What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Ely]

About a week and a half ago I gave my bees raw sugar to see what they did with it. I presumed that they would eat it and possibly store it. To encourage them to take up the sugar, I added 200 ml of honey to every 1.5 kg of sugar. It looked very encouraging when I opened up two of the hives today -- it looked like they were busy eating the sugar:

In the first hive, the sygar is underneath the plastic, and in the second hive, the sugar is on top of the plastic. The second hive had just as much sugar as the first hive (about 1.5 kg of it).

However, then I checked the bottom board, and found it full of sugar, and it struck me that the sugar in the bottom board is pure white, and that only white sugar is left on the plastic of the second hive:

The buggers aren't eating the sugar. They're just sucking out the honey and dumping the sugar crystals.

This is why we add water to it to make syrup. For the bees to feed on the sugar the bees would require a lot of water to dilute it. No point giving it without water.

 

[Brian Bush]

I showed the newbee I am mentoring how to trickle OA. Her bees were not tightly clustered but were well behaved enough a to trickle with no issues.
I then decided to do the two large WBC hives, national 14X12 brood boxes and 2/3 supers at home.
What a shock. One of the hives I had brought in from an out apiary in late September because I felt it was not doing well and I did not want to combine it. There must be 5 times the number of bees there was in September. All I have done since bringing it home is feed a few gallons of syrup in October.
There were bees everywhere, it looked like high summer in the hive. I also somehow managed to get stung at the top of the inner thigh, OUCH!!!
I opened the other hive, this time expecting a large number of bees. Brood box and three supers all teeming with bees. Gave them a lump of fondant, rebuilt the hive and beat a hasty retreat.
I have never known hives with as many bees in at this time of year. I was nor brave enough to look for brood but assume there must be plenty.
I am now fretting over when I can trickle the OA in the hives. I am hoping for cold weather next month. It is difficult to use vapour in WBC type hives.
The winter aconites are in full bloom and the bees are bringing pollen by the 'basket' load.
SWMBO has just pointed out that I will need to split these hives early in the season. I quote, 'you are not letting them swarm around all summer!!!'
What can she mean?????

 

[oliver90owner]

SWMBO has just pointed out that I will need to split these hives early in the season.

Pointless! Until the 'season' comes around, you will not know the strength of the colonies, nor the likely mating opportunities. Pointless making forecasts and then finding they were rubbish and unattainable.

Working out a few possible strategies of avoiding swarms - you might increase the crop, avoid the inconvenience and retain fewer (but better) colonies - would be a better use of your time. Crystal balls are notoriously inaccurate. 'Many a slip twixt cup and lip' and all that....

 

[Finman]

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Colonies have much more better build up when they are big. One box colony has 4 times bigger build up than 5 frame colony.

 

[Finman]

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Medicine to swarming colonies: Get such queens which do not swarm like grazy.

If you keep your hives so weak, that they do not swarm, they do not bring honey either.
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[nantmoel]

Visited an out apiary as it was not peeing down with rain!! Put fondant on the hive there, so popped out to say hello - the bees in this hive are bonkers! I'm going to make Nucs with it come the spring. I don't do nasty bees.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Visited an out apiary as it was not peeing down with rain!! Put fondant on the hive there, so popped out to say hello - the bees in this hive are bonkers! I'm going to make Nucs with it come the spring. I don't do nasty bees.

The middle of the winter is not the best time to judge the temperament of a colony

 

[drex]

Painted all my BB's with old Cuprinol clear. Even those with bees in. Have done it a few times before with no harm to the bees. None flying today.

 

[bpmurray]

Just ad a quick look at the bees - still flying and bringing in that bright yellow/orange pollen, presumably ivy. I suspect they have enough stored enough ivy to last until next December.

 

[Tremyfro]

After putting the hens away for the night...I wandered through the Bee Yard. All quiet as it is nearly dark here. Hefted 5 of the hives......pleased with the weights. Lifted the roof of the lightest one...there was still a fair piece of fondant. I will look at the 2 hives in Pond Apiary if the weather stays dry tomorrow...just to heft as I am fairly certain they will have plenty of stores still.
So now it is back to Christmas prep.
Angels on Horseback...tick
Mince pie filling.....tick
Parsnips coated with Parmesan and flour....tick
Duck stock....tick
Salmon...de boned and salted.
And on...and on...
Must remember to get the smoker out tomorrow.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

watched the bees flying - from the apiary gate!! yup, I can see them now!!!!!! tidied up no1 bee shed and found something which I have been looking for since the spring (funny what a functioning eye can achieve ) bottled up another load of honey - inundated with Christmas orders this year.

 

[pargyle]

watched the bees flying - from the apiary gate!! yup, I can see them now!!!!!!

Wow ... Best Christmas present you will get this year I reckon !

 

[Finman]

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We think in Finland that Christmas is a jubileum of shildren. But it is a happening of retireds. Sometimes learning new.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

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We think in Finland that Christmas is a jubileum of shildren.

Only if you're a Godless heathen who'se totally forgotten the real reason for Christmas (Clue is in the name)!

 

[Finman]

Only if you're a Godless heathen who'se totally forgotten the real reason for Christmas (Clue is in the name)!

Do you know that Christmas was old jubileum of Romans in the middle if Winter. They gove christmas presents to each other before no one knew about Jesus. They brought green branches to indoors and decorated rooms.

Clue is googling.

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

 

[Finman]

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Christmas history of Celts

Search for the roots of today's Christmas traditions and you will find your way back to the ancient Celtic festival of Alban Arthuan, held during the Winter Solstice on December 21. One of the principle reasons for the rapid propagation of Christianity throughout Europe during the first millennium was the willingness of Christian leaders to incorporate the rituals, beliefs and customs of other religions. Few of the ancient displaced religions were more assimilated than the Druids, Wiccans and Pagans.

Alban Arthuan is one of the ancient Druidic fire festivals. Taking place on December 21st through 22nd (due to the method the Druids used to measure one day), Alban Arthuan coincides with the Winter Solstice. Translated, it means "The Light of Arthur," in reference to the Arthurian legend that states King Arthur was born on the Winter Solstice.

Alban Arthuan is also known as Yule, derived from the Anglo-Saxon "Yula," or "Wheel of the Year" and marked the celebration of both the shortest day of the year and the re-birth of the sun.

Clue: "Welsh people could be most ancient in UK, DNA suggests."

PS: date is same as in pagan jubileum in Scandinavia.


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[Erichalfbee]

Weighed the hives.3 Buckies are a good weight.
The 2 swarms of local bees are chomping through their stores and brooding still. Be just my luck if they are somebody's Carnies

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Do you know that Christmas was old jubileum of Romans in the middle if Winter. They gove christmas presents to each other before no one knew about Jesus. They brought green branches to indoors and decorated rooms.

Clue is googling.

http://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

regardless of what it was then, I know what we are celebrating now.
Christmas is also a time of indulging in turkeys and fruitcakes - that's why I'm replying to your post

 

[stevebrowning]

Fed 70ish Mini-Hives for a fellow forum user

 

[Finman]

r

Free hint: show more your brains than your teeth.
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