What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Millet]

Thank you again Richard, i am lucky regarding spring forage as the bees are a stone throw away from a willow wood on marsh land and i planted over 1000 spring bulbs last year to go with all the wild snowdrops, you have put my mind at ease for now lets hope the weather is the same as last year come spring and all should be good.
Steve.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Thank you again Richard, i am lucky regarding spring forage as the bees are a stone throw away from a willow wood on marsh land and i planted over 1000 spring bulbs last year to go with all the wild snowdrops, you have put my mind at ease for now lets hope the weather is the same as last year come spring and all should be good.
Steve.

Thats exactly my point Steve, You think they have plenty when in fact their still burning up last autumns ivy. We have the same here, tons of goat willow, but no real nectar unless its in to 16 degrees C and above, thats the big mistake thats often overlooked. Their bringing in pollen by the bucket load, but little or no nectar!! Dont forget, pollen feeds developing bees, nectar is the carbohydrate to burn for energy and warmth! They can survive without pollen for a while but readily available nectar or honey stores are the most essential to maintain temperatures in the brood nest. Well, thats how i see it, as two different things.

 

[Millet]

Thats exactly my point Steve, You think they have plenty when in fact their still burning up last autumns ivy. We have the same here, tons of goat willow, but no real nectar unless its in to 16 degrees C and above, thats the big mistake thats often overlooked. Their bringing in pollen by the bucket load, but little or no nectar!! Dont forget, pollen feeds developing bees, nectar is the carbohydrate to burn for energy and warmth! They can survive without pollen for a while but readily available nectar or honey stores are the most essential to maintain temperatures in the brood nest. Well, thats how i see it, as two different things.

Point taken Richard.. , i will continue to keep a close eye on the weight and check what additional food they have eaten and top it back up with there own soft set honey or fondent.
Thanks
Steve.

 

[masterBK]

Took some photos of various "legal" ways of detering green woodpeckers from attacking beehives for a presentation. No sign of their activity yet so far this year although one of our members had a few extra ventilation holes put in his hives during the cold spell in November.

 

[bjosephd]

What I did in the Apiary to(the other)day/s...
(this could be long)

Inspected on nice crisp sunny winter day a week or so ago...

All Langstroths...
All hives fed to the max going into autumn with thick sugar syrup (w/hivealive)
All hives' honey left on.
Apiguard treatments spring & autumn.
All bees have unremarkable appearance... i.e. not bright yellow, not 'black'. (i.e. mongrels or/& unknown origin)

Hive 3:
Single BB, solid deep underfloor entrance w/slatted rack, 2016 split, 2016 queen, celotex 'hive cosy' 100mm top/50mm sides, new polycarb clear crown board (LOVE it!).

Many bees busy across the entire top bars.
Had torn through and finished the 3lbs of fondant I had put over the top bars.
Re-fed another 4 or 5 lbs of fondant as not sure when I can get back in.
Nice and dry environment inside the hive.
Not a jot of condensation on the polycarbonate crown board.
This is the hive that is out flying the most... looked like early spring out the front of the hive yesterday! Busy!
It appears to be the 'fullest' hive, but of course the others have double the space.

Hive 2:
Double BB, acquired Bristol swarm 2015 (then it requeened once relocated), solid floor w/slatted rack, celotex 'hive cosy' 100mm top/50mm sides.

Not many bees up at the top, bees on 'sunny corner' of hive.
Had eaten some of 3lbs of fondant.
Added another couple of lbs as not sure when I can get back in.
Nice and dry environment inside the hive.
These bees barely EVER come out! They built up quickly in spring but really don't seem to like the winter. They've always seemed to be a fair-weather colony. I hope they are ok in there. (I can hear them though)
This colony has always used remarkably little propolis - almost none.

Hive 1:
Double BB, swarm moved into baited hive 2015, queen fatality lead to frame of eggs added from local beek leading to 2015 mated queen, OMF open (well sheltered), 100mm celotex 'hat'.

Not many bees up at top, bees on 'sunny side' of hive.
Had eaten very little (the least) of 3lbs of fondant.
Added another couple of lbs as not sure when I can get back in.
The bees come out in winter, but not as much as Hive 3 I don't think. Built up slowly in spring (relative to Hive 2).
This colony plasters the hive up with propolis like billio, they gum up everything! But are very good at sealing up gaps between boxes I guess.
This hive I foolishly and ignorantly interrupted what was (in hindsight) clearly attempted supercedure last year, potentially was becoming a bit of a drone layer (drones were about for a looong time)... hopefully I didn't balls up their management completely.
Therefore this is the hive I am most worried about.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Last spring my two wintered hives were a bit damp and mouldy on the top bars, this year this doesn't appear to be happening at all (so far!).

