What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

A few of us have noticed a shortened "16 days"

 

[pargyle]

What a day! I had 3 hives to check to remove all Q cells except one in each hive, 6 days ago there were no sealed Q cells so i thought as its nice today i will check them a day early instead of wait 7 days. They clearly hadnt read the books! I thought if Q cells were uncapped when you leave them you have at least 7 days until they hatch?
Two of my hives had freshly hatched Queens & in one of those there were 3 cells together, one had hatched & gone, the other two cells were hatching together, i was gutted, as i videod one hatching in my hand & running up my arm & its come out blurred :-(
Now its the waiting game for them all.

So ... watch out for castes then ??? Mine seem to be 2 days quicker than the books say as well. Catches you out if you are not expecting it !

 

[Goran]

Finally finished extraction of black locust honey. This year quantity and quality real real good..
All in pain, heavy supers, these days I climbed into bed on four wheels..
Ton of BL honey - to be in tone

 

[Swarm]

Stunning. Well done Goran, the aches will soon disappear

 

[Glenviewbee]

Finally finished extraction of black locust honey. This year quantity and quality real real good..

For the uninformed - what is Black Locust honey? Good for you Goran

 

[jonnybeegood]

So ... watch out for castes then ??? Mine seem to be 2 days quicker than the books say as well. Catches you out if you are not expecting it !

Shouldnt get any casts, none have swarmed, all original queens were removed, so now there are just one virgin queen in each, no Q cells & only capped brood, hopefully wont need to worry about swarming now for a good while

 

[Goran]

For the uninformed - what is Black Locust honey? Good for you Goran

Robinia pseudoacacia ( latin), main forage at my place. Most wanted in trading ( Germans buy it at large). It is light honey, I preffer stronger honey ( taste and scent) as our spring honey with large qty of various pollen inside.
I believe our black locust they use as mix with other honeys to get bigger qty of some "claimed to be" honey..

Wild blackberries started to flower more intensive, awaiting for lime/linden tree forage. Have to start placing pollen traps for us, propolis nets, have to do some immediate splits, about qrearing I try not to think of.. And at my work crowded also.. In the move all the time.. Madness..

 

[jonnybeegood]

Jarred 60 jars of honey this evening
These are pics of the 3 queen cells that hatchedtogether & one of the queens that hatched in my hand.

 

[jonnybeegood]

jarred 60 jars of honey this evening
these are pics of the 3 queen cells that hatchedtogether & one of the queens that hatched in my hand.
View attachment 11856

 

[deanrpwaacs]

As a newby . I waited for a call from my keeper friend . The weather today has been crap so the call never came . Hope to shift a full colony to my waiting hive once we confirm a laying virgin queen is at home and settled .

 

[jonnybeegood]

Dam why is it so difficult to put pictures on here? This is the Q cells i tried to put on with the pic of the virgin Q that hatched from one.

 

[Cb50]

Extracted my first honey, I suspect you all remember the first crop......very happy.... Esp the kids and family that have all been waiting for some.....

 

[oliver90owner]

once we confirm a laying virgin queen-

I certainly that is NOT the case!! ALL laying virgins (queens or workers) will be drone layers!

 

[jonnybeegood]

Extracted my first honey, I suspect you all remember the first crop......very happy.... Esp the kids and family that have all been waiting for some.....

I share your joy, did my first yesterday

 

[pargyle]

As a newby . I waited for a call from my keeper friend . The weather today has been crap so the call never came . Hope to shift a full colony to my waiting hive once we confirm a laying virgin queen is at home and settled .

You don't want one of these - we usually call them Drone Laying Queens !! Hopefully by the time you get her she will have been mated .. the weather is improving towards the end of the week so you should have a better opportunity to get your colony.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Sorry . I meant . Once we confirm the hatched queen has been mated and is laying . ( i see what you are saying , no longer a virgin ).

 

[pargyle]

Sorry . I meant . Once we confirm the hatched queen has been mated and is laying . ( i see what you are saying , no longer a virgin ).

Yeh ... it's like learning a new language isn't it ... and queens emerge .. eggs hatch !

The fun starts when you get your own colony in your own hive.... all the things you thought you knew just pale into insignificance against the things you now need to know.

Let us know how you get one ... hiving a new colony is very exciting .. take some photos to remind you of the experience.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Ok . Thanks . I will put the shovel down now before i get any deeper . I will try to record what goes on . Cheers .

 

[lilybetbee]

Tired of grass and plants growing up through my hive floors so put down membrane and flags to stand them on. Some were already on flags, so needed shuffling so the flags could be re-aligned.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Robinia pseudoacacia ( latin), main forage at my place.

False Acacia. Thank you; did not realise it was good forage. There is at least one very near my bees.