What did you do in the Apiary today?

[maddydog]

What I didn't expect, after I closed up the nuc, it looked as if, every bee decided then to leave the nuc, into the air (swarm like).

what a sight, being in the middle of it all, and after 30 minutes, all return to the nuc...

time will tell if they don't sod off....

Not a mating flight Andy ? Have seen it a couple of times where a lot of bees exit with the q then return 20 mins later shrugging their shoulders.

My first year for ghost bees having no HB in my part of Yorkshire. I've seen plenty around the waterways of stoke but none near my apiary - obviously they're better at spotting it than me!

Put clearer boards on five strong colonies in preparation for their move to heather on Monday.

 

[bpmurray]

With a heavy heart I performed my first deliberate queen-squishing. I've squished one before by mistake, but this was different. Her hive had become too tetchy by far, so she had to go.

 

[B+.]

Why do we bother going on holiday when a million jobs suddenly have to be done before we go that weren't there before?

I'm heading up to Scotland for a couple of weeks tomorrow so I've been rushing around doing other stuff today. I called into the apiary this evening and checked on the VSH queens I received from the Netherlands a couple of days ago. They're doing fine but I'm a bit concerned that no fresh nectar appears to be coming in

 

[einsteinagogo]

Not a mating flight Andy ? Have seen it a couple of times where a lot of bees exit with the q then return 20 mins later shrugging their shoulders.

My first year for ghost bees having no HB in my part of Yorkshire. I've seen plenty around the waterways of stoke but none near my apiary - obviously they're better at spotting it than me!

Put clearer boards on five strong colonies in preparation for their move to heather on Monday.

This queen was already mated, little BIAS.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Why do we bother going on holiday

I don't anymore, would hate every moment of it, the last one was four days spent in Cornwall, seventeen years ago.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Well best made plans and all that.....the goal to try and get them to build up and over winter! small entrance, as being hammered by wasps, poly nuc for warmth...

I had deliberately left hive straps off the poly nuc, so later this eve (20 mins ago) , I would return when all was quiet to secure the poly hive, not sure how wind will affect them, and especially the lid. (this is my first outing with poly nucs), I've got poly Apideas, but all my kit is wooden nationals and nucs.

Went down to the apiary all quiet, apart from wasps, and there it was a large clump of bees hanging from the hive stand. (no where near the original hive or nuc (on same spot!)

It was good job I had latex gloves in pocket and bee jacket on....quick thinking, I quickly checked the nuc, not a single bee....all gone, (clearly these bees prefer a wooden stinking national, smelling of mouse urine! not a nice poly nuc)

leaving BIAS took all frames out, lifted "3 space national hive stand" (made from sleepers!) that's not going to do my injuries any good tomorrow!

set nuc to queen includer mode!

put poly nuc underneath, gave a good jolt all bees back in box, frames in, lid and feeder on, hive strap secured.

done.

Only time will tell.....if my efforts are rewarded.....

and now it's started to thunder and lightening with heavy thunder!

so at least they are dry.....

BUT, it's exciting.....and I really miss it!!! Glad to be back.....

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why do we bother going on holiday

I hate it too....I get twitchy away from home.
Since I retired every day is a holiday living in a beautiful part of Wales

 

[chrisb]

Why do we bother going on holiday when a million jobs suddenly have to be done before we go that weren't there before?

I'm heading up to Scotland for a couple of weeks tomorrow so I've been rushing around doing other stuff today. I called into the apiary this evening and checked on the VSH queens I received from the Netherlands a couple of days ago. They're doing fine but I'm a bit concerned that no fresh nectar appears to be coming in

I will be heading that way the day you head back, glad to know the VSH are doing great.
I am not looking forward to the wife's to do list before I go

 

[Goran]

Why do we bother going on holiday when a million jobs suddenly have to be done before we go that weren't there before?

I'm heading up to Scotland for a couple of weeks tomorrow so I've been rushing around doing other stuff today. I called into the apiary this evening and checked on the VSH queens I received from the Netherlands a couple of days ago. They're doing fine but I'm a bit concerned that no fresh nectar appears to be coming in

I gave fondants to mnucs, to big colonies about 1,5 liters of sugar syrup in nylon sacks plus fondants, applied antivarroa, prevention against nosema and .. runaway to hols.. As you say there will be always some thing to do..

 

[B+.]

I don't anymore, would hate every moment of it, the last one was four days spent in Cornwall, seventeen years ago.

Me too....my arm was twisted by swmbo

 

[Tremyfro]

What did I do in the Bee Yard today? I made a Pigs Ear!!!
I had decided to give my queenless colony a queen from a nuc. I caught her in a catcher. I took out the frame with the queen cell on it and put it in the nuc.
Whilst I was doing that...I put the queen catcher down....when I picked it up...intending putting her in a cage....but the catcher was covered with bees balling her...it was horrible....I rescued her but she only survived for an hour.
Feeling mortified and really sad

 

[bontbee]

I don't anymore, would hate every moment of it, the last one was four days spent in Cornwall, seventeen years ago.

Long haul then, HM?!

 

[Fusion_power]

I travel when I can and always enjoy it thoroughly. My last trip was to Seattle Washington where I toured the Boeing factory, south to Olympia to a quilt show, then to Mount St. Helens to see just how destructive a volcano can be, then south to Portland for the international rose garden, Crescent City for the giant redwoods, then back north to Crater lake, then up the coast for some fun on the beach. I made dozens of stops along the way to see any and everything that looked interesting.

As for beekeeping, I'm building dividers so I can run 2 queen colonies over winter. With square Dadant depth hives, there is enough room to put 7 frames per side. Four frames full of honey are enough for winter. Why 2 queen over winter? So I can either split them next spring or else sell a queen in the early part of the year. Either way, I'm money ahead compared to purchasing queens.

 

[Obee1]

Nice one Obee1!
Did you use thin foundation?

Thanks B+
I did use thin foundation. I have quite a few frames beautifully capped with this light coloured wax.

 

[B+.]

What did I do in the Bee Yard today? I made a Pigs Ear!!!

Cheer up Tremyfro.....we've all been there, and done that, at some point (and will, no doubt, do it again)

 

[Tremyfro]

Cheer up Tremyfro.....we've all been there, and done that, at some point (and will, no doubt, do it again)

I can't decide whether to put the frame with the queen cell back in the colony or not. The nuc can make another queen as there are eggs in there. I have the Aga queen cell but who knows whether that one will emerge.
I will be doing inspections this afternoon....there may be queen cells elsewhere!
Feeling despondent ....my poor golden queen....meanies....they could have been enjoying her instead. Anyway...they sure are queenless now!

 

[Fusion_power]

A colony should be both queenless and have no started queen cells to get good queen acceptance. If they have cells, remove them, wait 12 hours, then give a queen in an introduction cage.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Quickly popped down to the apiary this morning, bees (the small cast) have absconded overnight from the poly nuc, they obviously know better than me.

Must have been a small queen to fit through the includer.

Had a look round, and saw no obvious signs of activity. Closed up nuc, will collect later, and clean.

Many wasps around this morning.

 

[maddydog]

Retrieved and extracted the supers from five colonies destined for the heather. Going to invest in a leaf blower for next year.

 

[Tim.S]

Checked on 3 nucs with new queens - Hivemakers finest of course, and all doing beautifully. Always nice to get the nucs well populated at this time before the wasps get to be a problem.