What did you do in the Apiary today?

[malx]

After 3 weeks offshore I was keen to get in and have a look. 3 colonies, all seem well with varying amounts of activity. Re queened colony are hanging on but the two new ones are doing very well.

One of the supers was full and capped so i suspected it would be solid OSR but it extracted perfectly. 19.6lbs of honey, my first ever honey haul

Hopefully there will be more to come.

 

[einsteinagogo]

I'll 2nd the theory that they may leave before a QC is capped if you just remove QC's!
I had it happen a few years ago, didn't have the necessary equipment with me and by the time I got back to that apiary only a couple of days later they had swarmed!

+1

and it's swarming weather today in Yorkshire, caught two this lunch time!

 

[YorkshireBees]

+1

and it's swarming weather today in Yorkshire, caught two this lunch time!

I really don't need / want any more but have sent a fellow beek to one I received a call about this morning.

Still 99.99% of calls are bumblebees!

 

[itma]

That's interesting because in Guide to Bees & Honey by Ted Hooper he says that it is possible that if you remove the queen cells they will not swarm. He goes on to talk about checking if the queen is still laying fresh eggs (which mine was) as an indicator of whether this will work. My initial plan was to wait 5 days or so then check again and do an artificial swarm if there were new queen cells, however since a number of people have said that is a bad idea I think I'll go with that rather then the book.

There is a massive difference between 'possible' and 'likely'.
The most likely response to knocking down QCs is building a second lot in a hurry and buzzing off - quite possibly before any are actually capped.


IF the reason for going into swarm mode was a shortage of drawn comb in the brood box, then knocking down QCs combined with providing a couple of frames of empty *drawn* comb in the brood box, MIGHT (sometimes) change their mind.

However, if you regard multiple charged (wet) QCs as being THE signal for immediately performing an AS of some sort, then you are on a safe road.

 

[Falesh]

There is a massive difference between 'possible' and 'likely'.
The most likely response to knocking down QCs is building a second lot in a hurry and buzzing off - quite possibly before any are actually capped.


IF the reason for going into swarm mode was a shortage of drawn comb in the brood box, then knocking down QCs combined with providing a couple of frames of empty *drawn* comb in the brood box, MIGHT (sometimes) change their mind.

However, if you regard multiple charged (wet) QCs as being THE signal for immediately performing an AS of some sort, then you are on a safe road.

I worded that badly. Here is the bit:

As soon as a larva is seen in a [queen] cell, shake the bees from the combs and search for and destroy all queen cells. .... [After all cells are removed] the hive [is] closed down until next inspection. When next examination of the colonies is made, some will have given up making queen cells ... Others will have made queen cells again and in these colonies careful note is taken of the amount of egg laying the queen is doing. If she is laying well, with hardly any reduction in her rate of re-laying empty cells in the brood area, then [the queen cells are removed again] ... If [the queen] is cutting down her rate of laying eggs [then action needs to be taken]

I'm going to do the AS asap, since I would rather trust a general consensus then a single book, but it's been a bit of a surprise.

 

[Glenviewbee]

Very pleased to find that 2 of my colonies now have laying queens after a hiatus while waiting for VQ's to emerge, mate and get laying. Still in the firts rounds of brood so still a bit of baited breath to see if the laying pattern is good with worker brood.
Still waiting on confirmation of 1 other VQ's status - and think I might have to combine the colony that is still showing Q-, though still quite happy and piling in the stores to the supers.
All in all fingers crossed we might actually get to extract our first honey this year

 

[Erichalfbee]

As'd the last of the hives. Having tried Modified Snelgroves the last two big Buckie colonies have been Pagdened. I need the new comb as some of the frames are really dodgy.
One of my colonies that has had to be split twice is not doing well at all. Q+ box has twice made QCs even though she is laying...they obviously don't like her so have given her the chop and let them raise another....maybe. I might yet unite the aging bees.

 

[Goran]

Still very active on lime tree and white clover.. Seems will go over 2t of honey.. But worries me since we have one of not too warm summers ( something we had before when weather was predictable), it can hit me with one more extraction of summer meadow.. Will see..
Price of honey at large is decreasing.. And vultures are circling around.. Imagine, for extra honeydew honey they offer 3,7euros at large.. Ripoff..
So, not exalted of having nice stock of honey..

 

[einsteinagogo]

Bees 1 Me 0

This is the first time ever, I've captured a swarm from a hedge, dropped into swarm box, closed up, bees quite happily fanning at the entrance, after about 1 hour, no flyers around, all in the box. Decided to leave until night fall when all the scouts have returned, to hive .....(as I've always done!)

Returned at 9pm, closed the entrance, picked up the box, I thought it was very light....opened the box...

not a single bee!

GONE!

Found a better home!

One less swarm to hive!!!

 

[wessexmario]

Decided to leave until night fall when all the scouts have returned, to hive .....(as I've always done!)

that's the rub, some of those scouts had better ideas...

 

[einsteinagogo]

that's the rub, some of those scouts had better ideas...

well, on the bright side, less to manage, less frames, brood boxes, wax etc

I can get back to better management of my colonies!

