What did you do in the Apiary today?

[psafloyd]

Spent half an hour watching the comings and goings. Got there before midday, apparently the high was 12 degrees C and it is quite blowy, but dry.

First saw about two dozen dead and dying bees on the ground under the hive. Undertakers were clearing the dead and saw half a dozen dragged and jettisoned several feet away.

Quite a lot of activity looked to my untrained eye like recce flights by young/younger bees, but there was considerable activity from some foragers, with several coming in with a small amount of a yellow pollen.

Not sure what it is, as they don't seem to be on the two trees next to the apiary full of catkins (I think it may be hazel) and there's nothing else close by I can see that might have pollen.

Good to see, though. It really was a hive of activity.

 

[bees knees]

Checked fondant on both hives and peered in through the glass crown boards to see what was going on. Despite the gale force wind blowing they were flying in and out of both hives. Couldn't see any pollen coming in. A few bees crawling around under the hives - ?dying ?sheltering from the wind.

 

[madasafish]

Wen to our local apiary. Laid 18 big paving flags on ground cleared three weeks ago. It was - to put it politely - raining heavily.
One hive entrance was blocked with dead bees so took out mouseguard and removed approx 500 dead bees. Live bees poured out.. One stung me..

Went home very wet and muddy..

 

[johnandyrob]

Went to put some fondant on all three hives two hive ok are the third are all dead gutted closed the entrance had a cup tea and sulked just **** my 4year old does when things dont go right for him. Andrew

 

[Skyhook]

Saw my bees flying for the first time for ages- any nice days have been when I'm at work. Definitely looked as though they were foraging, but couldn't see any pollen. Could they be finding nectar? Every time I've visited recently, it's smelled of thymol from the syrup, but today it smells of honey- either they're bringing in nectar, or (more likely) they've hit a patch of ivy stores.

Lovely to see them busy.

 

[Rosti]

... very little to do with bees ... it is winter after all.

Checked the entrances were clear (not entirely)
Checked for signs of woody attacks (no probs)
Checked for water leaks (no probs)
Checked the fondant put on at Xmas (still hardly touched - as it should be for established hives)

Too cold and wet for the bees to be out but a comforting hum on the stethascope from all 4. Check'em again in a month.

Watched the geese (100's) and swans (<100) feeding in the autumn sewn rape fields and hoped they'll leave enough for the girls come spring. They rose, circled and flew as I walked back, magnificent site.

Always something to see and appreciate at the apiary.

 

[drstitson]

ours are very active today - spent ages with them whilst doing some pruning.

bringing back lots of pollen - some bright yellow some colour of magnolia paint.

 

[tonybloke]

collected a load of second-hand (free) supers / roofs, got home to find all three colonies in back garden busy

 

[Moggs]

Building jumbo brood boxes today. Checked the apiary and barely a few bees venturing out in the windy conditions. Comforting buzz coming up the stethoscope tubes (beehives, not me). Checked fondant. Did an inventory on bee kit yesterday. Winter's a real drag!

 

[tonybloke]

collected a load of second-hand (free) supers / roofs, got home to find all three colonies in back garden busy

??

 

[freethorpe bees]

collected a load of second-hand (free) supers / roofs, got home to find all three colonies in back garden busy

'ere you - where'd you get them from you lucky b@gger!?

I watched my girls coming and going today. Some were bringing in pale yellow pollen.

By the way TB are you going to Easton Friday?

 

[tonybloke]

there's more if you want to go and collect, janet!

give me a call

 

[blackbrood]

checked fondant and watched entrance, a bit of activity and a bit of pollen coming in.

 

[tonybloke]

yes, will be at easton on Friday

 

[freethorpe bees]

See you there!

 

[Somerford]

Well, in spite of some rather gusty wind today, at 3pm all the hives at my main apiary were flying, albeit in fits and starts. We (myself and my boys) went up and sat for a while watching them before I got my veil on and went around to check on each one for fondant levels....and just as well I made up another 7 blocks yesterday as each hive was busily eating into the remains of what I had put on them about 3 weeks ago.

I have never before fed so much fondant as this year but I can only presume one thing - that the harsh Nov/Dec really punished them and that they chomped through more stores than ususal ? All seemed to still have sealed stores, from what I could see through the feed holes.

Interestingly, the only hive not flying was the beehaus- not alot happening at all although the colony is still there !

After re-siting a hive onto a new stand I left them thinking all is well and hope that the coming frosts don't affect them....roll on Spring !!

S

 

[Erichalfbee]

All was quiet this afternoon after gales and torrential rain and the sun saw some bees flying from my three hives. I put a kilo of fondant on two of them three weeks ago and there is still plenty left though they are chomping their way through. I put neopoll on the third hive two weeks ago and I realise that was probably a mistake but they have eaten their way through half of it.

There are masses of snowdrops and winter aconite nearby and all being missed in the rain

I checked the crocuses I planted near the apiary and there are plenty showing through. There are four or five large flowering plums in the field and the buds are plumping up nicely for the bullfinches.

 

[psafloyd]

there's more if you want to go and collect, janet!

give me a call

Really, Tony? Where from?

 

[tonybloke]

a retired beekeeper in Norfolk.

 

[psafloyd]

a retired beekeeper in Norfolk.

Is he selling off/giving away gear, then? I am due to be up that way soon to see the olds.