What did you do in the Apiary today?

[B+.]

Yes, seeing that many bees airborne is quite a sight! .

Wait until you see your first prime swarm in flight!

 

[Bearhouse]

I imagine that will be quite noisy!

I am lucky, in that I do have a bee buddy, so there would be the support available.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Checked on cast swarm, and they've taken down 2l of syrup, so topped up with another 2l this evening.

Many wasps around this evening.

Rendered down 24 frames of old black brood comb in my wax extractor, more candles!

 

[Obee1]

I finished spinning the assorted frames I gathered from the three garden hives.

Started this year with one overwintered buckfast colony on double bb. (2014 HM queen). They raised one QC in April so I split them and let the top box raise a new queen. So one became two. Then bought me a new Buckie queen in April that I put in a two frame nuc made from the these bees. So now one became three.

The honey I spun out yesterday was not complete supers removed just assorted capped frames. The crop from these three colonies was 81pounds plus a few cut comb frames.
I also removed a few frames from my farm apiary in order to give them some more foundation. this totalled 21 pounds which, added to my small OSR crop, gives me 150 pounds plus so far this year. I had a district lack of drawn combs starting this season so I did this harvest in order to get the combs back on the colonies.

Now need to sort jars and design labels.

 

[Tremyfro]

I finished spinning the assorted frames I gathered from the three garden hives.

Started this year with one overwintered buckfast colony on double bb. (2014 HM queen). They raised one QC in April so I split them and let the top box raise a new queen. So one became two. Then bought me a new Buckie queen in April that I put in a two frame nuc made from the these bees. So now one became three.

The honey I spun out yesterday was not complete supers removed just assorted capped frames. The crop from these three colonies was 81pounds plus a few cut comb frames.
I also removed a few frames from my farm apiary in order to give them some more foundation. this totalled 21 pounds which, added to my small OSR crop, gives me 150 pounds plus so far this year. I had a district lack of drawn combs starting this season so I did this harvest in order to get the combs back on the colonies.

Now need to sort jars and design labels.

Sounds like you are soon going to need a honey storage room as well as a bee equipment shed! Great harvesting though...well done.
I'm controlling my honey envy...but only by a thread!
My bees are wonderful collectors...filling the comb...but then it gets cold and wet and they need to eat it! Poor things.
I'm supposed to be inspecting today but it is raining ATM. I am definitely going to look in the colony which is under suspicion of either having swarmed....OH opinion...or...queen resting....my opinion. We gave them a frame with eggs ...so all I have to do is pull that frame.

 

[nantmoel]

Yesterday in the rain I had to transfer a few QC's into Apideas as my calculations showed there were due to emerge today, I had one spare so I popped it into my homemade incubator (thanks to Protheroe and B+ for their help). I went out the garage to take a peek this morning and there she was, our very first incubator hatch virgin queen. I have now popped her into an introduction cage and put her in a mating hive that is Q-

 

[B+.]

our very first incubator hatch virgin queen.

Congratulations!
She's a beauty! Did you mark her first? They're much easier to do when they first emerge than chasing them around later and risk losing/damaging her

 

[nantmoel]

Congratulations!
She's a beauty! Did you mark her first? They're much easier to do when they first emerge than chasing them around later and risk losing/damaging her

I didn't mark her, the last one I marked and introduced was rejected! I want to use numbered discs, do you put these on before you introduce them?

 

[pargyle]

Congratulations!
She's a beauty! Did you mark her first? They're much easier to do when they first emerge than chasing them around later and risk losing/damaging her

Isn't it a bit dodgy marking a virgin ? I've always been told that the time to mark queens is after they have mated and have started laying ?

I don't mark or clip my queens so I'm no expert but I wonder what other people think ....

 

[B+.]

Isn't it a bit dodgy marking a virgin ? I've always been told that the time to mark queens is after they have mated and have started laying ?

No. If you use an incubator to emerge the queens, this is a great time to mark them with opilathplättchen. That is how I do it and they're marked for life.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

No. If you use an incubator to emerge the queens, this is a great time to mark them with opilathplättchen. That is how I do it and they're marked for life.

However short - ahem, but I can't be the only one who has "fun" introducing virgins; in fact it is notoriously hard - that life may be...

ADD. And I can't take all the blame: #1, a beautiful thing and in turn my first incubated queen was deposed when laying well 10 days ago.

 

[B+.]

I want to use numbered discs, do you put these on before you introduce them?

Yes.
The queens are much easier to handle at this stage. I only hold her by the thorax - if she is to open mate her wings mustn't be damaged. Also, don't touch her feet - they transfer pheremones to the comb through their feet.
There is a new(ish) device for those who don't like picking up queens to mark them (item 4754) http://www.holtermann-shop.de/index.php/cPath/70_65/category/koeniginnen-zeichnen.html

 

[Michael Palmer]

Harvest has started. Whoa what a nice crop. Beautiful color. Lighter than last year. Looks like 35+ ton. New spinner is amazing. Cappings come off powdery dry. Unfortunately the auger is not working properly. M*x*nt. They don't return my persistant calls.

Can anyone say...New Truck?

 

[B+.]

I can't be the only one who has "fun" introducing virgins; in fact it is notoriously hard - that life may be...

This is just the way I do it. It suits me because I want to know with absolute certainty which queen is which.

 

[Obee1]

However short - ahem, but I can't be the only one who has "fun" introducing virgins; in fact it is notoriously hard - that life may be...

ADD. And I can't take all the blame: #1, a beautiful thing and in turn my first incubated queen was deposed when laying well 10 days ago.

I have had problems introducing virgins. I had one laying in apidea, moved her to q- hive and they allowed her to stay a while before she disappeared. Of course they are denying all knowledge!
I'm thinking of suitable punishments. May just remove their TVs privileges. It usually works with the kids.

 

[Obee1]

harvest has started. Whoa what a nice crop. Beautiful color. Lighter than last year. Looks like 35+ ton. New spinner is amazing. Cappings come off powdery dry. Unfortunately the auger is not working properly. M*x*nt. They don't return my persistant calls.

Can anyone say...new truck?

new truck

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm supposed to be inspecting today but it is raining ATM. I am definitely going to look in the colony which is under suspicion of either having swarmed....OH opinion...or...queen resting....my opinion. We gave them a frame with eggs ...so all I have to do is pull that frame.

Last test frame I put in had three queen cells on it but so did the frame next to it and one next to that

 

[Obee1]

My frame of eggs from breeder queen only had 2 QC. Why do they only make two when I want loads and make loads when I want none!

 

[Anduril]

Relaxing in Hivemaker country with the kids till Friday.

 

[B+.]

new truck

There was a "?" mark at the end.... "new truck?"