 

[Falesh]

After receiving good advice that the colony that produced the swarm cells, queen cells that have eggs + royal jelly/larvae in them, could swarm at any moment we rushed to perform an artificial swarm to head that off. Hopefully that will stop their swarming impulse and get them back on track fetching our honey!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JlmTaB7auE4

 

[Erichalfbee]

Searched various ASs for missed and newly created QCs.
I found twoQCs with one queen.....ooooooops! good job I looked.

After receiving good advice that the colony that produced the swarm cells, queen cells that have eggs + royal jelly/larvae in them, could swarm at any moment we rushed to perform an artificial swarm to head that off. Hopefully that will stop their swarming impulse and get them back on track fetching our honey!

And did you find more QCs?

 

[Obee1]

Checked four hives plus nuc yesterday. Took me over 2 hours! Think maybe I'm too slow! All doing well but newly donated queen in nuc not laying yet. All other hives laying like mad. Every time I open up my hive of hivemakers buckys I fall a little bit more I love with Pete his bees are so lovely.

My caught Swarm stopped comb building now and busy brood rearing. Going to move them and Meangreens daughter's hive to my other house tomorrow. Our garden is so full of bees here OH can't get out there to potter without a bee suit on.

 

[maddydog]

Not seen this before: watched a marked queen nibbling determinedly at a capped quenn cell this morning. Just gutted I didn't have my phone with me. Workers were idly standing by neither helping or hindering. Only QC in the hive bar a queen cup with an egg in it but no jelly.

Also combined a q- colony with a q+ using lots of smoke and lemongrass oil in water

 

[kazmcc]

As Dusty was away, he entrusted his bees to me for a couple of weeks. I took this opportunity to introduce Rob, my partner, to bee keeping. My intention was to show him my master bee keeping skills, on these usually beautifully behaved bees. Well, that didn't go to plan.

From the moment I lifted the roof, I knew it wasn't going to be a good inspection. I carried on regardless, and they made their feelings very plain. Bouncing off my head and attacking my hands in a way I have never seen them behave before. They were furious! I carried on through Hive 1, saw what I needed to see and quickly put them to bed. I decided to have a cup of tea before attempting hive 2, give them chance to settle down. It didn't work. I managed half way through hive 2 before I had enough and packed them up. I suspect it might have been the weather that upset them, and maybe the time of year, I don't know if urban areas suffer a dearth in forage. It was meant to be 12oC but it felt much colder, and there was a storm brewing, it was spitting on my way there and soon after we left it poured down, but we had to inspect at that time as his son was only available to let me in then.

Yesterday, I went again. This time they were beautifully behaved as usual, but school had a teacher training day so I had to leave early and only managed to get through hive 2. I have everything crossed that they don't swarm in the next few days, due to my master bee keeping skills and failing to spot something that required action.

I am available in case anyone else has other commitments, or is going on holiday. I won't cock it up, at all! I promise

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well blooming well done that girl!!!
Anybody remember this lovely young lady's first posts?

I am available in case anyone else has other commitments, or is going on holiday. I won't cock it up, at all! I promise

You can come here to stay in our little welsh cottage to look after the bees while husband and I spirit ourselves away for his 60th next May if you like

 

[Helen]

Checked the hive I combined nearly 2 weeks ago. Last week, the (2015) queen was fine. Today, no sign and 4 capped queen cells. Damn. I don't think they swarmed ... loads of bees and anyway, my neighbour has been working in his garden all week and not seen anything. So maybe they just didn’t like her.

Removed 3 QCs and put them into a poultry incubator. First time I’ve tried this.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well blooming well done that girl!!!
Anybody remember this lovely young lady's first posts?

I do - I remember the time when she wouldn't have the courage to talk about the bees let alone wae in to a feisty colony and carry on inspecting (got a couple of right nutters down here if you want to hone your skills any further )

Well, it was Maisemore's apiaries today so yesterday evening (after the rain stopped) I transferred a young colony into a poly nuc destined for one of our beginners tomorrow as I was unsure of the weather this evening. found and marked the queen for him (lovely big fat dark Brynmair beauty - rather sorry I'm letting her go now!)
Today got to Maisie's bright and early five minutes before the start time to see the ruck had started and people already leaving!! spent quite a while stacking up my pile outside the tent before paying and trucking - luckily bumped into two of our beginners who helped guard my stash in exchange for advice on what they needed - they were overwhelmed by the melee and agreed this was no place for a beginner to 'shop around' nevertheless they were both excited at the thought of setting up their new hives and getting bees (one's fast approaching eighty and one left it behind a few years ago!!)
After paying for the sale stuff I then had to brave the crowd in the shop - whiled away the time in the queue chatting to Moggs - a fellow forumite who was behind me in the queue had overheard my conversation with one of ChrisB's mentees who happened to be in front of me and by chance leqrn I was one of the 'Bromsgrove three' from a few years back!
Back home now all my stuff sneaked....err I mean stowed away in the chamber of secrets and all the member's orders sorted out ready for tomorrow's handover.
Can't believe that after the journey back I'm a bit sick of the smell of cedar

 

[kazmcc]

Ahh thank you! I was feeling so bad about not doing a thorough job. He trusted me with those bees, to make sure all was well while he was away, and I felt I had let him down somewhat. I suppose I have come a long way though, haven't I?