging there. Not being entirely certain whether they were a swarm or just some (a lot?) of hive 6 residents I decided to box them a few feet from the hive on the premise if they were a swarm they could stay in their new home with 8 frames to play with but if they were from hive 6 they would go back home as evening approached.
We'll see what happens in the meantime I await delivery of some more frames.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What did you do JBM?
Nuc the queen?

In this case yes,it seems this year I'm mostly putting out fires - it's a weird season thus far - and they'll all have to fend for themselves until Monday as we're all off to London tomorrow to my brother's to celebrate SWMbo's and my little sister's 40th birthdays (not until July but we're getting it in early)

 

[Cellectronic]

Quite envious. I have a few virgins waiting to get out and reckon today was probably the day but have been too busy to do much watching!.

I cut my best sealed QC,s out after an AS left 1 good one in .
The saved QC,s I put in roller cages ,stuffed in a hive to incubate then putting them into Apideas once hatched. Its so amazing to see the new queens hatch and making new colonies with them, Just hope everything goes ok for the little darlings.

 

[Bosleeu]

Good weather, so went through all my hives. Not much honey coming in, but the first two 2015 queens started laying so that's good. One colony with an old 2013 queen making preparations to swarm so will do an AS first thing tomorrow.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

This afternoon a cluster of bees gathered on the top front of hive 6 and another one in the old bonfire. I put the bonfire cluster into an empty brood box with floor and crownboard then went off to make up some frames. I only had 8 spare so I was going to put 4 in the box and the other 4 in another box for the other cluster then order more straight away in the hope the few frames would suffice for a couple of days.
By the time I got back the bees I had caught had up and gone but the cluster on the top of hive 6 were still hanging there. Not being entirely certain whether they were a swarm or just some (a lot?) of hive 6 residents I decided to box them a few feet from the hive on the premise if they were a swarm they could stay in their new home with 8 frames to play with but if they were from hive 6 they would go back home as evening approached.
We'll see what happens in the meantime I await delivery of some more frames.

Well today the cluster I scraped off hive 6 were still in residence in the hive I put them in. (I'll call that hive 7). There was a lot of orientation flying in front of it so it does seem to have been a swarm that landed on top of no 6. I also noted hive 6 as busy as ever plus a number of dead bees were on the floor in front of it. Possibly the residents of 6 had taken exception to the new arrivals on their roof yesterday? I'm not going to disturb no 7 for a few days to allow settling in then make a proper assessment.

 

[snelgrove]

went through a dozen hives, took a couple of nucs off. building out foundation and storing. getting better. actually putt a queen excluder on. I only super with foundation as per oliver field book

 

[einsteinagogo]

went down this evening, to screw numbers onto the hive, I had 3D printed.

Lots of active bees, despite weather cloudy, windy, but temperature at 17 degrees C, and all hives were very busy.

As the bees are flying well, decided to wear full suit and veil, lit smoker on standby.

three colonies really passive, no issues, no smoke required, lots of bees behind me whilst I got in the way of the entrance, hive no.6 and no.5, had to use a little smoke at the entrance at the guard bees, as they were getting rather unhappy, and then one single bee was determine to have a closer look, I walked off, and then it started pinging my veil before disappearing...

lots of bee stuff arriving today, four parcels, two from thornes, lug savers, two super frames broke on last inspection (first time ever!).

my refractometer arrived from China, along with bluetooth device (nothing to do with bees, but though I'd mention it!), and also my Beecraft Record Cards!

(madasafish has reported he has received his Apidea QX, which was 3D Printed)

Off to York & District Beekeepers Association Annual Auction tomorrow.

 

[beehive1234]

cut and put together a 14x12 brood box and floor, with removable centre board that tuns it into a 6 frame and 5 frame nucs.

 

[Cussword]

With the help of Stanley (knife) & a small file, I now have a QE on my Maisemore nuc. Also cut up some thin perspex to use as a see through cover board on same.

 

[Tremyfro]

I spent ages cutting up the clear plastic for cover boards for my Maisemoor nucs...only to realise that I can't use them until the feeders come off. I do find it a bit upsetting when putting the lid back on...to hear the crunch of bees getting squashed! I wonder why they didn't leave any top bee space?

 

[pargyle]

I spent ages cutting up the clear plastic for cover boards for my Maisemoor nucs...only to realise that I can't use them until the feeders come off. I do find it a bit upsetting when putting the lid back on...to hear the crunch of bees getting squashed! I wonder why they didn't leave any top bee space?

You should not be squashing bees .. slide the CB on from the side at an angle and gently twist it into position to give them time to get out of the way.

 

[madasafish]

Bee Inspector visited Friday after my phone call Thursday regarding AFB. (Large outbreak locally last years due to abandonned colonies- now destroyed - described as "near neighbours")

Spent Friday afternoon going through all Hives..

Killed with petrol last night bees in 4xTBHs and 1 x Lang.

Under quarantine - standstill order etc as usual.

Not particularly happy today.

Some kind friends in N Staffs have already offered me two replacement colonies when all clear given.. very generous..

 

[Helen]

Took the lid of one of my hives to check bees, and found they had moved from the brood box into the roof, had chewed up the polystyrene insulation, and started building comb.

Dumped them in front of the hive, and then spend time just sitting and watching them march back into the proper bit.

 

[Tremyfro]

You should not be squashing bees .. slide the CB on from the side at an angle and gently twist it into position to give them time to get out of the way.

It is totally impossible to do this when using the feeder. You can't slide it on.....There is a lip and this allows the bees to stay on top of the frames......even wriggling very gently...some still get crushed! I really don't like this design. I thought that using a thin, clear plastic CB...I would be able to clear them and then put the feeder on but forgot they then wouldn't be able to get into the feeder! Fortunately...there is a flow starting...so no more feeding. When I remove the feeders....I can then use the clear CB.
I am going to have a look at them and see if a top bee space can be created.
A thin shim around the edge might work. It would lift the feeder a bit.