What did you do in the Apiary today?

[user 6228]

I learnt its rude to point at a bee.

a finger end moving quickly towards the hive ellicits athreat response or so it seems.

threats get stung

 

[drstitson]

"a finger end moving quickly towards the hive ellicits athreat response or so it seems."

like that highly technical scientific study where they pointed ping pong balls on sticks at hive entrances to assess aggressiveness.

 

[user 6228]

"a finger end moving quickly towards the hive ellicits athreat response or so it seems."

like that highly technical scientific study where they pointed ping pong balls on sticks at hive entrances to assess aggressiveness.

No in the highly scientific study were i got stung 3 times making the same mistake

 

[drstitson]

"No in the highly scientific study were i got stung 3 times making the same mistake"

even fruitflies learn faster than that!!!!!!!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Just spent a lovely 15 mins in the apiary. Absolutely teaming with bees, bumbles, hoverflies and butterflies.
The best bit - not a wasp in sight

 

[user 6228]

"No in the highly scientific study were i got stung 3 times making the same mistake"

even fruitflies learn faster than that!!!!!!!

But i'm not a fruit fly I'm just the note taker when swmbo is doing the inspections. I have now come to the conclusion its safer being the one holding the frame. rather than on e who is trying to point out things - bzz ouch!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I dream of such sylvan bliss. It would be nice to get into the apiary and NOT find queen cells or buzzing balls of bees in the bushes.
Next year

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I dream of such sylvan bliss. It would be nice to get into the apiary and NOT find queen cells or buzzing balls of bees in the bushes.
Next year

Today was the exception to the rule

 

[louiseww]

I've seen a guy throw three small colonies together on the premise that the total confusion works in favour of little if any fighting .
It worked out fine

VM

Thanks Victor, I wait with baited breath, but it seems from other comments that it wasn't such a daft thing to do after all.
Louise

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Been away for a couple of weeks. Left

• 1 stroppy hive with queen,
• 1 nice hive that had been without laying queen for a month+
• 1 nuc with newly introduced queen - but I've not had a good track record with these so far (0 out of 5).

Sneaked off early for inspection before the rain this afternoon not knowing if I'd find trace of 1, 2 or 3 queens

• Stroppy hive as nice as can be from simple observation and quick poke in the super (not brave enought to tackle the brood box with thunder in the air)
• Nice hive with now confirmed mated queen and a frame and a half of brood! and....
• Newly introduced queen in nuc laying like Paris Hilton on an hen weekend. They must breed them tough in Somerset

The bees have taken full advantage of my lack of meddling I'm pleased to say. Remebering why I enjoyed this so much now


Cant say the drones are doing as well, saw several being given the boot and evidence in front of stroppy hive of several ex bees

 

[Nic Rhodes]

had Queen hatch in my pocket!

 

[TOBY-3652]

Nothing been working treating wasp nests

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Put the nuc and hive from AS last month on new stand I'd made as they were sat on a couple of breeze blocks and an upturned plastic packing crate, built a plywood hive roof and gave my new nucs the first coat of ronseal - still wondering what's going on inside those two hives as well!
Then spent some time just watching the bees - still very busy and their flight path has now changed to head towards the river - Himalayan Balsam probably

 

[Mike a]

From bad to worse.

I decided as it was a nice day to drive out to one of my apiaries where I suspect one of the colonies had a 2011 DLQ. Anyway long story short I lifted off the supers and put them to one side when I suddenly felt a shape pain on my forehead in pretty much the same area as the last one even though the suit had been washed. I closed them up straight away and walked calmly back towards my car, on the way I met the land owner and explained I'd just been stung and I need to take a Pirton urgently in case I suffered another bad reaction like I did several weeks ago. By the time I got to the car which was only 50m away my vision had gone hazy, I felt sick, very hot and sweaty, my head felt like it was spinning and I found it difficult to hear the land owner.

Still struggling to find the Pirton packet I started to lose my sense of balance as if I was drunk. The land owner offered to call an ambulance but I said I would be ok after I took the tablet and sat down in the shade with a gentle breeze to help cool me down. An hour later I felt reasonably ok again and safe enough to drive the 5 miles home. When I got home I took off my t-shirt and took this picture.

That is two bad reactions in a row accept this time I've not been on any meds at all for over a month. One thought keeps going through my mind:

Is it time to give up bee keeping and sell off my hives and colonies that make it through to Spring next year?

 

[drstitson]

here we go again:

1. take antihistamine before inspection
2. see your GP asap (explain exactly what symptoms and show the picture) and ask for epipen prescription and urgent referral to immunology for desnesitisation therapy (>90% succesful).

 

[Mike a]

here we go again:

1. take antihistamine before inspection
2. see your GP asap (explain exactly what symptoms and show the picture) and ask for epipen prescription and urgent referral to immunology for desnesitisation therapy (>90% succesful).

Excellent advice Dr
1- Wife bashing my ear holes about this already
2- Already made an appointment for next week

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Nasty Mike.
Another suggestion - don't be too hasty in refusing an ambulance.
My wife has a serious peanut allergy and almost always under-estimates how ill she is when she accidentally eats some (thankfully only a few times in 15 years).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finished ronsealing my new nucs and roof.
Checked No1 hive - queen back in super after being put back in brood last week - i suspect now a damaged wire QE so down she goes again with a different excluder (Lucky I ordered a few more this morning from DW Evans)
Then opened brood box with most of last months split in seem busy, docile and leaving plenty of space in the middle of the hivw whilst stowing stores like hell - no sign of eggs (But then I still haven't managed to see any in any hive so that's no indication) or brood.
No3 - Queen emerged probably 11 days ago pupae and capped brood
Got stung on my left index finger - my trigger finger so no range tomorrow - where's the 'bugger' smilie admin?
So not a bad day in all

 

[drstitson]

checked all hives - all doing but not much in supers.

finished painting a MB national which i intend to rehouse a packed nuc in for the winter.

assembled a MM 2nd quality brood box that has been sitting around not needed since end of year sales. fine for the money and holds together well before fixing.

ronsealed a couple of new mesh floors.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Admired a couple of wonderful clearing boards. Moved a nuc into a not quite square 14x12. Fed it and another which were quite low on stores. Consolidated all unfinished shallows into the one active super in preparation for next week's harvest.