What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Fatbee]

They're on it around here - apiary stinking of hawthorn honey being ripened.

Is this the hawthorn year then? Since starting in 2012 don't recollect ever having seen hawthorn worked which is frustrating because it's always in so much abundance. However, OSR usually in the way (over now)so maybe this year....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I find most years they bring in hawthorn around here

 

[gregior]

Checked all mine today,2 of the 3 hives I was waiting for virgins to mate now have laying queens and i spotted the virgin running around in the other one.

As for my 3 queenright colonies a mixed bag really,

one is going great guns with 10 deep and 8 shallow frames full of bias and no signs of swarming-added a 3rd super to give them a bit more room (the other 2 are filling up nicely though)

My smallest colony has 5 deep and 4 shallow frames of bias and tons of room for the queen to lay but they have still decided to start swarm preparations.Destroyed all the cells this time round hoping they will give up on the idea,but if i find cells next time i will AS.

My strongest colony that i Demareed a couple of weeks ago has somehow become queenless I'm not sure what's gone on because she had been laying in the bottom box but when i looked today there were emergency qc's and no young brood .Left the best looking cell and will leave them to it.

Bees working the hawthorn which is past it's peak now and not much forage on the horizon for the next couple of weeks

It's been a great start to the season around here,i've managed to get loads of foundation drawn out and my colonies are averaging about 25lbs of honey in the supers and also have tons of pollen stored.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

For the first day in about 10 days, I've not been messing with bees! But I have been sorting paperwork for the various people who are looking after my hives whilst I go on holiday.

Fortunately, I have Kazmcc to look after my own hives. No anxieties there! [Except that given half a chance, she'd shift at least one of them to some secret location!]

However, a beek who's looking after another of my other apiaries, rang me up in a panic a couple of days ago. He'd only accidentally offed his favourite queen, by not noticing that she'd got to the top of the BB, and dropping the next frame four square on her.

Ah well. Forty years of NHS service taught me the value of having someone else to blame.


Dusty

 

[Tremyfro]

I'm a 1 Super Gal

At last...I now have 3 colonies that each have a super...Yay!
After a slow start and delays doing nosema treatments ....my bees have started to expand in earnest. Even the colony which was diagnosed with nosema have now got 71/2 frames of brood this week. The last few days have really helped as it has been warm and sunny.
My new carniolan queen isn't laying yet....well she was on a very dark comb today and I just couldn't see clearly enough. Perhaps there were eggs...we will see next week.
The langstroth colony is being a pain....queen cells led to a vertical swarm control. So now we have a double brood again! However...the old queen is laying well and the bees are building comb. Queen cells are charged...I have caged one which was sealed. I'm hoping to make a nuc. We shall see.
My hope is to combine the two brood boxes with one of the new queens. Old queenie can have a plush retirement in a nuc.
It's strange that one queen cell is so far advanced than the others...do you think it might have been a supersedure? The others appeared after the separation of the colony.

 

[Swarm]

Is this the hawthorn year then? Since starting in 2012 don't recollect ever having seen hawthorn worked which is frustrating because it's always in so much abundance. However, OSR usually in the way (over now)so maybe this year....

Like everything else, it depends where you are. 2014 was a very good year in these parts for Hawthorn.

 

[REDWOOD]

The only pollen I can see stored in the combs is hawthorn pollen, not much else here at the moment.

 

[Obee1]

Ive been super busy with preps for daughter's wedding and bees have been a little neglected. So with some trepidation I sneaked a peek yesterday. My fave colony of buckys in the garden - which I demaree'd then had to A/S seemed to be over their swarm fever - yesterday I found one QC near top of frame. I'm thinking supercedure as she's getting old the egg laying seems reduced lately. I popped queenie in a retirement nuc with one brood one food two combs and a slab of insulation. I think she is officially retired. New queens due to arrive any minute - so will put one in her old home. The q- part of her a/s is awaiting mating of the virgin. Also have two other nucs that house QC from this hive which await mating. My garden is awash with virgins and elderly queen. I do have one colony with a new Bucky queen that I put on 14/12. That's doing well.
At the farm apiary I checked the big colony destined to be made into nucs for my about to arrive any minute queens. All good - just wish I hadn't used most of my nucs for housing QC from my fave colony as will have to dummy down wooden BB for the new colonies I'm making for the queens. Two othe colonies over there doing fine. The OSR has finished so need to extract. Plan on Thursday for that. The other colonies there are my meanies that swarmed after I did an a/s. I made them hopelessly q- last week but don't want to risk expensive queens going directly into such nasty bees. I hope to use my home grown queens from the garden as soon as they mate.
So today I should be receiving queens and making up the receiving colonies but my newly married daughter is here for one last day prior to honeymoon. So I'm afraid I have to choose her over the bees! Tomorrow I will sort the queen installation.
Btw the wedding on Sunday was fantastic. Weather hot and sunny - and everything went to plan. . I am now a mother-in-law!

 

[Tremyfro]

WOW...Obee1 .....you survived....you have emerged....you are post marriage and mating....you are now the matriarch....you are the retired queen personified!
Welcome back to the real world.

 

[Brian Bush]

They're on it around here - apiary stinking of hawthorn honey being ripened.

I was told on a beekeeping course that the nectar flow for hawthorn only occurred at warm temperatures. The trees around here are also loaded with flower but temperatures this week and the dull overcast weather mean that the bees will not be flying or collecting. the forecast for the Celtic fringes is much better this week.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I was told on a beekeeping course that the nectar flow for hawthorn only occurred at warm temperatures. The trees around here are also loaded with flower but temperatures this week and the dull overcast weather mean that the bees will not be flying or collecting. the forecast for the Celtic fringes is much better this week.

it's been a scorcher here since Friday - a lot cooler here today though - is it a coincidence as SWMBO is back from her American 'road trip' ?

 

[Cussword]

is it a coincidence as SWMBO is back from her American 'road trip' ?

It depends, has she found out about all the new gear you bought while she was away?

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Can we have our East Coast weather back please

 

[Millet]

Can we have our East Coast weather back please

It is horrible here with a freezing easterly wind and rain, the worst thing about it is i have a virgin Queen running about somewhere that needs to be out flying.

 

[kazmcc]

Ah ha! The bees are mine at last! For a few weeks anyway. They were a bit pingy today, but just warning, they didn't attempt to sting. They were messed about a bit as we had a researcher with us, plus you can feel rain in the air. All ready for me beesitting now. I just hope they behave this time

Are you all ready for the inevitable panicky thread? Lol

 

[Cussword]

Finally found and marked a queen that superceded last year.

 

[Robbo8916]

Not been to my bees but might have just scored an out apiary on a farm in the middle of a nature reserve! Have yet to check it out but it sounds promising.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Checked my Ricky Wilson queen cage. Empty fingers crossed
Expected to AS my Buckie hive but all's well ........sort of. There are a few empty queen cups on the bottom bars of two frames in the first super. We'll see if bees move eggs then. Away for a few days so will look in again on Sunday

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

The angry mob

been to inspect a colony a couple of days ago and i'm just recovering after a sting on the eye brow ! a split in the veil, they were definitely the angry mob, a bit like the Peaky Blinders (BBC2) in a bad mood !

Dave

 

[kazmcc]

Not been to my bees but might have just scored an out apiary on a farm in the middle of a nature reserve! Have yet to check it out but it sounds promising.

Hope it turns out for you!