What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Tim.S]

Swarm issued from one of my hives this morning - thankfully my wife was home and saw them. I may need a trip to specsavers as I only inspected them on Saturday!
They settled 3 feet up the trunk of a tree, so a nice easy job to get them all marching into a hive. Easiest swarm I have ever caught!

 

[taurus]

I went to trim our laurel hedge this morning which is a job I hate doing. I found the hedge covered with bees feeding from the underside of the young leaves so I've left them to get on with it.

Sadly this means no hedge trimming today! How sad.

 

[pargyle]

I went to trim our laurel hedge this morning which is a job I hate doing. I found the hedge covered with bees feeding from the underside of the young leaves so I've left them to get on with it.

Sadly this means no hedge trimming today! How sad.

Honeydew ?

 

[pargyle]

Wel.. not quite in the apiary... spent the day with the Association at Open Farm Sunday at a local farm ... talking about bees, observation hive, selling honey and rolling candles ... lots of fun. Weather was glorious.

Came home about 4pm to find a huge swarm (not mine as far as I can see so far) in next doors garden ... about 12' up a walnut tree ... only about 10 feet away from where a swarm arrived last year about the same time from recollecion - not checked my records yet. They were too high for my tall steps and the branch was too thin to support a ladder. So .. large cardboard box on the top of the steps, firmly tied on, and I gave the branch a good shake with my long handled tree pruner ... about 2/3 of the swarm came down ... sods law ... most of them missed the box !! Bees EVERYWHERE ..

Got what I could into a spare hive into which I had put a queen attractant and some lemon grass oil on a bit of tissue and some old comb ..

By now half the swarm were back in the tree ... tried again shaking them into the carboard box on top of the steps .. another disaster ... half of what was left in the tree missed the box and the rest went back to the branch ...

Anyway, after two or three attempts - including one as it was getting dark - I've got about 90% of the swarm either in the hive or (at the moment) sitting on the front or roof of the hive ... the rest are in a small cluster in the tree. What I don't know is whether I've got the queen in the hive and the remains of the swarm are just clustered around her pheremones or whether she's still on the branch. I've left them to it now ... they are either going to end up in the hive or they will be back on the branch. If it's the latter my neighbour says I can lop the branch off with the bees on it ... more fun !!

Got stung about 4 times - through the gloves and through the suit so not too bad - considering what I inflicted on them not too bad ... so, tomorrow I may be a 7 hive owner - 'er indoors not too impressed though !! I'm not supposed to have any more bees in the garden ...

They are nice looking bees though ... mind you - I have no spare brood frames made up - will have to be up early tomorrow !!

UPDATE ...

Most of the swarm are now in a 14 x 12 .. there were still some in the tree this morning so I cut the branch off that there were swarming on and put it on top of the hive. There are a lot (I mean A LOT) of bees ... huge prime swarm by the looks of it .. at midnight they were still all over the front of the hive as well as about a quarter of them in the tree and a good 75% were inside the hive.

I've left them to it again for the time being - I'm working late tonight so it will be midnight before I can do anything about moving them ... as they were all over the front of the hive last night I'm a bit concerned about whether they will go in tonight so that I can seal them up ? Obviously I can try smoke but has anyone got any better ideas ... as it's my neighbour's front garden I don't want to leave any stragglers ...

I checked all my hives today ... no signs of any opened queen cells - indeed, apart from a couple of play cups and one sealed but empty (very small) queen type cell there was nothing to worry about .. loads of bees and BIAS ... so .. looks like I'm up to 7 hives ... SWMBO not pleased ... She doesn't really share my joy at the prospect of more bees !!

 

[foghornleghorn]

I just scoop them off the side and throw them back in when that happens

 

[Erichalfbee]

Honeydew ?

Laurel has extra-floral nectaries on the leaves

 

[La Chassagne]

I observed somewhat of a bee battled at one of my hives...

 

[Robbo8916]

Nothing as it is too darn hot to venture anywhere. However received a message in response to my advert on Preloved looking for land for hives. Not an offer of land but an offer of bees! Awaiting a phone call to see what they meant...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked a few of the home hives before the thunder starts - one is a Demarree from a fortnight ago, up until now no QC's, wasn't first priority as it's swarming avoidance and she's only last year's queen, found one this time which I automatically pulled down before realising I had meant to make one nuc up if possible as she's a real goer just to rub my nose in it, checked the bottom Q+ box - I took two frames of brood out last week and transferred to top box, this week she was on eight frames of brood down there. What's the betting they won't make any more QC's?

 

[Cussword]

Honeydew ?

I'm probably talking out of my rear but doesn't Laurel/Bay have Extra Floral Nectaries?

Bugger, went straight from reading Pargyle's post.

Sorry Erica

 

[Robbo8916]

Laurel has extra-floral nectaries on the leaves

I'm probably talking out of my rear but doesn't Laurel/Bay have Extra Floral Nectaries?

Bugger, went straight from reading Pargyle's post.

