What did you do in the Apiary today?

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I have just been out in a downpour of biblical proportions to feed all mine with hubby obligingly holding brolly over hives.
Just as we did the last a gust turned the umbrella inside out, knocking him over, and it took off across the field.
 
Watched the rain.

Finished of two more Warre boxes.

Prepared to strip another old quail house roof for parts.

Listened to the rain.
 
put extra heavy stones on all hive roofs (3) Watched the wind and rain. Same as bees, not very happy. Ian.
 
OK so it wasn't today, but last week just after dropping the kids off at school I was chased down the village by an elderly lady, "Jim, there are some bees in our hedge" my immediate thought was bumbles, the same as the last 'swarm' in our tenant's bird-box.

The wife, the dog and I walked back with her and there in the hedge between them and the village hall was a lovely sized swarm; apparently they had been there since 4pm the day before so I decided I'd better get my skates on.

I rushed back home grabbed my as yet unused skep, my beesuit, smoker, secateurs, sheets and all the other gubbins I thought I may need and rushed back up the village. I gave the bees a quick spritz with water to keep them there and set everything up. The swarm was at chest height and attached to a couple of spindly twigs, the skep slipped under the swarm and a quick shake of the hedge and they were in the skep. I flipped it over onto the sheet, propped it up a little and watched as the remaining bees slowly went in to join the queen. I trimmed the hedge where they had started to build wax while I waited. After about 45 mins there were only about ten or fifteen bees in the air so I decided to wrap up the skep and cart it home. I must admit I got some strange looks walking dutifully behind the wife and dog through the village with my beesuit on and a buzzing parcel in my arms.

I didn't have the time to hive them that night, so I left them overnight in the garage still in the skep. The following evening I said to Mrs B I'm going to walk them into a hive "What?" was the reply, closely followed after a brief description by "Why?"
"Because I want to try it".
"You're mad, isn't it easier to tip them in?"
"Yes, but I'm not going to"
"They're your bees, but don't think I'm helping you fetch them out of a tree when they b****r off"
"It's OK the neighbour will help me"

So there I am with the hive set up, a ramp to the entrance with a cloth over it, 3lb of bees in a skep and an audience consisting of my wife and two kids all suited up and the dog who wasn't. I tipped the bees out and they all sat there in a buzzing and untidy heap, after five minutes or so they were still there and the seeds of doubt were germinating. After what seemed like a lifetime there were suddenly half a dozen bees inspecting the hive entrance closely followed by a steady stream of them, phew!

We watched them slowly move in but had a more than mild panic when we saw the queen who was walking around the entrance take off, "STAND STILL, DON'T MOVE" were my first words and everyone did apart from the dog, who doesn't like raised voices. Thankfully we shortly saw the queen had returned and was skipping over the top of the other bees and darting into the hive.

The end result is that they are still here nearly a week on, Mrs B has been telling everyone how fascinating it was to watch, the kids have had some wild comb from the skep to take to 'show and tell' and the dog came back.

The bizarre thing about it all was that I became a keeper of bees (I don't know enough to be a beekeeper yet) on the 18th of May (my birthday) last year when I and a real beekeeper collected a swarm from the local tech college and I collected this swarm, on my own this time, on my birthday too; if it happens again next year I'll let you know.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMD2v90EL8M"]Video of the queen finally going into the hive[/ame]
 
I went to the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex and played with their bees and liquid Nitrogen with Chris B

Got cornered on the train going there by a member of BIBBA who told how wonderful AMM are and how nasty my AML are
 
I went to the Laboratory of Apiculture and Social Insects (LASI) at the University of Sussex and played with their bees and liquid Nitrogen with Chris B

Got cornered on the train going there by a member of BIBBA who told how wonderful AMM are and how nasty my AML are

Yeah, I did that too. But not with Chris B. Or you. Or the others on the dark side I knew were going Monday. So who WERE the Saturday lot???

Wed/Thurs grafted larvae in and around N Wales.

Sunday late, recovered the biggish caste (ours:blush5:) that I tried to lock in a box as we were heading out Thursday after they'd tried to leg it back into the hedge twice. They were tucked under the roof of the big htbh with three combs...
 
I moved three large containers of sunflowers, and pots full of borage plants into my small apiary in an effort to spoil my newly gotten bees....one 5 frame nuc from my local association on the free bee scheme, and a tiny caste from the bait box in my apple tree. The caste is so small probably noone else would bother with it......but they are mine, I don't yet have many bees, and I intend to do the best I can for them.

JCD - Very newbee
 
Soo, the local association 'free bee scheme' is on loan only?

Don't let them develop into too large a colony, then!

The odd frame of emerging brood finding it's way temporarily (a week should be more than enough) into your cast (no 'e') would benefit them tremendously. By the end of the season, you could relinquish your 'option to buy', if there is one, on your loan colony, or make a low offer if they are not so strong in bee numbers!

I can be devious at times!

RAB
 
hived a nuc and a box off bees well yesterday not today
 
"Soo, the local association 'free bee scheme' is on loan only?"

I have the option to buy the hive + bees at the end of my two year mentoring period for a discount price, or hand it all back. I assembled the hive, and the bees arrived in a nuc on Saturday. I transferred them to the hive on Sunday.
Thank you for the suggestion of helping my cast with a frame of brood from the strong hive......great idea......the cast queen is certainly semi, if not totally mated now......should I leave it a week or so before I introduce a frame of brood ? I feel they all need to settle in undisturbed. I've given them both a small feed of sugar syrup.
 
I would wait before introducing a frame of brood as keeping it warm requires more bees - an issue if the weather is cold and windy. And when you do insert it,choooose one just about to hatch so the hatched bees can get to work at once..and not be a drain on resources. Ensure you have enough stores as well.

BWDIK.
 
inspected my Beehives, all of them :Angel_anim:

started at 10:00am ,had a pork pie at 1:00pm, a cup of tea at 4.00pm , picked up a swarm at5:00pm and finished at 7:25pm by moving a 3mile nuc back to it start apiary total 96 miles driving:auto:

then collapsed, in the armchair
 
spent a lovely half hour watching what I think must be young 'uns having a little go at flying. They walked onto the landing board, took off for a bit of a flap around, then landed again. Little sweeties, they look all bright and sparkly.
 
Checked hives and heared a virgin queen in a nuc..first time ive ever heared the piping.... Would this be one that has hatched or one hatching???
 
Popped to association apiary & picked up my bees.

After a bit of scrambling about in the fading light got them set up and opened up. One or two had a quick look but not keen to brave dark!

Now have to keep hands off until weekend to let them settle in.

V excited!:cheers2:
 
Yeterday now....checked and 3 out of 4 now ex virgins laying as eggs seen so windy weather hasn't stopped them which is good news as I was a little worried. Also checked new supers I put on last week, one above the crown board (holes open) wet to be cleaned up. Wasn't expecting to see much with talk of the flow now ending but 2 supers filled and the one I put on for cleaning now nearly full again. Am away for the BH week so busy trying to get supers empty again now.

Found this year hive numbers have more then trippled in size and I have more bees than I do equipment. Was thinking of uniting but they are all good sized hives. Plan at beginning of year was to increase from 2 hives to possibly 3 or 4 I now have 6 and a nuc.

Toby - I think It could have been either, I have heard hatched queens and in cells piping. Always brings a smile when I hear it.
 
3 out of 4 now ex virgins laying as eggs seen

Just interested in how you know they are ex- virgins?

Probability is on your side but they could be DLQs!

RAB
 

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