What did you do in the Apiary today?

[user 3204]

already cut some timbers for my next nuc building project

You'll be selling them next!!

Quite amazing how many friends and acqaintances one can gather through Bee activities...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Been away from the building trade for 25 years - I'd forgotten how relaxing it was working with wood - spent the last week or so nuc building and making new 8'x3' shutters for our old chapel so yes I think before long I will have a slight surplus of nucs!

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Left garage door open all day* in hope of interested scouts putting it high on their list of recommendations for delux accom.

Still a few scouts about but no resulting swarm as yet.




* note to burglars, nothing of value and a swarm of killer bees inside

 

[mark s]

I tripped over and fell face first into a bramble bush so glad no one saw me

 

[victor meldrew]

I tripped over and fell face first into a bramble bush so glad no one saw me

I once did this carrying a box of bees A sneaky bramble offshoot had rerooted in the long grass around the apiary, I got my foot caught in it and the rest is history. Needless to say, since that day my apiary is kept mowed so all is visible . Hard learned lessons are remembered for the longest
VM

 

[witchcraft]

Went up to see my tetchy hive after our queen sieving (Hey Ho the witch is dead) Friday week and new queen installation last Tuesday. Found the queen immediately and found her eggs too. The hive's temperament even though they are still the old queen's girls is much improved too. I'm a much happier bee keeper!

 

[Down Bee]

Trasnferred my first Nuc of bees to my first hive! Now I must wait and watch....

 

[Poly Hive]

Right: here is another example of a queen change and pretty much instant temperament change too.

PH

 

[Beeline]

Welcome to the forum Down Bee.

You've got some work ahead of you getting your nuc ready for the winter but with all the advice available here I'm sure you'll have no troubles. Enjoy.

BL

 

[tonybloke]

gave this to a friend.
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=4752&stc=1&d=1312908046

 

[witchcraft]

Right: here is another example of a queen change and pretty much instant temperament change too.

PH

... and how! Previously there were clouds of bees and they were really pinging off the veil and following for 100+ metres and 20 plus minutes - we ended using a water spray to knock them down and then stamp on them (sorry) so we could get out of the suits of and get in the car - where they still managed to join us and sting us. Today no problems at all and I didn't bother with my cover cloths - pussy cats in fact.

It isn't entirely me and my beginner like ways either, my other hive are pussy cats all the time.

I'm going to enjoy beekeeping again.

Mark

 

[Mike a]

we ended using a water spray to knock them down and then stamp on them (sorry) so we could get out of the suits of and get in the car - where they still managed to join us and sting us.

If you add a small amount of sugar there is no need to stamp on them as the sugar makes them a little sticky and they pause to groom themselves before flying again.

 

[abi-e]

Added my first ever treatment of Apiguard to our feisty hive - they were not happy at all!! Should I reduce the entry space as well? currently wide open and I wondered if they were grumpy because of wasps etc?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Transferred one lot of bees from a 5 frame nuc to 6 frame young queen is doing well - already two frames of capped brood, and I managed to see her, then dropped her under the hive - luckily quickly retrieved and put back on a frame (no harm done I hope!) no sign of brood in the other A/S hive although both queens should have emerged around the same time, loads of young bees out of the main hive on an orientation flight this afternoon - so many I almost thought they were thinking of swarming!!

 

[VEG]

Removed 7 supers today got the same amount to do again tomorrow as not enough supers yet again.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Discovered garage less inviting for bees than wasps who had found a honey laden frame in an unsealed nuc I had forgotten about. Spent a happy half hour zapping them with my electric tennis racquet.

Few more jaspers hanging around the apiary and one or two getting in to a hive. Will reduce the entrances tonight.

 

[VEG]

Removed the rest of my supers and put empty ones back on the hives. Extracted nearly 400lb over last 2 days.

 

[madasafish]

Started varroa treatment - thymol formula from Hivemaker.. towels.. Most hives have minimal varroa but one nuc has 4/day - before treatment.

 

[user 6228]

Vowed never to use a porter bee escape again after the first attempt

 

[george]

Derek, what was the problem with porters?

Also abi-e , no , dont reduce the entrance with Apiguard on the hive , they are likely to worse behaved than they are now .