What did you do in the Apiary today?

[nantmoel]

Whilst sat in the lounge having a cup of tea a huge swarm appeared over the roof of the house in front, I rushed out and followed them! They ignored my bait hives and took up residence in a really old hive of a beekeeper next door, the hive is falling apart - grrrrrrr. So in between the showers I inspected my bees knowing that they had not come from us, but wanted to check! Well they were definitely not from our hives. I did tell the beekeeper that they had gone into one of his hives.

A little later just having finished dinner I had a phone call from another beekeepers son, telling me that he had a swarm that I could have, happy days. So Poly Nuc and my swarm catcher in the car and off I go, when I arrived there were in fact two swarms, one still in a tree and the other in a cardboard box. I collected the one in the tree and left them to march in whilst I returned home for another Poly Nuc. He then told me that his father had an accident last Sunday and smashed all his pelvis. I offered to help them out with their six hives until he was mobile enough to look after them himself.

 

[Goran]

And it's a "pseudoacacia", not a real acacia. From what I've read and observations in France, it looks as if it falls into the same category as Himalayan Balsam: good for bees/honey but actually something of an invasive menace. I'd be interested in your comments Goran

This was on the Canal du Midi 10 days ago, where it is colonising open spaces left by the loss of the planes:

If you have some part of property where is in danger of landslides, it is advised to plant black locust. It is relative fast growing, it can be used as firewood, it can be used for piers, but for us beekeepers it is honey grail. From a 1ha of its forest bees estimated can harvest 1000kg of honey in decent season. I believe the most of honey sold from eastern Europe to west ( I believe to UK also) is black locust honey. All the prices here are spining around black locust and its price define prices for other honey. Black locust honey is light honey and advised for kids and people with sensitive digestion. Also black locust honey is said good for overwintering as prevention for nosema..
It is really OK, you can eat a lot of it, but for me it is "empty". I preffer spring honey, honeydew but these are strong honey varieties with own character.

Maybe is invasive, but benefits are much much bigger than bad sides, at least for my opinion. If you go on large scale to exterminate black locust from Europe.. You would have chaos on market of true honey in Europe, as I believe..

 

[Itchy]

Have you got a picture of black locust Goran?

 

[Goran]

Have you got a picture of black locust Goran?

Today's pic.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Anybody else think the Hawthorn blossom is exceptionally lush this year ??

 

[philipm]

I've also noticed that the Hawthorn isn't coming into bloom all at once some of the trees with us are way behind the ones that are now in flower.

 

[Tremyfro]

Whilst sat in the lounge having a cup of tea a huge swarm appeared over the roof of the house in front, I rushed out and followed them! They ignored my bait hives and took up residence in a really old hive of a beekeeper next door, the hive is falling apart - grrrrrrr. So in between the showers I inspected my bees knowing that they had not come from us, but wanted to check! Well they were definitely not from our hives. I did tell the beekeeper that they had gone into one of his hives.

A little later just having finished dinner I had a phone call from another beekeepers son, telling me that he had a swarm that I could have, happy days. So Poly Nuc and my swarm catcher in the car and off I go, when I arrived there were in fact two swarms, one still in a tree and the other in a cardboard box. I collected the one in the tree and left them to march in whilst I returned home for another Poly Nuc. He then told me that his father had an accident last Sunday and smashed all his pelvis. I offered to help them out with their six hives until he was mobile enough to look after them himself.

Wow...you did have a busy day! Lucky for you...and lucky the poor injured beekeeper gets some help too.

 

[tonyofarr]

I agree about the hawthorn, it is absolutely full of flower heads and is only just staring to come out here. The bees did not work the hawthorn last year because of the weather, I am hoping this year will be different.

 

[Firefly]

Thanks Goran. I found this about Black Locust, which seems to sum things up well: "Black locust (robinia pseudoacacia) is a tree that is both hated and loved. On one side of the fence you will find people who say that black locust is a horrible invasive species. On the other side of the fence, folks will say black locust is a miracle tree with endless uses and ecological services. In the middle of the fence, you will find black locust itself, as a post holding up the fence."

