What did you do in the Apiary today?

[tonybloke]

Now sat in Bromsgrove Travelodge looking forward to playing with the big boys!

have fun mate, and keep us posted ( if you get time)

 

[drstitson]

"Now sat in Bromsgrove Travelodge looking forward to playing with the big boy"

too much information surely. I though the sales reps rule was:

"what happens in Travelodge stays in Travelodge"

 

[drstitson]

Eventually Snelgrove A/S'd the hive that i'd found three "supersedure" cells in earlier in the day. Poor weather on and off so when couldn't find HM quickly ended up putting all the bees below and brood above QE for a few hours and then eventually quickly added super and snelgrove with rear top door open. Will check progress Weds/Thurs.

 

[Skyhook]

Took fondant off weakest hive and replaced with 1:1 sugar mix with some honeyBhealthy and Fumidil as they won't be supered for 6 weeks at this rate - still have dummy boards in.

Put 2 supers on strongest hive before going on holiday 10 days ago in case they thought about swarming. Whoops! Weather has obviously not improved, but too many bees for 1 full brood box (and very active in breaks in the rain) so removed 1 super and left the other on.

Enough stores for now, but may consider charging the remaining super with some syrup if they start to run out. Does anyone else out there try that - or should I consider feeding another way, if it comes to it?

Sounds a bit odd to me- I suppose you could, if a) the super is for dbrood and a half not honey, and b) they're on the verge of collapse from starvation, but otherwise, why not just just stick a feeder on?

 

[drstitson]

fumidil (whilst available) should only be used to treat PROVEN nosema NOT for prevention.

and the reason it has been withdrawn is because it is no better than comb change alone.

re syrup - not in supers but if bees in dire need you can charge empty brood frames.

 

[beestie]

Many thanks for your replies Dr S and Skyhook

They are not in dire need now...and the way they are out foraging in the breaks between showers makes me think they'll get through, especially since there's plenty of OSR and other useful sources around me. Didn't want to stick a feeder on if they would charge a super with syrup. If the super has just enough to keep them going (through a spraying of syrup into the cells) til the weather gets better, the final result would be no starvation but a better honey crop. I know; it's all about timing, and a good dose of patience...and the bees have priority over the 'crop'.

I wasn't aware that Fumidil has been withdrawn ( I still have stocks and use it sparingly) but have noticed traces of streaks on the outside of the hive similar to The Riviera Kid's pics from the post today and (probably wrongly) thought it prudent to use as a precaution added to syrup, which of course you can't with fondant. It's a borderline hive, and perhaps I was too keen to discover too much after the holidays and may have stressed them with an intrusive inspection; I don't have a microscope and probably wouldn't trust myself to correctly analyse/diagnose the results if I did. If anyone feels like donating an early Xmas pressie, though...

 

[drstitson]

keep your stock of fumidil for proven cases (it's still useable until it expires)

otherwise a bit of incontinence doesn't mean nosema and vice versa.

 

[beestie]

Now sat in Bromsgrove Travelodge looking forward to playing with the big boys!

Bromsgrove??? Big boys???

 

[beestie]

otherwise a bit of incontinence doesn't mean nosema and vice versa.

So I can still blame the local curry emporium for mine...Fumidil never did taste great with whisky...

 

[sugarbush]

I added queen cell protectors to some cells today. These are my home brew cell protectors.

 

[drstitson]

SB - how do they work? obviously bees can still get at the cells.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

"Now sat in Bromsgrove Travelodge looking forward to playing with the big boy"

too much information surely. I though the sales reps rule was:

"what happens in Travelodge stays in Travelodge"

as an ex naval colleague said once - don't knock it 'til you've tried it - a man's got to have a hobby

 

[sugarbush]

SB - how do they work? obviously bees can still get at the cells.

They are soda bottle bottoms if that wasn't obvious. I punch holes in them with a leather punch, the nurse bees can come and go through the holes, but their small enough to prevent most queens from escaping... Even if a queen escapes it will take her awhile to get into the next cell and I usually catch her first.

 

[drstitson]

Took a quick peek through the clear crownboards on Mons Abs' hives - very well populated although unlikely to be storing anything.

Sunnier now at home so all hives very active - might get warm enough for a little OSR nectar this afternoon.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Took a quick peek through the clear crownboards on Mons Abs' hives - very well populated although unlikely to be storing anything.

Sunnier now at home so all hives very active - might get warm enough for a little OSR nectar this afternoon.

House call by the good doctor bearing bright green gifts from Harper Adams. After getting a couple of the bees to cough and stick out their tongues while expertly wielding a stethoscope he declared them malingerers and stay at home charlatans. Duly chastised they are now out gathering.

 

[drstitson]

now he has time on his hands I presume Mons Ab is aiming to enrol in one of the "mature" entry programmes at Med School given that succinct patient summary!

briefly reached 16C in the sun here before cloud and spitting rain returned just now.

How long at 16C plus does it take OSR to start giving up nectar? minutes, hours or days?

 

[johnmcc]

Did a quick survey of our local fields. In any direction there is at least one fifty acre field of OSR in flower within half a mile - though not full flower quite yet. My nearest field is about 100 yards away. For the last two years we've had virtually none of the smelly yellow stuff, so either the EU has upped the subsidy on OSR or reduced the subsidy on wheat, or the crop rotation has meant our local farmers have all synchronised. Whatever, there's going to be helluva lot of nectar in the next few weeks. Time to dust off the extractor, methinks. Meanwhile I'm dodging angry bees after I did an AS yesterday.

 

[Summerslease]

How did Stockton avoid the rain all day today??? Was it warm enough for the virgin queens in my cast and old hive to get mated? The bee inspector is coming on Wednesday. I hope it is warm and dry enough for an inspection. The forecast says not...
Ah, the joys of an English spring.

 

[Stiffy]

With the weather as it is at present, instead of readying supers think I will get Thymol treatment and ready for winter

Before weather broke again for rest of day, I did check one nuc and first queen of season has managed to get mated and laying well.......think I saw a rain coat and six tiny little wellies in corner of nuc

S


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[drstitson]

johnmcc - £850 a tonne on market at moment. worldwide demand due to bio-fuels and poor harvests in south america.