What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Dishmop]

Spent ages getting smoker to get going..........much pumping after putting it down each time.........
Two hours later its sitting there giving off more smoke than when I was working it...

 

[Nige.Coll]

Splitting colonies. Seems they want to swarm now.
Need more hive stands the one I made this morning is now full.

 

[jonnybeegood]

My huge swarm went to two as was mentioned, the top one went into the top box, i went in the house for 10 minutes, the top box was empty. I think either they went back to the hive or joined the main cluster, its hard to tell as the main cluster is both sides of the fence. It went from my picture earlier to this.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Then this, a very large swarm all over the post & ground., now hopefully in the box, they were heading in when i left.

 

[B+.]

i have 5 hives each with one virgin queen either hatched or due to hatch,

I have 31 cells in my incubator due to hatch over the next 24 hours. 6 of them emerged into Nicot cages almost simoultaneously. I mark them with a numbered disk and put a little honey in the bottom of the cage for her to eat until I can introduce her to a nuc.

 

[madasafish]

First decent day with temps over 10C for first time in 10 days (and no rain).


My sole remaining full hive decided to swarm today at 10am. They settled in our raspberry patch. By 10.30am , I had a swarm box out and they were entering it.

By 3pm, they were all in so I decided to try to walk them into a hive - never done it before.

By 4.30pm,all had walked into hive - a most stress free exercise. I'll do that again.. so easy.

Inspected nuc: QC from Association apiary two weeks ago had hatched. Polished cells.


Removed all bar one QC from swarmed hive.. Collected five more stings as they became uppity as I was doing it - forced to wear put on gloves half way through...

 

[jonnybeegood]

The missis messaged me at work to say the bees have gone from the post & are in the box. I will walk them into a hive tomorrow, whats the best time to do this? Should i seal the cardboard box up tonight when i get in & try doing it early morning?

 

[sbisme]

Not exactly in the apiary but will end up there, I was in a meeting at work when someone came in to say there was a swarm of bees on a forklift truck, as you can imagine meeting ended and off to get my kit to collect my first swarm, happy days all in the box and will go back later to pick it up and take it to my quarantine apiary

 

[maddydog]

Returned to my botched AS. Single QC I left in each deep has emerged and the bees in both boxes were calm with pollen going in and brood cells polished so looking promising. While I was checking another colony there was a commotion outside the AS stack and a lot of fanning so every chance of a mating flight.

 

[Cellectronic]

Inspected a colony which was about to swarm, Carried out an AS.
Then left them to it.
Went for a walk and saw two young Owls cuddled up on a tree branch, photographed them. Then came across a clear puddle 75mm ish deep with some newts in photoed them too, What a fab afternoon.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Redwood and I met at the association apiary, quick check on some of the mating nucs we have on the go and inspection of two of the colonies, we then collected a swarm - clustered under one of the mating nucs!! not one of ours but now tucked into a six frame nuc awaiting proving beforre being passed on to a beginner.

 

[Cellectronic]

Spent ages getting smoker to get going..........much pumping after putting it down each time.........
Two hours later its sitting there giving off more smoke than when I was working it...

Mine did the same today, Problem was I was sat in traffic and realized I could not see the car behind.
Must have been the way the wind was blowing !!

 

[dpearce4]

Panic

running out of space for other peoples swarms. need another site or two

 

[Mrs Webmuppet]

I took of my first ever honey today, I have 14 frames to extract (a few off each hive). Just waiting for my extractor to arrive.

Along with my mentor we moved my hives to a better location with more room as things were a little cramped where they were. Only one hive was stroppy about the whole thing....the smallest hive of course.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Got in from work & the missis was right, prime swarm was in the cardboard box, i put card over the holes & taped it up, took it round to the apiary, quite heavy for just bees. I cot a 6" hole in one end of the box & taped some fine mesh over it for vfntilation so they dont overheat, i looked in with a torch to see them all plastered to one side of the box. Spare hive ready for tomorrow

 

[pargyle]

Fed my Nuc which has the swarm I collected on Saturday in it .. they had not taken much syrup down until today but had emptied the feeder overnight last night (it's only a nuc size feeder), I topped it up this morning and I've just been out and it was empty again so I topped it up again - there's just a half litre of the orginal 2 litres I set aside for them left now so they will be on their own after tomorrow. I'm hoping that it's a sign that they have been building comb so that the nice red queen who came with the swarm can start laying like the devils after her.

The new Paynes Poly Hive arrived this afternoon after I had left for work (Groan ....) I suspect I will get the third degree when I get up in the morning ... Huge box sat in the hallway - arrived a day early bless them !! I have a few hours to think of a defence ....It's her birthday in a couple of weeks .. a surprise present for her ???

 

[madasafish]

Fed my Nuc which has the swarm I collected on Saturday in it .. they had not taken much syrup down until today but had emptied the feeder overnight last night (it's only a nuc size feeder), I topped it up this morning and I've just been out and it was empty again so I topped it up again - there's just a half litre of the orginal 2 litres I set aside for them left now so they will be on their own after tomorrow. I'm hoping that it's a sign that they have been building comb so that the nice red queen who came with the swarm can start laying like the devils after her.

The new Paynes Poly Hive arrived this afternoon after I had left for work (Groan ....) I suspect I will get the third degree when I get up in the morning ... Huge box sat in the hallway - arrived a day early bless them !! I have a few hours to think of a defence ....It's her birthday in a couple of weeks .. a surprise present for her ???

Named for her, brass plate on hive, .. what's not to like?

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Fed my Nuc which has the swarm I collected on Saturday in it .. they had not taken much syrup down until today but had emptied the feeder overnight last night (it's only a nuc size feeder), I topped it up this morning and I've just been out and it was empty again so I topped it up again - there's just a half litre of the orginal 2 litres I set aside for them left now so they will be on their own after tomorrow. I'm hoping that it's a sign that they have been building comb so that the nice red queen who came with the swarm can start laying like the devils after her.

The new Paynes Poly Hive arrived this afternoon after I had left for work (Groan ....) I suspect I will get the third degree when I get up in the morning ... Huge box sat in the hallway - arrived a day early bless them !! I have a few hours to think of a defence ....It's her birthday in a couple of weeks .. a surprise present for her ???

Years ago I bought my wife a lady sized spade for her birthday. She must have been unimpressed as within a couple uf weeks she broke it Mind you the shop replaced it as it was supposed to be one of the strongest tools you could buy (Bob Todd used to advertise the make on TV for those who were around at the time)

 

[jonnybeegood]

Years ago I bought my wife a lady sized spade for her birthday. She must have been unimpressed as within a couple uf weeks she broke it Mind you the shop replaced it as it was supposed to be one of the strongest tools you could buy (Bob Todd used to advertise the make on TV for those who were around at the time)

You would be better replacing it with four candles

 

[jonnybeegood]

Nightmare morning, i tried to put my swarm into a new hive by throwing them onto a sheet up a ramp. I did this & sat down to watch, they crawled up on the front of the hive & about half the bees went in, great to watch, then they started coming out again & swarming on the front, Dammit! I was thinking of scooping them up & putting them inside when i spotted the virgin Queen on the front of the hive amongst 30,000 bees , she just appeared on the surface. I grabbed her, took her in doors & put her in a Q cage & blocked the end with a lump of hard fondant, i put the cage in the hive & now they are all going back in , phew! Now, do i put a Q X on the front to stop her getting out for a day in case they go again or leave it open?