What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Brigsy]

Noticed drones being given a bit of a hard time on return to a hive today. Bit early?

 

[chrisb]

What a difference 24 hours can make!
I really didn't think they would make it yesterday, but, this evening they were looking very chipper when I checked their cages. The bees had clearly accepted them and were feeding them through the bars. They are clipped II queens but I put a queen excluder under the brood box as a precaution until she starts laying
Incidentally, I plan to II two daughters of 6-1-1037-2015 with drone semen from the same queen as these queens were inseminated from tomorrow (I planned to do it yesterday but things have been a bit hectic recently)

brilliant, tough girls thats a good sign. soon will be laying like mad after being cooped up so long

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

What a difference 24 hours can make!
I really didn't think they would make it yesterday, but, this evening they were looking very chipper when I checked their cages. The bees had clearly accepted them and were feeding them through the bars. They are clipped II queens but I put a queen excluder under the brood box as a precaution until she starts laying
Incidentally, I plan to II two daughters of 6-1-1037-2015 with drone semen from the same queen (18-26-7268-2013) as these queens were inseminated from tomorrow (I planned to do it yesterday but things have been a bit hectic recently).

@chrisb beat me to it but I was just going to say they are amazingly tough bugs, what we put them through.

 

[B+.]

brilliant, tough girls thats a good sign. soon will be laying like mad after being cooped up so long

I have big hopes for these two. Perhaps even more than the Celle queens.
All the breeders in the group (BeeBreed-NL) will be testing daughters of the same queen mated to drones of the same queen. The main variable will be environment and management. It will be interesting to see how they perform

 

[Robbo8916]

Noticed drones being given a bit of a hard time on return to a hive today. Bit early?

Seen the same. Maybe mine just kept them around until their new queens got mated? They may have had a late start to the spring but they haven't necessarily extended the summer.

Balsam time, girls working hard, queenies busy laying (although reducing slightly), no need for boys now.

 

[chrisb]

( B+ ) well I hope they do well after what they have gone through.

 

[Obee1]

I went to pinch some brood to make a little queenless nuc ready to receive some eggs from breeder queen. Decided to use smallest colony in garden as far too many boxes to shift to get down to the desired 14x12 brood frames in the big hives. Even my smallest colony has grown rather large and I could barely lift the rose box I used as one of the supers,however I managed to get a couple of frames with emerging brood. Shook bees off then took nurse bees from top super of mega hive as it really is too big for comfort in a small garden. Locked the nuc in ready for moving and receiving eggs tomorrow.
Then looked in the retirement nuc of my old fave Bucky queen who has been laying very few eggs but I can't bring myself to kill her. Surprised to find the 6 frame nuc busting with bees. One food one pollen and four full brood frames. No space. Don't want another full hive so split them in half. Both had eggs. One had a queen but no idea which. Will feed and move them to out apiary as garden is becoming over populated.
This season is going better than expected

 

[B+.]

( B+ ) well I hope they do well after what they have gone through.

Thats for the future. I hope so

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Seen the same. Maybe mine just kept them around until their new queens got mated? They may have had a late start to the spring but they haven't necessarily extended the summer.

Balsam time, girls working hard, queenies busy laying (although reducing slightly), no need for boys now.

Yikes! I have eight queens emerging tomorrow night! (At least, I hope it's tomorrow night, or I'll have one MIA and seven corpses). Last time I pushed my luck mating late in the year I got a Q from hell.

 

[Tremyfro]

B+ ...really pleased your queens survived.....the work you do is fascinating...even though I don't understand it all!
Obee1..... That is terrific....you are on a roll! You will soon need an electric extractor...or the next time I see you....you will have the arms of a wrestler!

 

[B+.]

( B+ ) well I hope they do well after what they have gone through.

As if once wasn't enough, I have 2 VSH tested queens coming from the Netherlands next week as well. I truly hope that this was an exception and they arrive quickly

 

[B+.]

B+ ...really pleased your queens survived.....the work you do is fascinating...even though I don't understand it all!

Some of it, I don't fully understand either but I am learning. I have learned a lot from working with the Dutch guys. They have been very generous and helpful.
The thing I like the most is that everyone is so positive and constructive. If there is a problem, they work together to fix it rather than looking for a scapegoat to blame. Its very different to working in a British / American organisation.

 

[Cussword]

Some of it, I don't fully understand either but I am learning. I have learned a lot from working with the Dutch guys. They have been very generous and helpful.
The thing I like the most is that everyone is so positive and constructive. If there is a problem, they work together to fix it rather than looking for a scapegoat to blame. Its very different to working in a British / American organisation.

Now that is refreshing.

.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have learned a lot from working with the Dutch guys. They have been very generous and helpful.
The thing I like the most is that everyone is so positive and constructive. If there is a problem, they work together to fix it rather than looking for a scapegoat to blame. Its very different to working in a British / American organisation.

it is a different work ethic over there - worked a lot in the Damen shipyards at Gorinchem commissioning our new fleet at the beginning of the century - it was like one big family, people pitching in and trying to help when a problem cropped up even if it wasn't 'their job' down tools at 1500 every Friday when everyone got together for a few drinks (on the company) and discuss the week, sprayers working night shifts so the smell and drift of paint wouldn't affect other workers.
I remember waiting, dressed up to the nines to meet their senior pilot who was coming on board to conduct the sea trials only to realise it was Martin, who we'd met every day the last few months - sweeping the floors in the yard, but that day sans overalls 'if I'd have known you were getting dressed up' he said ' I would have worn by best shoot with the for gold rings!!' everything was spotless and neat over there unlike British shipyards - maybe tells us a thing or two about the state of our mutual industries.

 

[B+.]

it is a different work ethic over there

Absolutely!
They're a very friendly bunch of guys. Easy to work with and you don't mind doing a bit extra for someone who gives far more than they get in return.
Status / ego are words they don't seem too concerned about.

 

[chrisb]

Absolutely!
They're a very friendly bunch of guys. Easy to work with and you don't mind doing a bit extra for someone who gives far more than they get in return.
Status / ego are words they don't seem too concerned about.

I Second that !

 

[Motobiman]

I found the same with all Europeans.

When something goes wrong they ask why, not who.

It's something we simply don't seem to be able to grasp.

 

[Roola]

Noticed drones being given a bit of a hard time on return to a hive today. Bit early?

Same here, watched them kicking a load out today.

 

[B+.]

The NL-Line II queens I received from the Netherlands (55-9-89-2016 & 55-9-90-2016 - see http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3754) are making themselves comfortable and have clearly recovered from their journey.
I spent the afternoon inseminating a few queens (http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=751&pictureid=3756)

 

[Goran]

What would Captain Alberto Bertorelli say: What a mistaka to maka!