What did you do in the Apiary today?

[YorkshireBees]

Yesterday I (almost) finished removing supers from my colonies and plan to test the honey today prior to extraction.
1st time using my refractometer!

I say almost as one of my big colonies hadn't cleared the 2 supers so I swapped clearer boards in case the porter bee escapes on the original board are out of shape and allowing the bees free movement back into the supers!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Topped up the feed in two of mine and had a quick peek through - all queens laying nicely, stores building up and plenty of space

Decided against finishing off the Apilife Var treatment after 2-3 weeks to maximise laying potential. Very little mite drop, if any.

 

[Bob Bee]

put in second apigaurd treatment, put on a 4.5 cm eke and my new home made feeder over that with 50/50 syrup to encourage brood rearing. checked all frames, plenty of stores, patchy brood.

 

[kazmcc]

hi kaz

"except for one frame at the back of the hive, which they never seem to touch."

swap it to the front comes to mind.

I swapped the actual frame, but they still haven't bothered. I'm wondering if there is just some problem with that end of the hive as it's a crappy cheap one. I figured they know best lol, but I might try moving it to the other end, see what they do.

I would say as good as it gets or as near as anyone could wish for and one frame not used isn't really unusual, your choice whether to move or leave alone perhaps until spring.

Chris

Thanks I think I've been lucky with my first queen. I shall harp on about her forever now

 

[WelshPaul]

Whilst digging out a new pond noticed bees bringing in lots of bright yellow pollen, first time in three weeks I seen this happen. Is this unusual?

 

[zubzub]

Hi Just received refractometer minuscal block and stone so email going off.
And also made HM thymol milky premix smlls ggod MMmmm

ZZ

 

[czar1960]

Thinking about changing all my hives to double brood.

 

[Appinpiper]

gave Apiguard and got stung twice lol

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Just used half time at Barnet v Accrington Stanley* to pop out to check what they were up to, despite much derision from Mme A - "What do you expect them to be up to?", and the M@ismore feeder they were studiously ignoring last week has now gained supreme significance - may have been related to the syrup I dribbled down the access holes earlier

*0-0 for those interested

 

[TOBY-3652]

Put second dose of apiguard on hives largest hive still dropping over 200 mites after 2 weeks(god it must of been lousy) counted 4078 up to now

 

[user 6228]

walked on the heath ... the heather is still going strong...

did the inspections

Finally, finally got the PU hive to desist from making occupied queen cells.

What we changed was opening the entrance fully and putting the roof on vent side down and opening a single vent a tiny amount... this altered the floor temp from 29C to around 20- 25c with outside temp 10c.

Was this what made the bees change behaviour,? well only they know and all they say is "buzz".

Main hive (polystyrene brood and wood supers) is still in full brood production mode, 10 frames of brood... and not much in the way of capped honey still.

 

[freethorpe bees]

Put second treatment on hive two, alot of mite drop. Fed both hives, lots of pollen coming in but not alot of nectar afaik. Ivy not yet in flower here.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Extracted a meager 13kg of honey (that's all there is after the 50kg OSR earlier in the year)!
Still I have lots of lovely drawn super comb to start next year instead of just foundation!

Continued feeding most hives as all but 2-3 were low on stores.

 

[VEG]

Went to check hives they have re-filled all the supers in 3/4 weeks good old balsom. Had to give up looking through them today as they were well nasty it was due to rain and I should have known better. Got stung on the head, dont know how the little blighter got in but my head is still throbbing lol.

 

[WelshPaul]

Opened the plastic tab on the queen cage, so that bees can eat her out. Also noticed varro in a drone cell, so a beek friend has just ordered Apigaurd, so will be treating now.

 

[VEG]

Opened the plastic tab on the queen cage, so that bees can eat her out. Also noticed varro in a drone cell, so a beek friend has just ordered Apigaurd, so will be treating now.

I would leave it for a week or so if you have just introduced a queen.

 

[WelshPaul]

Thats good then, I was worried since I cant get it for about a week that I might be leaving it to late.

 

[Swarm]

Went through five colonies, clearer boards on three of them and they're all doing well still working a Balsam flow.
Colony three from an earlier Snelgrove split is in overdrive, filling as quick as I'm extracting and replacing. I've taken two supers so far and looking at another three before treatment time. The other half of this split has layed out seven frames and are busy packing the rest with stores; no super this year but hopefully as productive as its sister hive next year. These are beautiful dark bees but the downside is their love of propolis, the smaller hive is like a treacle factory!

What's the Balsam looking like with you VEG? It seems to be going over a bit here. Most stands are starting to look a bit yellow, which must be a good three weeks earlier than last year

 

[Swarm]

Thats good then, I was worried since I cant get it for about a week that I might be leaving it to late.

You should be good for a few weeks yet I think VEG treated in October last year .... me too.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Balsam still going great guns here, bees as busy as....... bees!
It's only the first week in September so i'm going to hang on a wee while before getting the supers off and treating. A few wasps around, some fairly persistent in trying to get into the hive but they soon come bouncing out with a few guards in tow.