What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Weighed all 8 Lang jumbo hives# and compared with weights 18 days ago
Average weight now 31.4kg
Average weight then 27.3kg
Gain 4.1kg 11.5%

I checked weights vs 2015 (4 hives only : 29.1kg)

# Floor+brood box plus 1 super with frames and drawn out empty comb +crownboard..

Plus three off 5 frame lang jumbo nucs averaging 11.6kg

TBH without roof 29.kg.

 

[Obee1]

Try your local home brew shop.

.

Wilkinsons sell cheap homebrew stuff. I bought a few 25 litre buckets for honey storage. No postage charge.
They also do really cheap demijohns - if you're into making mead.

 

[Obee1]

I made a start on extracting honey. My kitchen is a sticky mess. Last year every possible speck of honey was gathered. This year Theres too much to worry about every spilt drop. Need a bigger extractor (and muscles).
Not that I'm complaining....

 

[madasafish]

I made a start on extracting honey. My kitchen is a sticky mess. Last year every possible speck of honey was gathered. This year Theres too much to worry about every spilt drop. Need a bigger extractor (and muscles).
Not that I'm complaining....

I put down cardboard everywhere, wore a vinyl apron and had very little mess. Cardboard - especially corrugated cardboard - absorbs a LOT of honey spills and simplifies cleaning. And removing cappings with hot air is far less messy than a knife...

 

[nantmoel]

Checked a queen castle with three queens in it, all laying well.

 

[yeogi75]

set up another site and put a hive there, and three more hives to go with it before winter in a orchard, that will be the fifth site and more in the pipe line, I might just take a break and do more queen rearing before I set more sites up, got someone who wants to help a old beekeeper a few years ago, so might take some pressure off but taking early retirement, I want to build up my own queens and colonys of my own genes.

 

[Millet]

They got there second gassing today, the first one did not produce as many mites as i thought, maybe its a good sign, i'm sure i will find out soon enough.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Weighed all 8 Lang jumbo hives# and compared with weights 18 days ago
Average weight now 31.4kg
Average weight then 27.3kg
Gain 4.1kg 11.5%

I checked weights vs 2015 (4 hives only : 29.1kg)

# Floor+brood box plus 1 super with frames and drawn out empty comb +crownboard..

Plus three off 5 frame lang jumbo nucs averaging 11.6kg

TBH without roof 29.kg.

Very sensible, they all seem heavy after hefting a few, weighing is accurate and leave nothing in doubt!!

 

[madasafish]

Very sensible, they all seem heavy after hefting a few, weighing is accurate and leave nothing in doubt!!

If you cannot measure it, you cannot control it.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Filled a poly nuc eke with 4 inch of Recticel noinsulation

 

[Erichalfbee]

All hives weighed. Three good to go. Three need another few litres. I can throw another log on the fire and enjoy some peace and quiet now

 

[Plenty of honey]

Cut back what seemed a small branch that had fallen from the land owners wallnut tree touching the back of 3 hives. Three wheel barrow loads of wood later and a lot of brush all cleared up. Strimmed the entire area afterwards. well thats sorted out anyway, broke in to a heavy sweat, surely not on a Saturday morning.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finished extracting - just got to clear up now but I think I'll save that treat for tomorrow. Or maybe wait until Monday evening when SWMBO comes back from her little trip to her friend's house - in the South of France!! all semed a bit fortuitous to me.

 

[beeno]

Another round of feeding. All queens laying after MAQS treatment approx. 700 drop on last hive, but the one which was emergency treated before spring flow had very little drop from treatment which was interesting.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I watched some bees fighting on one landing board. But on looking closer they were grooming really roughly. Two actually fell off but regained their place still pulling at each other. Two minutes later they all disengaged and walked back into the entrance as if nothing had happened.



Last feed on one hive
All the rest winter weight. Strapped up " Time for bed" said Zebedee

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stowed all the extraction kit away until next season, had an eye on winter preps but way to wet today.
Sorted and packed all my cut comb honey - I usually take some to the Neath food fair to add a bit of interest to the association honey stall, but I'm wondering if I'll have any left now - thanks to social media I'm taking orders as I type this!!

 

[coatesg]

Third gassing this evening just as it was getting dark. Will see if we need a 4th depending on drops - quite a good drop from the second one in all.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Checked the last few nucs to see if last queens had been accepted, pleased with the results. Perhaps they do realise its their last chance!! all laying beautifully. Spent the rest of the time watching the and listening to the Ivy flow and subsequent hurried work by all concerned. Its only really kicked off here yesterday, today was pandemonium in the apiary! lovely isn't it!!

 

[user 6228]

At 6pm watched the bearding bees and the last few bees returning from the gloom, listened to the roar of the hive and smelt the ivy honey being ripened.

 

[madasafish]

Started removing feeders on some hives which have stopped taking sugar.
I'll reweigh all carefully when all feeders are off.