What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Mrs Shoot]

Bought a poly nuc home a week ago as it was suffering from wasp attack. Was the only hive that didn't seem bothered about defending the entrance (entrances reduced on all hives). Wonder if it is down to the fact they could were queen less or had a new queen not yet laying. Gave them a test frame, if QC's drawn they will get united (after removal of QC's) with another small colony. Having the hive at home meant I could close their door at night and open in the morning reducing the time wasps could get in. I could also pop out at random intervals and take my frustrations (caused by difficult customers) out on any lurking wasps. Have noticed over the last couple of days a lot more activity and defending the entrance happening. Looked in today, no QC's drawn, but a frame and a half of eggs. . This might account for their change. Now awaiting my order of wasps traps to arrive .

 

[Hivemaker.]

Looked in today, no QC's drawn, but a frame and a half of eggs.

Did you see a queen?

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Did you see a queen?

No, but a lovely brood pattern, single eggs right in the middle of the cells. Polished cells everywhere. Didn't want to have the hive open to long.

 

[Hivemaker.]

No, but a lovely brood pattern, single eggs right in the middle of the cells. Polished cells everywhere. Didn't want to have the hive open to long.

I do hope they have a queen, but laying workers can also have a nice looking pattern of eggs, bang in the bottom/center of cells as well.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

I do hope they have a queen, but laying workers can also have a nice looking pattern of eggs, bang in the bottom/center of cells as well.

If it is nice tomorrow I may have another look (any excuse to get away from my desk lol), or keep my fingers crossed until they are capped.

 

[Erichalfbee]

just need to make sure people using homemade traps don't make that mistake

Absolutely!

 

[hedgehog66]

Extracted 75lbs of honey from 2 hives
Much darker than last years batch and a much different taste
Very yummy all the same
Just finished cleaning up, now sat in bed having a well deserved rest and cuppa.....

 

[nantmoel]

Reduced the entrance to a hive I have in the garden when I saw a few wasps trying to get in.

 

[Goran]

Checking new queens, some failed and some nice young promising Carnie queens..
Second batch of new qcells soon..
Honey selling goes disappointing as somehow I expected, now more administration I have to complete to can sell it.. You have extra product and cannot sell it properly, someone in between must make bigger profit than you..
At least will be pretty many colonies to sell in spring with nice queens - cash and carry.

 

[B+.]

Checking new queens, some failed and some nice young promising Carnie queens..

Me too. I had one that I left for 2 months (I was feeling generous and didn't need the nuc or I'd have squished her long ago). She eventually became a drone layer :-(

 

[Tremyfro]

A little break in the weather so took the chance to look at some of the colonies.
I have a colony which kept making a few queen cells each week. I had taken one queen cell and put it in a nuc...the queen duly emerged and is now laying well...just hived them today. The original colony continued to make queen cells...so I removed the queen....which was still laying...to a nuc. She is still laying so all seems well. The Virgin queen in the original colony must only just have emerged as there was a perfect round of wax hanging from the queen cell! I didn't see her though. Closed up quickly ...will take a look in due course.
Since I started feeding last week all the colonies seemed to have perked up. I added more syrup to 3 hives.
One of the nucs I made earlier this year was so quiet today. Lots of bees just sitting and festooning on the frames. I went through the hive...no smoke...when I blew on the frame to look for eggs...they moved slowly aside. Weird. I saw the queen....there were over 4 frames(14x12) full of sealed and open brood. Eggs and plenty of them....the day was sunny and warm. Some nectar or syrup in the frames.....I filled the feeder.

 

[MuswellMetro]

got called out late yesterday to an abandoned hive on an allotment but fortunately i found out the name of the beekeeper who owned it. So could get permission to deal with it as i wished as he did not want them at all

The boxes were home made ply and weighed a ton and had de-laminated so all went on the bonfire together with a lot of Greater Wax Moth in four supers of comb

I transferred the bees into a 6 frame 14x12 Nuc, and when i told him his hive had bees in it the ex beekeeper denied all knowledge of saying it "but it has been sealed up for three years"

so early this morning in a light rain storm i transfer then to a field in Hertfordshire and fed them 3 pints of Ambrosia....then thought WHY do i want more bees that's three nucs i have acquired in four weeks

 

[Mrs Shoot]

If it is nice tomorrow I may have another look (any excuse to get away from my desk lol), or keep my fingers crossed until they are capped.

Nice weather so had a look, found a lovely new queen. Took a picture will try and attach.

 

[Goran]

Me too. I had one that I left for 2 months (I was feeling generous and didn't need the nuc or I'd have squished her long ago). She eventually became a drone layer :-(

I have one virgin which has visible damaged wing unfortunatelly. Will remove her these days (depending on my job, will I catch the time for all I have to do). Also again we have temps near 40celsius, so couple hours in a suit with temps of 30 celsius in a shade.. Also bees are grumpy these days..

 

[44Whitehall]

The weaker of two hives from a recent split has been drawing too much unwanted attention from Ms Vespa (and with a newly introduced queen it's still rather quiet) so I put a WaspBane trap into the apiary to help keep things in order. Hoping for sunshine on the hives at the weekend and happily laying queens, ready for their first pre-winter feed.

 

[BeeJayBee]

Also again we have temps near 40celsius, so couple hours in a suit with temps of 30 celsius in a shade..

Wow, that's challenging, but I do wish temperatures here were half that. Properly warm days have been so rare this year.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Took a call from local lady in the village offering an apiary site . Large gardens with meadow and adjoining fields . Went to look at it and it is perfect . I can do what i need to do with no problems . Plenty af forage and Lime trees . Plan on moving there next spring .

 

[B+.]

Went to look at it and it is perfect . I can do what i need to do with no problems . Plenty af forage and Lime trees

Good apiary sites are hard to find. Lucky you!

 

[bontbee]

the slaughter has just begun...

watched the balsam coming in and the boys being dragged out...

 

[gregior]

Fantastic weather here today! Watched the bees out foraging,they were working the bramble,clover and willowherb well,surprisingly they weren't interested in the balsam that is well in flower now,but the biggest pull for them was the thistle,they were all over it! (it's not the big type of thistle,it's a smaller type with many more flower heads). Another 2 weeks of this weather pleaseeeee!