What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Davelin]

I have had several calls from other members who have had hives go queenless in this manner. I provided 2 of them with my last batch of virgins and gave another a swarm.


I have never known hives to go queenless in this way. Is it just the weather? Can anyone shed a little light on this, please??

I have had three hives go inexplicably queenless this year. First one thought maybe I'd accidentally squished her, second one thought I can't have done that twice, third one can't have done it three times!

All definitely queenless as emergency cells produced.

 

[DerbyBee]

I don't know what my bees are finding but they are still finding nectar. Yesterday was a duvet day for them as it rained all day...brightening up in the evening. Today looks better....is there any hope for this summer?

Same here. Yesterday it rained all day until about 5ish and then they were out working until 8pm whereas on a normal day there is only a few of them out by then. Today, out in full force, looks to be a nice day so they are making the most of it.

It was 30C this time last year, ahh what a big difference this year is.

 

[Goodwood]

spontaneous queen combustion...me too.
Three colonies last week, two the week before.
All with emergency cells, I am pretty sure they havent swarmed.
One was a new Ricky Wilson nuc just a month old.
Also getting paranoid I am biffing them on inspection.

 

[Goodwood]

Update....mea culpa on one colony at least, which i thought was in emergency mode.
Just inspected to cull a few QCs but found the queen wandering around as well as a few 2-more QCs which now look like swarm cells as they are on the bottom of the frame. Decided on a Demaree with snelgrove board.
Not confident that this is pre swarm prep althought she did look a bit slimmer, as 2 of them are sealed.
If its supercedure then going to try raising new Queen in top whilst testing the old one (2015) in the bottom see if she performs on empty drawn comb.
Did it in the rain too...maybe thats why they havent swarmed yet?

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Better polish my smoker n boots .....Bee inspector visit tomorrow !!!

 

[madasafish]

Inspected 4 Langs for QCs. None

Tried to mark newly mated queen . She flew back into nuc. Gave up.

Checked QCs in nuc above Q+ hive. Doing well - about 60%acceptance from look of things (cell punch). (Covered in nurse bees so not quite sure)

Decided Avon Skin So Soft on hands probably interferes with Queen raising if handling punched cells...!! So wash hands thoroughly in future after using ASSS on hands before staring cell punching.

 

[victor meldrew]

This weather has cause a large drop off in my Queens laying .
One colony has a queen , no eggs ,now all brood hatch , plenty of young bees present .
I have used a test frame the eggs from whence have been ignored .


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[nantmoel]

Made a template to put our hive number on the hives so the are all in the same place (OCD)! Also took a peek into a mating hive to see if the queen is still there and mated, well she's still there but no eggs as of yet, mind the weather has been terrible here in S. Wales.

 

[Cussword]

Not in apiary but, I had a delivery from Maisie's today.
My first poly hive

I shall be painting ready to replace one of my cedar hives. Plus checking to see if my JBM styled under floor entrance fits, or I'll be making one that does.

Happy days

.

 

[Obee1]

I'm desperately gathering supers and frames after my mini extraction this week. I'm off on hols for three weeks so need to bung an extra super on the few hives that have any hope of bringing stuff in. Really don't have time for this - too many hives. I don't need this many. It's not as if they bring in honey as I keep nicking bees to build nucs for yet another queen. Note to self- must do better next year.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Just checked 2 Nucs that I pulled from the fields last night prior to customer collection/delivery tomorrow.

Plenty of different coloured pollen going in.

Back to preparing my show entries now!!

Melt wax..
Jar Honey..
Mount photo..

List never ends!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not in apiary but, I had a delivery from Maisie's today.
My first poly hive

I shall be painting ready to replace one of my cedar hives. Plus checking to see if my JBM styled under floor entrance fits, or I'll be making one that does.

Happy days

.

The footprint of the Maisie's poly hive is larger - no big deal,just tack an extra 2x1" batten or whatever width you need all round and job done - I had to do something similar years ago with the prototype floors my mate and I were so engrossed with getting the inside dimensions right we forgot we were using slightly thinner timbers for the side (well, we had to make do with whatever spare timber was available in his woodwork classroom) so we just tacked a thin batten to the sides in question - they're still in use now

 

[Cussword]

The footprint of the Maisie's poly hive is larger - no big deal,just tack an extra 2x1" batten or whatever width you need all round and job done - I had to do something similar years ago with the prototype floors my mate and I were so engrossed with getting the inside dimensions right we forgot we were using slightly thinner timbers for the side (well, we had to make do with whatever spare timber was available in his woodwork classroom) so we just tacked a thin batten to the sides in question - they're still in use now

Perfect! Thanks for that

 

[Lucky Bee]

The footprint of the Maisie's poly hive is larger - no big deal,just tack an extra 2x1" batten or whatever width you need all round and job done - I had to do something similar years ago with the prototype floors my mate and I were so engrossed with getting the inside dimensions right we forgot we were using slightly thinner timbers for the side (well, we had to make do with whatever spare timber was available in his woodwork classroom) so we just tacked a thin batten to the sides in question - they're still in use now

Is there a thread or description of how you make the underfloor entrances please. I've been looking but can't find it.

 

[Cussword]

Here, http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26994

 

[Lucky Bee]

Here, http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26994

Thanks Cussword

 

[Lucky Bee]

Here, http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=26994

The attachments no longer seem to be working on this thread

 

[beeboybee]

if someone can find the attachments happy to draw up some VERY clear plans from the design for forum to use.

 

[Cussword]

Try this,

View attachment The Brynmair slant on the Dartington inspired floor.doc

 

[Cussword]

Quick question about the Maisie's poly hive, does everyone just screw, or glue and screw?

.