What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Hivemaker.]

Making up more six frame nucs to over winter, and a lot of mini nucs to shake out next week, these combined will make up more six frame nucs.

 

[alldigging]

spotted a swarm. saw which hive it was from and rang the beekeeper.
Beautiful afternoon for it. Is it September?

 

[Fatbee]

My little lad (3 yrs) got his first bee sting - not from mine though, from walking on a tired worker on a Halkidiki beach. Got him right on the end of his little toe. Fortunately limited swelling or reaction. Little man took it well, let me scrape the stinger out.

Amazed how many foraging bees there are out in this bit of Greece - plants smothered. They seem to particularly like the Begonias. Any Greek beeks on this forum?

Hoping my bees are busy on the ivy back at home

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

put clearer boards on two apiaries - bees are still piling in balsam nectar like nobody's business - but you have to draw the line at some point.

Also agree; mine have found a flow somewhere (no balsam; I guess old man's beard) but today was last extraction and the rest is expensive winter feed. Apiguard on all big colonies, 2:1 going to a couple of super-light nucs etc. My season is over at a weak 101kg from three hives (57 from best hive, plus I think about three nucs) BUT an extra production colony for next year 3/4 headed by 2016 queens) and seven additional nucs overwintering so can't really complain on the "honey or bees" principle. Helped by a late-June swarm of REALLY nice bees. Think she might be one of Hivemaker's :- ) Have her in a nuc to breed from next year. An OK year given a really shocking start full of beekeeper error.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Down nice and early to the association apiary to take off the remaining supers and load into my vehicle (mine and associations) then got ready for our beginner's apiguard session. Back home - unload supers, cup of tea then down to Garn Cottage to take away all supers and shake out one colony (failed queen, laying workers) then up to Carreg to take all the rest of the supers off.
Bit bushed when I got home!! Tomorrow is extraction and clearer boards on the home hives.
One thing I have found out - need a bigger truck!!

 

[Dadnlad]

Last of the honey supers off today and back home for extracting. First round of Api-life Var on all hives, and feeders out ready to go

Took my clearer boards to an old local beeks hives who was struggling with porter escapes

Ivy flow has started now

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Ivy out 10/14days with me and I'm adding supers?
Had one colony draw out and 3/4 fill a super in little over a week,added a second and an undrawn super to two other colonies.
It's amazing how much they can put away when there's a flow on,we haven't had a summer flow but they are at full throttle now
No need to feed any full colonies or nucs this year
Overall a bad year
Start the oxalic treatments tomorrow

 

[nantmoel]

I extracted the three supers I removed last week, some of the frames had heather honey in them, scrapped them back to the foundation and pressed it out, what a pain in the bum that is.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Last of the unites started this afternoon.
10 frame Swienty going on top of an 11 frame BS Nat.
I'll leave them to it once I take the QX off and sort them in the Spring

 

[Heather]

Checked the swarm I picked up last week. Thought a cast as small but eggs in lovely pattern seen today. Fed again.
All hives now have super under brood box... excluders out! Except one colony which am keeping to teach as demo next Saturday.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Began extracting - Association apiary finished this morning, then Carreg - disappointing with this one this season but a combination of that mediocre period and will do them the same time as the Brynmair heatherwhich set the brambles back gave them an unprecedented 'June(ish) gap' then the brambles were slow up there. The little beggars did find the other side of the grouse moor though so quite a bit of heather most of it came out with little bother and I've kept the other supers to one side to be addressed the same time as the Brynmair heather batch where I shall try my fleabay bargin new 'shiggle it about' needle heather loosener which nobody else spotted and I got for £30.00!!
Hospital appointment tomorrow morning so at it again for the Garn cottage stuff tomorrow afternoon.

 

[beeno]

Checked the swarm I picked up last week. Thought a cast as small but eggs in lovely pattern seen today. Fed again.
All hives now have super under brood box... excluders out! Except one colony which am keeping to teach as demo next Saturday.

"Another one bites the dust" bits of beekeeping theory that is, but I guess they are general rules and this is an exception. However, I have found the same - small swarms with laying queens. Maybe they are risk averse and a lot cleverer than we think!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

"Another one bites the dust" bits of beekeeping theory that is, but I guess they are general rules and this is an exception.

Not at all - just the usual with people believing comic book beekeeping - big swarm=prime, small=cast.

It's been discussed and disproven time and time again on here. Bit the same as the myth that laying workers can't fly and a sprinkling of icing sugar will wipe out varroa

 

[Brigsy]

Began extracting - Association apiary finished this morning, then Carreg - disappointing with this one this season but a combination of that mediocre period and will do them the same time as the Brynmair heatherwhich set the brambles back gave them an unprecedented 'June(ish) gap' then the brambles were slow up there. The little beggars did find the other side of the grouse moor though so quite a bit of heather most of it came out with little bother and I've kept the other supers to one side to be addressed the same time as the Brynmair heather batch where I shall try my fleabay bargin new 'shiggle it about' needle heather loosener which nobody else spotted and I got for £30.00!!
Hospital appointment tomorrow morning so at it again for the Garn cottage stuff tomorrow afternoon.

Did you get a specific heather press or something that doubles as one? Might be the way forward with the jam my bees seem to make.

 

[Brigsy]

My Poly brood and a half have nearly taken 20kg of 2/1 syrup in about ten days. Bit wary of offering more for fear of no space being left for brood.

The commercial brood have only sipped the 6kg I have left for them in the same time. Most still there. Strange. They are Q+.

 

[coatesg]

Inspection over lunchtime - bees still piling in the ivy pollen. Nadired extracted super in largest hive. Topped up feeders - nuc and smaller hive will probably need more feed. Have had decent drop of varroa after vape on Sat. Treat again on Thurs.

 

[madasafish]

My Poly brood and a half have nearly taken 20kg of 2/1 syrup in about ten days. Bit wary of offering more for fear of no space being left for brood.

The commercial brood have only sipped the 6kg I have left for them in the same time. Most still there. Strange. They are Q+.

My aim is a MINIMUM 20KG honey per hive...

 

[Millet]

My aim is a MINIMUM 20KG honey per hive...

Is that for a standard national brood or a deep brood box.

 

[Brigsy]

I guess I should trust the bees and keep offering until they don't take it?

 

[nantmoel]

Began extracting - Association apiary finished this morning, then Carreg - disappointing with this one this season but a combination of that mediocre period and will do them the same time as the Brynmair heatherwhich set the brambles back gave them an unprecedented 'June(ish) gap' then the brambles were slow up there. The little beggars did find the other side of the grouse moor though so quite a bit of heather most of it came out with little bother and I've kept the other supers to one side to be addressed the same time as the Brynmair heather batch where I shall try my fleabay bargin new 'shiggle it about' needle heather loosener which nobody else spotted and I got for £30.00!!
Hospital appointment tomorrow morning so at it again for the Garn cottage stuff tomorrow afternoon.

Let me know how you get on with the heather loosener.