No swarming or swarm preps last season.

A small amount of DWV spotted in early spring 2016, but once season ramped up was not present/visible at all on watching hives or during inspections.

I obviously have all my bits crossed for spring!

 

[george]

Hefted everything . All still have plenty of weight. Two small very late swarms still alive and half way through a back of fondant.

 

[JWF]

Vaped (2nd weekly treatment)- quite a large drop since last weeks treatment so it doesn't look like the autumn treatment was very effective.

Checked fondant - half the hives are getting tucked into it already.

Meanwhile, all hives were flying and these old plant pots looked to be a popular meeting place - presumably they were taking advantage of the sunshine to get a relatively warm bit of water out of the compost.

 

[Goran]

I forgot for how long we hadn't plus temps, but for weekend seems will have temps around 0C..

Bees are much higher and further in a fog on a pic..
All are hoping for decent season as we have proper winter..

The weather prognosis was wrong ... again
At our place it serve as entertainment more than informative..

Now is something like: warm with cold periods or cold with warm periods or ... ( I couldn't resist )

 

[JWF]

The weather prognosis was wrong ... again
At our place it serve as entertainment more than informative..

Now is something like: warm with cold periods or cold with warm periods or ... ( I couldn't resist )

Looks like cold with cold periods to me!

 

[Goran]

Looks like cold with cold periods to me!

I must agree

 

[Plenty of honey]

The weather prognosis was wrong ... again
At our place it serve as entertainment more than informative..

Now is something like: warm with cold periods or cold with warm periods or ... ( I couldn't resist )

HA we get that here too, its called "covering your ass"
Weather forecasters just forecast little of everything, that way their never wrong!!

 

[Michael Palmer]

The weather forecasters here don't bother predicting future conditions. They tell us, "If you don't like the weather you have now, wait 10 minutes".

 

[BrianO]

The weather forecasters here don't bother predicting future conditions. They tell us, "If you don't like the weather you have now, wait 10 minutes".

Or if you live here in Ireland... 5 Minutes

 

[Erichalfbee]

Vaped (2nd weekly treatment)- quite a large drop since last weeks treatment so it doesn't look like the autumn treatment was very effective.

.

Not necessarily
Post treatment re infestation is not uncommon

 

[bjosephd]

Oh dear...

Big fat bumbling drone outside Hive 1 today.

I don't feel that is a good sign... especially as this is the hive I believe I interrupted supersedure and appeared to be getting a bit droney.

 

[Goran]

Oh dear...

Big fat bumbling drone outside Hive 1 today.

I don't feel that is a good sign... especially as this is the hive I believe I interrupted supersedure and appeared to be getting a bit droney.

Usually if I am not sure during winter, I knock with finger on hive wall. If buzzing come loud and fast quieting queen is present. If buzzing still remain strong after knocking very very likely there is no queen.

 

[bjosephd]

Usually if I am not sure during winter, I knock with finger on hive wall. If buzzing come loud and fast quieting queen is present. If buzzing still remain strong after knocking very very likely there is no queen.

I fear they might still have a queen, but she may be doing little but laying the odd drone or 10.

 

[Goran]

I fear they might still have a queen, but she may be doing little but laying the odd drone or 10.

At my place I leave it be and wait spring to open. Some beeks I know if are sure that colony is "sinking", shake out bees in warmer periods in winter, I don't.

 

[bjosephd]

... Some beeks I know if are sure that colony is "sinking", shake out bees in warmer periods in winter, I don't.

Well that sounds a bit bonkers.

 

[Goodwood]

MasterBK,
Regarding woodpeckers.
I had all my hives in one apiary attacked in the autumn.
A friend who is a pest controller suggested BirdFree Fire gel repellent.
I stuck one on each hive....its like a little Petri dish filled with gel.
The birds see in UV and it looks to them like a fire is sitting on each hive.
This scares them off
I havent had a single attack since.
I have left the transparent lid on the dish as the gel is stickyand i didnt want to risk the bees getting stuck.
The bees do not seem to be bothered.