What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So much for emergency queens never coming to anything!

It's only the forum idiot s that maintains that. It all depends on the raw material - as you have found.
One wheeze it to go in four days after the frame is introduced and removing any cells already capped - that puts paid to the ones built on older larvae.
Wally Shaw makes increase by walk away splits he doesn't reduce the EQC's but lets the bees sort it out themselves - well they have been doing it longer than us!

 

[malx]

Quick check today revealed the angry hive i thought were going to swarm have decided to take down all queen cells. Went through twice and could find none.

My split colonies appear to be doing well, Once is full of sealed brood and really small larvae. Hopefully when the draw out the new foundation i'll see the eggs.

The other is full of bees and had one emerged queen cell.

 

[Brigsy]

Interesting re the emergency cells. Thanks.

 

[JWF]

All my new queens are now laying well with the exception of one, who I suspect was out and about in today's sun looking for a bit of loving.

I marked one of the new queens, a big fat lovely looking thing, and as i took off the crown of thorns the frame tipped and she ended up on the side of the smoker! Quickly shook her into the hive but hope that bit of excitement didn't do any harm, otherwise I'll feel like a right berk!

 

[nantmoel]

I removed a frame I placed in with the breeder queen on Thursday, it was laid wall to wall with eggs. I placed this in a Q- hive for them to raise some queens. Hopefully the will raise a few before I attempt the art of grafting. Only wish there was someone close to me to give me a lesson! I have watched so many video's on it I think I could do it in my sleep! lol

 

[meath]

checked on two hives I requeened (mated) on Thursday, TBH found the queen straight away, running around a frame, so happy out with that one, check next week and she should be laying.

Hive two a commercial single brood, couldnt find the queen, and didnt push it as the rain started, but heard a queen piping, hoping its just the new queen introducing herself and not the battle cry of her and another queen, but the chances of there been another queen in there would be unreal, it has been hopelessly queenless for two week, and the queen cell that was left by me two weeks ago was a dud which I removed and opened to find a dead larve early stage.

 

[B+.]

Continued the pin-killed brood assay http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3739

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

1) Thanked my stars I took no spring honey

2) A hive that has been giving me no end of trouble seems to have swarmed the Q that they were trying to supersede. Too bad but she was a 2016 EQ that I raised and merged to them in a nuc (see above; it's not a general rule in either direction) and she was no loss; don't think many bees went. Plan was to pop out all the cells to a nuc (done) and merge with the incoming swarm to make a decent foraging unit. But now no EQCs to tell me it's good to go. But having filtered the colony, and now with spare Qs, finally, I have to go for it.

 

[Lucky Bee]

Look GORGEOUS after a sting to my upper lip - honestly, all the wrinkles have disappeared. I do however, resemble a trout

 

[Brigsy]

One of my colonies had foragers returning and departing in full on rain.

 

[Fatbee]

It all depends on the raw material - as you have found.D

And the resources in the hive at the time - pollen, availability of nurse bees etc

 

[snelgrove]

Finally temps in the high teens with blue sky after weeks of cold easterly winds and temps around 10 degrees. Noticed a couple of queens leaving there mating nucs, looked like orientation flights.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A perfect supersedure

Just a few hives to check today. The first was the old red queen (there were two in the apiary but one died a few weeks ago and the colony is currently being requeened) when I say red - hardly any trace of red left just a tiny little fleck near her eye. She's a really prolific queen, heavy yield every year and has never tried to swarm but I don't expect her to last much longer - had to Demarree her last month and decided on the opportunity to make two nucs up and expecting supersedure before the end of the season.
Saw her on the third frame - skipping lightly over the comb and no red to be seen, she's a lovely dark thing with not a trace of paint left but looked slimmed down a bit so I was half expecting swarm cells. Next frame pulled and lo - slap bang in the middle of the frame, abdomen deep into a cell laying an egg, my big fat black old queen with not a trace of paint left!! gave her a dab of white paint (All I had in my pocket) so I can distinguish the two and left them to it (loads of open brood still so she's still laying strong )

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Have an evil colony at my sisters house,they are over the ditch as I park the car.Have to suit up in the car and I've had enough
Today I combined the demaree box and one super to another colony I have down there and now I need to deal with the other Bb that contains one q cell after they swarmed last Saturday,I have two nucs with laying Queens that I managed to find and mark today so I'll knock the q cell tomorrow and do a unite,unless ye recommend another tactic
All other hives seem sorted now either with new queens laying or due to lay,don't expect any more swarm preps to be made

 

[B+.]

Look GORGEOUS after a sting to my upper lip - honestly, all the wrinkles have disappeared. I do however, resemble a trout

Just tell people you had botox

 

[nantmoel]

There's a thread here about re-queening an aggressive colony! Well I have a Q- colony I have given a frame of eggs from our breeder queen, they are bonkers, I crept up to them this afternoon to feed them, I lifted the roof ever so gently to fill the contact feeder, before I'd finished lifting the roof all hell broke loose! I topped the feeder up put the roof back on and retreated back down the garden, followed by about 50 bee's all trying their best to sting me through my veil. I hope to god they have started some QC's.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

l so she's still laying strong )

Well one of them is... :- )

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well one of them is... :- )

The old one - I saw her doing it. Doubtful 'tother's mated yet

 

[Obee1]

Look GORGEOUS after a sting to my upper lip - honestly, all the wrinkles have disappeared. I do however, resemble a trout

Photo please

 

[Robbo8916]

Not been down personally as didn't finish work until 10pm. However reports from the home owner where my (now two) colonies are located state that as opposed to yesterday, the new nuc has bees flying and returning with pollen. Did give them young brood so maybe that is what they are doing.

Considering it is the first time I have done this I am fairly pleased. Will be going down to have a quick nosey tomorrow.

Main hive appeares to have a lot more flying bees too. Fingers crossed they both succeed in raising new queens and getting them mated!