What did you do in the Apiary today?

[DerbyBee]

A full super a month ago is now half full. The June gap and the constant rain in the midlands sure has had an effect. However, on the plus side a large amount of bees in the hives and the queens laying well. When the flow starts, the supers will fill up quick (fingers crossed)

 

[Obee1]

Neighbouring farmer rang this afternoon to say that they would be spraying the bean field next door in the morning.
Went down at dusk with sponges to block entrances, bees still chatting at the entrance.
Went down in the dark, bees still chatting at the entrance, think it must be the referendum.
Smoked entrances and jammed in the sponges to four hives. A few stragglers will be spending the night outdoors sadly.
Hope the weather improves and they can enjoy the flowering beans after all this palaver.

Take a water spray next time. They soon scuttle in to bed.

 

[nantmoel]

Just been and blocked two hives up ready to move to an out apiary in the morning, I'll be glad to get one of them out of the garden, they are one of the meanest bees you'll come across.

 

[nantmoel]

Moved the two hive we blocked up with morning to an out apiary, no drama's! The grumpy hive were a little bit tetchy when we released them.

 

[Brian Bush]

I had placed 3 queen cells in the rearing Nuc last weekend with curler type protection. I had been unable to get to them until today. 2 of the 3 had successfully emerged. I release one into the Nuc and gave the other one to another beek whose hive was queenless. A good result.

 

[yeogi75]

Just been and blocked two hives up ready to move to an out apiary in the morning, I'll be glad to get one of them out of the garden, they are one of the meanest bees you'll come across.

done the same but only moved a mile from my house to new aperies the farmer has put electric fence around to stop the cows from being curious that makes two with electric around them .

 

[Goran]

Over here lime flower smell almost suffocate how strong it is. Whole hill is covered with scent, nice but heavy scent.. Temps are too high - day temps 30-35C, night temps.. last night 21-22C.
For a week I didn't touch the colonies, will see did they manage to gather some when I get into.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Went up to Maisie's sale - didn't really need much,just some more anti tamper seals and a few more wooden bits more of a social morning to deliver something to Hachi and get some bits and pieces for one of the beginners, and as I was there I got some more nucs. They now sell plastic 'crown boards' if you want them for the nucs (a bit thicker than the Paynes ones) and, as a few have asked for them Eric has had the lads start making wooden crownboards for the poly hives.
After a pleasant morning went home and did a few inspections at Garn Cottage, one not so long mated queen is really going for it and now on eight frames, I think I'll have to Demarree her when I get a chance, checked a nuc I had down there to see if she had started laying, just about - I'll have to go back tomorrow and put them in a full hive!!

 

[Anduril]

This evening took a swarm I'd captured in a paynes nuc/bait hive 14x12, a quick peek in when it was in place. All seams full of bees, frames sink slowly to the bottom because of all the bees on the floor. I need to replace it with a hive tomorrow.
Edit
Not a senior moment reply button upgraded itself to a quote button

 

[alldigging]

Not in the apiary, but at Bradford University for Bradford Bka's bee health day.

Was an excellent day, interesting lectures and great workshops. Many thanks to all there who organised the day.

 

[Charley]

Take a water spray next time. They soon scuttle in to bed.

Thank you, that's really helpful. The irony was that the contractor's kit broke down and he didn't get the spraying done on Friday morning. We went through the same procedure Friday night and as it was cooler they were all indoors. The crops were all sprayed early Saturday.
The honey from the bean flowers is yummy so worth the effort. Last year it was OSR which kept me busy.

 

[Barbarian]

United a Q- part of a nasty swarm I had collected in a bait hive.
This was a paper unite to a better hive in an out-apiary.
Realized after, that I had not made some holes in the paper. I wasn't going back into it, so I'm trusting they make their own holes.

 

[beeno]

Well, yesterday actually. My mated queen is laying in 20 days, so a bit slower than usual, but well done to her for mating in between the showers. Here is hoping for a good laying pattern at next inspection.

 

[Fatbee]

Just back in from moving a colony between apiaries to even numbers up. Wet añd soggy evening now.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After spending the morning with Redwood at the teaching apiary had to go to Garn Cottage to put a nuc into a hive in the rain they were as good as gold and quite a few were flying anyway - as were the other hives.

 

[beeno]

Just watched a wood pigeon that landed on a beehive roof being chased off by some bees. It got the message PDQ.

 

[Obee1]

Just looking out the window at my three hives. They are really busy coming and going. Last inspected them 10 days ago so really need to get inspecting. It peed with rain all weekend so my planned inspection got scuppered.
Hate inspecting on a school day as there is a school and a daycare across the road. Normally I wait till 5.30 after the kids have been taken home. What's the odds my bees will swarm if I wait till 5.30 :

This is why I will only keep really nice buckys in the garden - but there's no guarantees they won't misbehave even on a beautiful sunny day - 20C - like today.

 

[JWF]

Chucked a bit of fondant on 2 nucs and a full BB that were very low on stores (didn't have any sugar to make syrup but still had fondant left over from the winter, so that had to do!).

One colony from an artificial swarm looks like it may have a laying worker, though some of the laying pattern looked OK. I'll check next week just in case the new queen is misfiring!

 

[madasafish]

Keiler queen mated and laying: added fondant.
Fed three swarms hived in last week : in anticipation of rain.
Q- colony is now Q+ and laying. (worker Brood)
Nuc's self reared queen is mated and laying.(WB)
TBH nuc - split form larger TBH - mated and laying. (WB)

Bees rejected 75% of new batch of punched cells - I am doing something wrong.

Only three stings so a successful morning/lunch.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Couple of the small hives are low on food so added a frame of stores.
The big hives are eating the honey in the supers
More LASI queen woe....but that's another thread