What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Tim.S]

Took the last feeders off, put the cover sheets/crownboards and celotex and lids back on and shut up for the winter. All very busy today with loads of ivy pollen coming in. Nice to see and bodes well for next year. I still have a tower block of boxes indoors to spin out but lord knows when I will get around to it!

 

[dpearce4]

what temp does ivy stop producing nectar as the weather is set fair, if a little colder, for another week and I don't want to take off supers to soon.

 

[Itchy]

Checked 10 of my ? Something shanty town of hives.....most very busy.....still a lot of work to do.....

 

[nantmoel]

Removed the last of the honey crop for this year yesterday, and extracted it, I would think there was about 35lb we will know when we jar it. Vaporised 3 hives and 3 Nuc's another 3 to do today. Fed the 3 Nucs and one of the hive. Ivy has still not burst into flower here yet. I was in Cornwall this week and its in full bloom there, there is still loads of HB in flower and bees are working it well. Strange old year, our first back into beekeeping for over 20 years.

 

[BrianO]

Brought a colony to second apiary , set them beside colony will unite to, weahther great, high pressure ivy jusy opening Bees going ballistic, busiest can remember seeing them coming and going in a long time.

Here's for a good autumnal build up on the Ivy. weather for week to be good, dry and calm. ...... Happy days !!

 

[madasafish]

Still feeding one last colony : have to weigh it end of this week.

Then that's it till February.

Time to build some more langs and supers - inventory taken..

 

[Millet]

I don't understand why you would have dog food in your eyes Millet! As for filling the freezer with it.....I didn't know you were reduced to that ...perhaps we could have a whip round...fill your freezer with real meat!

I wont tell you what can fit through my mincer but here's a rough idea. i do around 130lb of mince per session.. and chicken is not on the menu.. lol

 

[Millet]

I thought i may have to write something half sensible now so here goes.. lol

Ivy not in flower here no wasp's or blue bottles anywhere like they normally are every year when it flower's.. the bee's however have found a pollen supply which i can only put down to a cover crop around the arable field's.

I fed 3litre's of syrup 4day's ago which had to be topped up yesterday with 3ltr.. i will not be near the hive now for around 10 day's but i can bet my bottom dollar they will need feeding again.. i keep saying this is the last feed but they keep taking it.. where they are taking it i will never know as this hive should weigh around 400lb by now.. lol .

I have been feeding them for the past month by the way..

 

[Tremyfro]

WOW.....how many dogs do you have?? Mine are on raw food but they are small dogs so a chicken thigh or a piece of rabbit fills them up....they don't seem to digest red meat so well.
Your chicken knows how to take risks! She is testing your affections!

 

[Obee1]

Had a quick peek into my bucky hive - queen has been busy. A few weeks ago there were no eggs or uncapped brood. Now there is one frame completely laid up and five others with a decent amount of brood. Eggs seen too. As the hive was vaped a few weeks ago these should be nice healthy winter bees. This is a large colony on double brood, which despite being on the HB is a bit light so I started feeding them. Finished making a hive bonnet from insulation - unfortunately it's only big enough to cover double brood box set up - and I have a rose hive on as an eke for the feeder. Never mind - popped it over anyway.
Back indoors I have three different buckets of honey - harvested during September - which need jarring. Hubby took some honey to work and they are all fighting over who gets to buy some! Going to keep the last 24 jars of my first crop for us and sell the later season crop which is darker and more caramel flavoured. Both are extremely good.
Need to make one more hive bonnet for my wooden hive in caerphilly.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Is that minced horse ....haha
Question.... When to put insulated cover on my national

 

[oliver90owner]

Question.... When to put insulated cover on my national

If this refers to insulation above the crownboard, then you might just as well have done it when you put it into service, as that was the best time.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Question.... When to put insulated cover on my national

When the outside temp is consistently below 35C.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Thanks
I've put foam insulation where my feeder was...I've made a box to go over the whole hive .....I've filled my poly nuc eke with foam too

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I'm not sure I fully understand but sounds good to me, esp the nuc; is it a Paynes poly? If wood, you could drop a derekm bonnet over the whole thing. If Paynes, the roof benefits from a bit of supplementation or you get more condensation than is comfortable.

 

[Millet]

This is a spare empty hive i have been using as a tester.. my occupied hive will look the same as soon as they stop taking syrup.. the inner roof has been insulated from day one but i thought it best to add a bit more as the coastal Northumberland winter's can be cruel.. the insulation consists of 50mm kingspan covered with a membrane that goes over swimming pool's to keep them warm it is also 100% water proof..

 

[user 6228]

what are you using to air seal the insulation in the roof to the insulation on the brood box?

 

[Millet]

what are you using to air seal the insulation in the roof to the insulation on the brood box?

Nothing it's a tight fit..but i could tape the seam up if you recommend..

 

[Hivemaker.]

Fun day, started by a visit to dentist at 8am to have a tooth root removed, pit stop,then out to feed a gallon of syrup to each of 65 colonies, pit stop, then out and feed 30 quad boxes a jar of fondant each, pit stop, and then back out to remove some honey supers on a few hives and check queens were in residence, one found with virgin, so new queen for them later...now, pit stop again.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Busy busy HM
I feel positively slothful to report that all I did was to take the feeders off and weigh the hives ready for winter. ivy is finally out and the bees are bringing in pollen. Won't for long though, as weather forecast is cold cold cold Brrrrrrrrrrr!!