What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Gilberdyke John]

Reconquering the USA on the cards then?

Send Sanders of the river with a gunboat?

 

[bjosephd]

Remember, no importing then... Only export.

Whaaat!? Oh noooo!

I'll have to move to Costa Rica then, I can't do without my coffee. No imports, no coffee, no life.

I wonder what Costa Rican beekeeping is like?


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[bjosephd]

Reconquering the USA on the cards then?

Stand by for the Revocation of Independence!


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[masterBK]

I wonder what Costa Rican beekeeping is like?


Don't they have africanised bees there.

 

[bjosephd]

I wonder what Costa Rican beekeeping is like?


Don't they have africanised bees there.

Great! They'll defend my coffee crop well!


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[Stiffy]

Trading Standards Visit

Had a visit from Trading Standards to check honey jar labels. Apparently, anyone on their system is subject to a random check, our business popped up on their system as a need to check label conformity.
Nice chap, came a few months ago at our request as we had changed a couple of things in honey room and we wanted to ensure we were okay with our bottling procedures etc.
My better half is a stickler when it comes to making sure everything is okay and clean, the labels are all good.....
Must say, its a bit of a shock to have them just turn up though!
S

 

[Beefriendly]

I wonder what Costa Rican beekeeping is like?

Lots of native stingless bees. Predominantly Melipona beecheii that are, to this day, still hived in horizontal log hives and harvested for their honey.

 

[bjosephd]

Lots of native stingless bees. Predominantly Melipona beecheii that are, to this day, still hived in horizontal log hives and harvested for their honey.

I often wonder how 'stingless' would effect the hobby of beekeeping.

I wonder if the 'dangerous animal' is part of the allure/challenge etc. Even the challenge of breeding friendly calm and mellow bees?

Would we all be quite so passionate about it all if we were essentially just keeping 'honey flies'?

(Maybe the day after having my eyebrow stung and looking like I'd been beaten with a baseball bat I might not have been so romantic about it!! That was a rough couple of days.)


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[Erichalfbee]

Put fondant above a feeder hole on one colony. They were happily walking about the top bars with only a degree or so outside. Brrrrrrr
They came out the front to get me and I got stung
Good job I didn't try to put it on the top bars

 

[Millet]

I was sat idle today so i knocked 2kg of fondant up, its not in the Apiary yet but it will be after the weekend.

 

[Millet]

Put fondant above a feeder hole on one colony. They were happily walking about the top bars with only a degree or so outside. Brrrrrrr
They came out the front to get me and I got stung
Good job I didn't try to put it on the top bars

I always wear my veil whatever the weather, after my sting in the ear hole a couple of years back i want to make sure it never happens again.. lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes......and I tell people to do that

 

[Millet]

Yes......and I tell people to do that

 

[Tim.S]

Consolidating the hives today - in other words getting them all in one place instead of spread out over 25 acres. We will have men working here later in the year and I can put a high fence around them to keep humans and bees separate as far as possible. It was nice and cold but I stuffed the entrances and moved the hives in a wheelbarrow and the girls didn't give a damn. I shall leave them closed off for a while longer and probably place some magic twigs around as they have been moved between 10 metres and 200 metres so will have plenty off opportunity to find their way back to the original sites!

 

[rdmw]

Almost finished making my honey warming cabinet. Just needs a final sand, varnish and the lid clips screwed on, then go to go. Only problem is that I have sold much of the honey harvest and eaten most of the rest. Never mind there is always next season....


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[rdmw]

Next project is a solar wax extractor, just need some warm sunny weather


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[Barbarian]

Took advantage of the cold weather to put an extra coat of preservative on the hives. Didn't linger ... too cold.

 

[Tremyfro]

We went to Homebase to buy some bags of bark chippings....apparently, they have been bought out by an Australian company...and are selling some items off cheaply...lucky us. The bark is destined for the Bee Yard...to go over double terram as a weed control. We are on the home stretch now with the Bee Yard build. Then I can concentrate on plants ...at last.
Oh yes...the snowdrops are out and the catkins...my bees are flying on warm days

 

[birdsandbees]

We went to Homebase to buy some bags of bark chippings....apparently, they have been bought out by an Australian company...and are selling some items off cheaply...lucky us. The bark is destined for the Bee Yard...to go over double terram as a weed control. We are on the home stretch now with the Bee Yard build. Then I can concentrate on plants ...at last.
Oh yes...the snowdrops are out and the catkins...my bees are flying on warm days

yes, Bunnings I believe, I've noticed quite a change in the type and price of the stock, used to give Homebase a wide birth for many things but they are actually pretty competitive these days.

 

[Little John]

A tad chilly over here today - being next to the North Sea an' all .... Had a couple of hours of snow this morning, but luckily it didn't settle. Glad the fondant's on.
LJ