Sorry Erica

Haha was just going to post this as you edited it,

 

[taurus]

The whole Laurel bush is literally buzzing with bees - they are loving it

 

[snelgrove]

Huge swarm emerged from one of my hives and settled about 30 feet up a tree, no way I could get them. It's got to come back because she's clipped. Virgins due to emerge in the hive but couldn't see any emerged.
2 hours later there still in tree, I have lost it I thought. Half an hour later there heading back to the hive. Big sigh of relief

 

[Cussword]

It's been too hot!! So I went down into my nice cool cellar and made up some shallow frames. Stayed down longer than I needed to, all my home-made wine is down there.


.

 

[wessexmario]

... I've left them to it again for the time being - I'm working late tonight so it will be midnight before I can do anything about moving them ... as they were all over the front of the hive last night I'm a bit concerned about whether they will go in tonight so that I can seal them up ? Obviously I can try smoke but has anyone got any better ideas ... as it's my neighbour's front garden I don't want to leave any stragglers ...

if you have a water mist spray I'd try that, they're more likely to go inside if they think it's about to rain / raining than if they smell smoke.

 

[pargyle]

if you have a water mist spray I'd try that, they're more likely to go inside if they think it's about to rain / raining than if they smell smoke.

Spot on ... there were a couple of dozen mooning about on the landing board ... crept up from behind and started to just mist very slightly from above - worked a treat ... the bees fairly quickly went back inside. I've sealed the entrance with aluminium tape ... there's a mesh floor in the hive so plenty of ventilation. It was a bit dodgy trying to relocate them tonight so I'll be up at the crack of sparrows kneecaps in the morning to move them into my garden ...

Think I've just about won with this lot .... if my antics of getting them off the branch had been filmed by now it would be viral on the internet ....

 

[Obee1]

Spot on ... there were a couple of dozen mooning about on the landing board ... crept up from behind and started to just mist very slightly from above - worked a treat ... the bees fairly quickly went back inside. I've sealed the entrance with aluminium tape ... there's a mesh floor in the hive so plenty of ventilation. It was a bit dodgy trying to relocate them tonight so I'll be up at the crack of sparrows kneecaps in the morning to move them into my garden ...

Think I've just about won with this lot .... if my antics of getting them off the branch had been filmed by now it would be viral on the internet ....

Well done. The misting them with water trick was taught to me by the bee inspector. Very handy when they just won't go to bed! If only kids were so easily packed off to their rooms. As for your morning start at the crack of sparrow's kneecaps - I was up at 5.30 this morning and can see all four hives in my garden were already fairly busy flying. It was 17C and looking like an overcast day.

As for my bees - nantmoel visited my farm site last night to remove his bees - and tells me a wally a/s I did on Thursday using a large 8 frame nuc for the one brood frame plus flyers has bees bearding outside the box when all others there are in bed. I need to get over there this morning, check for QC and give them a bigger box.
At home all hives are ok. Apart from one nuc I made with a QC from petes queen. Two days ago I looked in and the new queen has made a right mess of egg laying. Many cells were triple laid - but all the eggs are at the base. I was hoping that adding a drawn frame to give more laying room would sort it - she has laid in the new comb already (so she did need space) but there are still some extra eggs in cells. I think it's getting better......will look again in a day or two.

Oh and I almost forgot. - took 40 lbs of OSR honey from my farm site. I had four hives there but one swarmed away and anotherone I did an a/s. - it tastes rather good and doesn't look like it will set rock hard. The OSR was a distance away...

 

[wessexmario]

Spot on ... there were a couple of dozen mooning about on the landing board ... crept up from behind and started to just mist very slightly from above - worked a treat ... the bees fairly quickly went back inside. I've sealed the entrance with aluminium tape ... there's a mesh floor in the hive so plenty of ventilation. It was a bit dodgy trying to relocate them tonight so I'll be up at the crack of sparrows kneecaps in the morning to move them into my garden ...

Think I've just about won with this lot .... if my antics of getting them off the branch had been filmed by now it would be viral on the internet ....

I use a water mist spray far more often than a smoker now. Many reasons...
- it works
- it seems to stress the bees far less (rain is 'annoying but normal', smoke is 'abnormal and a signal of danger')
- delicate honey flavours taste far better unsmoked, the minimal water mist makes no difference to uncapped nectar or honey. (it's mostly applied high to either clear the top bars or to calm down bees flying above the open hive so little gets on the comb faces).
- it's convenient, just a few seconds to fill the bottle, you don't need to phaff with fuel/lighters, and it will never "go out" just when you need it most. (usually just when closing up)
- a water spray is much safer, you can't accidentally burn anything with it. (self, kit bag, car, surrounding vegetation,...)
- if they're pinging me, a water spray over my veil is refreshing, a eye or lung full of smoke isn't.

 

[B+.]

It's been too hot!! So I went down into my nice cool cellar ... Stayed down longer than I needed to, all my home-made wine is down there.
.

I'm jealous

 

[B+.]

The misting them with water trick ... Very handy when they just won't go to bed! If only kids were so easily packed off to their rooms. .

I recommend it as a way of getting teenage boys to get OUT of bed in the mornings!