What did you do in the Apiary today?

[deanrpwaacs]

Cold day today . A few bees ventured out . I noticed a fair few of them on some old compost and they were having a good dig about . What is it they are collecting as it wasnt that wet so i thought it couldn not be moisture being drawn up .

 

[pargyle]

Cold day today . A few bees ventured out . I noticed a fair few of them on some old compost and they were having a good dig about . What is it they are collecting as it wasnt that wet so i thought it couldn not be moisture being drawn up

I don't know but two of mine were in a tub of compost next to the chicken run today as well, I was watching them and wondering exactly the same .. I don't think it's water as there were a few of them on the edges of my pond where they usually collect water ... minerals of some kind perhaps ? Who knows except the bees ... or one of our experts on here ?

 

[bpmurray]

The two poly hives had gotten through their fondant, and the wooden had about 100g left. So I gave all three a new 2.5kg block of fondant. One of the hives had build a good sized chunk of comb - I don't think this is an expression of lack of room, but perhaps someone could confirm?

 

[Somerford]

nice job. is the milk tanker for all the honey your going to produce there?

My only observation would be that at some point you'll be opening hives with an entrance to another hive behind you....in effect in their flight path. On a busy flying day you're asking for trouble...as the guard bees will get rather irate.

Kr

S

 

[Cussword]

As long as the bees are flying so that stragglers get back home.
Both were bone dry and fairly filthy in parts

Just removed the only shallow that I'd nadired, (it had a little honey so I a gave it to a weak hive before it over-wintered)and cleaned the floor. The queen is laying, I saw crumbled brood cappings.
The shallow looks clean, would it be OK to use as a super, or should I put in new foundation?

Oh and, first sting this year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just removed the only shallow that I'd nadired, (it had a little honey so I a gave it to a weak hive before it over-wintered)and cleaned the floor. The queen is laying, I saw crumbled brood cappings.
The shallow looks clean, would it be OK to use as a super, or should I put in new foundation?

Use it as a super - nothing at all wrong with it - switch mine back and forth quite a bit.

 

[Cussword]

Thanks JBM, will do.

 

[For want of a better word]

Took advantage of the cold dry weather to cut the grass around the Polly hive apiary....

found one very expensive & favorite hive tool I lost last season!

Only the TBN bees bothered to come and have a look... but when I threatened to put them in a Darlington they soon scuttled back home!!

Yeghes da

 

[gregior]

Changed the floors on mine today,all very busy and all still have plenty of weight to them.

 

[snelgrove]

removed the remains of fondant on a few colonies and put half gallon contact feeders on with thin syrup, they were taking it with gusto.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sunshine today but with a chilly wind. Four surviving colonies flying in willow and gorse pollen and surprise surprise the quarter seam of bees left on one frame in a poly nuc are bringing pollen in too....they sure don't want to give up, do they?

 

[Bee Bumble]

Only the TBN bees /QUOTE]

Top Bar Nasties?

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Made up 25 gallon of light syrup and fed the hives at home I will do the rest tomorrow evening but only the ones that are going to the osr the hives destined for a trip to beans should build up enough on their own. I noticed quite a difference between the polys and wooden hives as polys had used all the 4kg of fondant placed on them at the start of the year with the wooden ones still quite a bit left I can only surmise that the extra insulation of the poly has kept them a bit more active.

 

[nantmoel]

Made up 25 gallon of light syrup and fed the hives at home I will do the rest tomorrow evening but only the ones that are going to the osr the hives destined for a trip to beans should build up enough on their own. I noticed quite a difference between the polys and wooden hives as polys had used all the 4kg of fondant placed on them at the start of the year with the wooden ones still quite a bit left I can only surmise that the extra insulation of the poly has kept them a bit more active.

Brave man - I would have thought it far too early to feed syrup. Very heavy frosts in the morning here in the Valleys.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

maintenance day at the association apiary today - piled the truck with every tool I could think of including my trusty Husky in case Redwood's mate the tree surgeon couldn't make it, luckily he did as it was a lump of a tree about thirty feet high but is always in danger of falling on the hives.
Got there nice and early to shut up all the hives including the feral beekeeper's ones in Soweto one is in such a state thet the bees are using a few holes in a super as an entrance and trying to stuff it with foam was a bit of a task as the wood kept crumbling!! was very amused at his enterprising use of one of the holes as an extra fondant feeder (first photo)

Good day, fences temporarily fixed, old wire fences protecting the now laid (I did it last winter) hedge removed and a thorough tidy up and strimming conducted. good crowd attended - the oldest over eighty - well done Emlyn - showed the youngsters up. The chairman didn't make it as he was suffering from a bad bout of Italian flu!!
The second and third photos are of the training apiary with fences separating the equipment shed and 'public' area from the bees with an empty hard standing awaiting a fresh colony from my apiary in the foreground and the lower fence hiding Soweto and the nuc rearing area shown with stand ready in the last pic.

 

[Hedgerow Honey]

Its been over 10 degrees here every day for the last week and the hives need to be fed. Between a rock and a hard place really I think its to late for fondant and maybe a bit early for syrup so the rape hives have syrup and the rest have fondant. At a recent bfa meeting some were talking of feeding syrup before the end of march if the weather warmed up, time will tell which was the better option. I have not had a really heavy frost since January in our part of the world.

 

[Millet]

Sunshine today but with a chilly wind. Four surviving colonies flying in willow and gorse pollen and surprise surprise the quarter seam of bees left on one frame in a poly nuc are bringing pollen in too....they sure don't want to give up, do they?

Lets hope they end up being one of your strongest colonies come summer time.

 

[JWF]

When I got up this morning it was such a lovely day I briefly considered popping syrup on but didn't. Checked the fondant and found theyve finally starting munching through it and will need a top up (or syrup!) next weekend. All three hives flying really well and collecting water and loads of yellow pollen going in.

From the inspection board one looks like it could well have 4 seams of brood so looks like a strong start to the year.

Here's hoping Easter is a good one.

 

[dpearce4]

Put syrup on all hives.

100kg of sugar later. Back to lidl again.

 

[mbc]

Sunshine today but with a chilly wind. Four surviving colonies flying in willow and gorse pollen and surprise surprise the quarter seam of bees left on one frame in a poly nuc are bringing pollen in too....they sure don't want to give up, do they?

Poly nucs have been a real game changer where it comes to nursing **** colonies through a mild winter, I dont think I've lost a single colony barring those with failed queens.