What did you do in the Apiary today?

[meath]

moved by big hive to its permanent hive, a long hive. 5 brood frames, 5 stores and I added 3 more starter strips, with a dummy board to finish.

First time to use a long hive, so it will all be a new experiance.

The second hive is still in its nuc, have grown massive over the past week, one more week of the weather and the rape seed just coming to flower should see them needing to be moved to a full commercial. as the second long hive is not yet finished.

 

[Cussword]

My intension was to open up yesterday as it was around 65f with lots of activity but I was in too much grief so I had to call it of, last night I went for a listen and the air con was definitely turned right up so I will attempt it today if the pain stays away.

I must have missed something, what's up?

 

[chrisb]

I must have missed something, what's up?

he had an accident and hurt his arm / hand so opening hives at moment a nightmare, wish was closer to help !

 

[Goran]

It ounded like a swarm, but it was just the bees working a couple of sycamore at the front of the house. They were across the road too, again on sycamores. Does that give nectar or only pollen?

Nectar and pollen..

Today we extracted spring honey from one apiary site, beautifull livelly scent and awesome taste. But this year different than from last and I believe that sycamore has one of the "main roles" in this honey.
And now for such honey maximum what you get at large here is 2,5euro/kg.. Of course I don't sell it at large..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What a difference a tree makes.

glorious day here so, after polling my vote popped up to carreg for a quick (!) check of the bees. the few hundred feet higher makes a big diference - most nowhere near ready for a super, but the strongest ones (one a hive moved up from Brynmair last month) are going great.
I thought there was no hurry to check the Garn Cottage hives,even though they're lower down they don't get going until the apple blossom is well underway but as it was such a nice day and only a short detour past the golf club I popped down there. Mrs T said the bees had been very busy - I don't usually open up there in the afternoon as it gets very shaded and the bees don't like it but I cut down one of the plum trees that was shading the hives last month (it was dying) and what a difference it's made - all hives bursting for a second super and bees going like the clappers Happy days!!

 

[theeggman]

Collected a swarm in our apiary this pm, from our hives.

Haven't inspected yet, was waiting for a date for cardiac investigation (got one at last after a 10 week wait) and need to work up the energy to stand for more than about 10 mins.

Trolley with enough supers to give each 2 by the hives once we go in, in case it's a long while before the next inspections.

Old age doesn't come alone does it.

 

[wessexmario]

I've just been leaning on the apiary gate watching them really busy flying.
The weather forecast is good so I'm getting everything together to do my first inspections tomorrow.

 

[masterBK]

Clipped 30 queens for a member of my association. Working as a team he found them & I clipped them. All done in 90 minutes.

 

[Grub]

1st Prime swarm of 2016 in a bait hive, half in half out since the queen decided to sit under the floor , but all in inside now.

 

[denise washington]

done all my nucs got them into brood boxes and put my omf back on, done my first inspection and every thing looks ok

 

[deanrpwaacs]

1st swarm for me today from a prolific hive at work . Knocked into a 14 x 12 nuc settled nicely . Checked the farm apiary and need to deal with these tomoz as they are bursting and have heavy supers not far of being capped .

 

[Beeline]

My wife rang me yesterday afternoon to say my bees had swarmed into a nearby yew tree 7m off the ground. I expected them to have left by the time I got home last night but they were still there and buzzing my bait hives. Taking no chances I was determined to get them into a hive rather than let them decide if my bait boxes were good enough for them. Luckily the tree was next to my garage so I could place the ladder on the roof.
Upon cutting the branch the swarm disintegrated so I had to wait on the ladder, holding the branch (as per photo), to allow them to re-group on the branch. Damn tiring holding it for 10mins.

 

[Erichalfbee]

1st swarm for me today from a prolific hive at work . Knocked into a 14 x 12 nuc settled nicely . Checked the farm apiary and need to deal with these tomoz as they are bursting and have heavy supers not far of being capped .

A very valiant effort there. Well done

 

[Obee1]

My wife rang me yesterday afternoon to say my bees had swarmed into a nearby yew tree 7m off the ground. I expected them to have left by the time I got home last night but they were still there and buzzing my bait hives. Taking no chances I was determined to get them into a hive rather than let them decide if my bait boxes were good enough for them. Luckily the tree was next to my garage so I could place the ladder on the roof.
Upon cutting the branch the swarm disintegrated so I had to wait on the ladder, holding the branch (as per photo), to allow them to re-group on the branch. Damn tiring holding it for 10mins.

Omg are you mad. There's nothing stopping that ladder from slipping. You must be mightily fond of your bees. I would have waved bye bye.
Well done for getting them though.

 

[Obee1]

Visited farm apiary to do a snelgrove 2 on my colony that has started swarm threats. There are swarm cells not yet sealed and 12 frames of brood. Moved parent box to new spot. Then checked my meanies. They are on 11 frames of brood and had a charged queen cell. Snelgrove 2 on them - parent box on a new spot. So 4 colonies now on 6 spots. A fellow beek has brought his bees over for an OSR fest so that's 8 colonies in all.
Back at home my demaree is going great guns. My nuc I made up for a bought in Bucky queen has outgrown its 6 frame box so moved it into an 8 frame nuc and added two foundations. My apideas are now both outdoors. One was a virgin I found in a superceding hive and one was a queencell from my demaree.

Suddenly that mountain of bee kit I splashed out on last year - that I thought would last me all my beekeeping days - is pracically all used up. Drawn comb becoming a rare commodity.
And it's 22 days till my daughter's wedding. I need to make up the wedding favour honeypots.

 

[gregior]

Checked the Q+ portion of an AS i did 3 days ago as one i did a couple of weeks ago the Queen went awol,and yup you guessed it flippin queenless again! Destroyed the emergency cells and added one of the 2 cells i'd left in the Q- part of the AS.

In both these cases the bees were on the brink of swarming as the queens were slimmed right down so i'm guessing even doing an AS on them didn't remove the swarming urge. I think from now on i'll cage the queen for a couple of days after AS'ing them.

Feeling like a bit of a lame beekeeper at the moment.

 

[snelgrove]

Checked a dozen or so hives to see how well they have done with this week's fine weather. Supers filling nicely, it's amazing how well they can do after just a few days of good weather. Forcast crap 2 morro tho, jealous of you guys further south

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Omg are you mad. There's nothing stopping that ladder from slipping. You must be mightily fond of your bees. I would have waved bye bye.
Well done for getting them though.

I can hear my fathers voice now as I picked fruit from a ladder - "keep hold of the ladder - it cant fall through the tree as the branches get thicker in the middle" He was right and I'm still climbing ladders.

 

[Goran]

Some extraction, some rain, some splitting..

 

[JWF]

Bait hive out on the shed roof, with quite a bit of interest yesterday. Wonder if it is from a swarm I lost on Thursday - principally due to my own stupidity!