What did you do in the Apiary today?

[taff..]

Wow. Was this yours or someone else's?

mine.

I did an AS on the 1st April, then it went cold and I went away for a week, Friday 13th was my first chance to go over and see them and this lot were about 10M from the apiary. boxed them up on friday, hived them saturday morning.

I wanted to increase this year anyway

 

[user 6228]

finally shut up shop on the hive that lost its queen over winter... the last 3 bees are still alive but only just...

 

[drex]

All 4 hives are doing very well, after the early warm start. 3 are on brood and half and one on double brood, both boxes with plenty of brood. A week ago they all had sufficient stores. 3 are OK but today had to feed one of the brood and half as it was nearly out of stores.

We are surrounded by OSR, just too damn cold for the bees to go and get it. Lesson learned.

 

[victor meldrew]

I inspected mine in spite of the cool conditions
Good job 3 required supering
One has no brood eggs , queen not seen . Odd all ok 24 March.
No queen cells either .
Strange things happen
Newbies only (what do you think is going on?)
VM

 

[REDWOOD]

I inspected mine in spite of the cool conditions
Good job 3 required supering
One has no brood eggs , queen not seen . Odd all ok 24 March.
No queen cells either .
Strange things happen
Newbies only (what do you think is going on?)
VM

How new is new VM

 

[victor meldrew]

I've been keeping bees 20, odd years and still consider myself new
I was however aiming at 3rd year beekeepers , this being the year when one assumes one knows all the answers
VM

 

[whiteoakjill]

is it a trick question as you only have 3!

 

[REDWOOD]

OK 18 days since last inspection, queen could have hatched 2 days ago and swarmed and the bees cleaned away the old queen cell, If she was clipped, would explain a full hive of bees, can you see a new queen ?
Go on VM pull me apart !!!!!

 

[Pete D]

Spent the weekend finishing off over hauling these 8 hives that I picked up recently for a song..., bit of filler, glue, nails and green 'ducks back' and ready to go.
Mixture of std and 14 x 12 nationals.
Ready for swarm control.
Just add bees............

Pete D

 

[beesleybees]

Pete, yer cant tell us you picked them up for a song and not tell us how much they actually were!! come on, tell us, we all want to know

 

[REDWOOD]

Spent the weekend finishing off over hauling these 8 hives that I picked up recently for a song..., bit of filler, glue, nails and green 'ducks back' and ready to go.
Mixture of std and 14 x 12 nationals.
Ready for swarm control.
Just add bees............

Pete D

Like the colour english green the same as mine, could not find Welsh green in B&Q LL

 

[Silly Bee]

I inspected mine in spite of the cool conditions
Good job 3 required supering
One has no brood eggs , queen not seen . Odd all ok 24 March.
No queen cells either .
Strange things happen
Newbies only (what do you think is going on?)
VM

Last inspection you were clumsy and squashed HM, they made a new one, now you wait and see.

 

[For want of a better word]

Forgot the matches.

Sun was shining brightly.. so in true Ray Meares fash lit smoker with the magnifying glass I carry as I am a Myopic old ex scout!
Smoker seemed to burn longer and much smokier than usual ... no wonder bees are black !

 

[Pete D]

A song............. the wife might not agree.........
I sold 2 nucs and re-invested the proceeeds and got £60 change.........after picking up the hives and stands and enough flat pack frames and foundation to fill all the broods.
No I didnt negotiate, just paid what he wanted. I didnt want the 2 WBC'S he had left for £20 each..........but I know a man who did.
Pete

 

[Alphakillpestie]

I have been optimistic, made up frames for all the boxes and supers I have on hand.

Several boxes now have foundation fitted "just in case"

total 18 brood boxes and 14 supers ready and waiting for action

Bunny

 

[Dilligaf]

Started off as a quick inspection today as it was chilly & I didn't want to disturb them too much. Not been in for 2 weeks as it has not been too warm here.
Found a queen cup with Larva in the rather full brood below a nearly full super. Good job I checked.
2nd super now on . Will have to check the state of the queen cell later this week.
Just need to cut a crown board to finish the new hive I have built, must pick up a sheet of ply on the way home tomorrow.

 

[scuttlefish]

Scraped two good fistfulls of (bright yellow) brace comb out of the roof space and added a super - half drawn comb, half undrawn. On a seven day inspection cycle now as there's OSR just over a mile away so need to watch the ladies don't run out of space.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Did naff all over the weekend except watch the thermometer and make up a few frames.

Long term forecast much of the same so I'm getting close to just diving in regardless to check for QCs.

Hate seeing all the OSR around being unused as well, while I think they are getting some in, its way off what it should be. Considering asking a farmer if I can move a hive or two to a field to remove the need for the 1mile flights, as volume wise OSR should be my principle crop.

 

[george]

Much the same here , osr out but it hasnt got that heavy smell yet that seems to be the trigger for good foraging . Bit of polllen coming off it though .

Put 2 supers on all strong colonies and 1 on the not so strong .(saturday)

 

[Chris Luck]

I understand that OSR needs 16°C to flow and 20°C to really get going.

Chris