 

[nantmoel]

Checked the two hives this morning that are on the OSR, they were overwintered Nucs, moved them there mainly to 'build' them up. Well they have now expanded and have almost filled the 14x12 BB. They were supered just over a week ago, one was fine and starting to fill the super and no QC's, the other are not in the super but have decided to build around 6 QC's. I decided to do an AS on them. Found the queen (who is still laying well)! Popped her on the frame she was on into a Nuc and filled with new frames (wax foundation) and moved the other BB a few feet away. Hopefully this will work - We got some queens coming next week so we'll use the brood as splits.

 

[BMH]

thought I'd share a frame of brood with you.

this is from the colony where i forgot about the varroa insert and left it in all winter.

started very slowly and had a high varroa count. treated with OA about 2 months back and is coming on lovely now. only 6 frames of brood but they are good quality frames!

[/url]2016-05-23_03-58-28 by laurence edwards, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[victor meldrew]

I agree about the hawthorn, it is absolutely full of flower heads and is only just staring to come out here. The bees did not work the hawthorn last year because of the weather, I am hoping this year will be different.

Hawthorn is in full flower here!
As regards bee forage it's very hit and miss. More miss than hit !
A good year is rarer than hens teeth !


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[snelgrove]

thought I'd share a frame of brood with you.

this is from the colony where i forgot about the varroa insert and left it in all winter.

started very slowly and had a high varroa count. treated with OA about 2 months back and is coming on lovely now. only 6 frames of brood but they are good quality frames!

[/url]2016-05-23_03-58-28 by laurence edwards, on Flickr[/IMG]

Fantastic brood pattern

 

[Obee1]

I visited farm apiary. Queen that got mated from my apidea at home - I put in the q- part of a/s. Used a travelling cage with candy plug on Friday - she has already been released and started laying.

Other hives all ok. No QC - the nasties that swarmed despite doing an a/s I took down all QC a while ago - I gave a frame of eggs I will squish the QC and then give them one of the queens I have coming soon.

Back at the home apiary the QCs I took from my fave hive - one was in apidea. She has just started laying her first few eggs. As this is just an experiment - I'm buying in queens - I decided to promote them from apidea to a three frame nuc. Drawn combs (2) with a little nectar in and a frame of food. Marked queenie and popped her in with the same bees from apidea. Filled rest of nuc with large slab of insulation. No idea if they can grow from such tiny beginnings. - I will watch - may add more bees - or about to emerge brood - or may just use queenie on the nasty hive mentioned above. Decisions decisions!
My demaree turned a/s with QE over entrance is doing ok. QE came off after a few days and they haven't swarmed or built new QC. The q- part of the a/s has had the one QC I left torn down. I assume queenie came out and awaits mating.
I also have a nuc with a QC from the same a/s. That has energed too. So a garden full of virgins
Lots of honey in the supers. Woo hoo!

 

[Swarm]

I had plans but all ruined, got caught in a traffic jam on the way home. Maybe better luck tomorrow.

 

[meath]

visit to the apiary, for nothing more than a look, found my bee shed had been broken into over the weekend. Had visions of all my spare equipment and wood tools been gone, the only thing they took was my archery bow and the quiver with arrows. scum bags...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked over a few demarrees to see how the queens were getting along - one from last week has already filled five of the drawn combs in the new brood box. Marked and Demarreed another queen from last year.
Checked and confirmed first virgin of this year mated and laying - all worker brood and going like a train.

 

[madasafish]

Inspected all hives this pm. All OK. One - prime swarm of 9th May - has drawn 8 Lang jumbo frames, filled all with BIAS and I have just added a super with foundation for them to draw.

 

[Tom Jay]

Saw a fresh laid egg in a well developed play cup. Will do artificial swarm for them tomorrow or Wednesday as I am away for a long weekend.

 

[Robbo8916]

thought I'd share a frame of brood with you.

this is from the colony where i forgot about the varroa insert and left it in all winter.

started very slowly and had a high varroa count. treated with OA about 2 months back and is coming on lovely now. only 6 frames of brood but they are good quality frames!

[/url]2016-05-23_03-58-28 by laurence edwards, on Flickr[/IMG]

Wow! Awesome photo!