What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Dusty Rhodes]

Utter tosh,
S


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Brave man!


Watch it, or you will have a gunboat cruising up behind you.


D

 

[user 6228]

50% of the owned 10 million UK domestic cats catching one a week 20 weeks of the year = 100 million birds.

magpies not guilty
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/effect_on_songbirds.aspx

a reduction in cat population would be more effective, or an increase in available habitat

 

[Chris Luck]

Magpies, Jays, Crows, Buzzards etc all nest on my land without interference ALONG with about 30 or so other bird species year after year after year...

....so yes, complete tosh, it's a habitat issue, (and cats that are not part of the native eco system).

Chris

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think we shall have to differ on this one, although one thing I will say, the RSPB is the last organisation I'd look for facts, they are now more concerned with generating income to the detriment of some avian species. BTO has a much more balanced view.
In my area, virtually no hedgerow loss, no pesticides but still a decrease in the songbird population and a massive rise in corvids, but I have (on more than one occasion) seen magpies lay waste to nests.
I have no doubt that pesticides play their part in the problem but there are other factors (cats, I agree is one of them)

 

[poshpikey]

Habitat and predator levels both affect song bird levels.

A few years back the EU wanted to make it harder to control magpie levels (by setting seasons when they couldn't be controlled). This was because with the introduction of the larsen traps (for magpies) some fruit growing areas had suffered from greatly increased damage to the crops as a result of damage from an increased number of songbirds. Clearly reducing the levels of magpies and other corvids benefits the songbird population. (This has also been shown in numerous GWCT surveys/experiments.)

 

[Chris Luck]

Clearly reducing the levels of magpies and other corvids benefits the songbird population.

Nothing like stating the obvious, reducing traffic benefits the song bird population as well.

Here in this part of France there is very little control of Corvids really, and there are also a lot more other predators for song birds than in the UK, (Stone marten, Genet, Western whip snakes are all common and eat song birds and their young). Birds of Prey, some 20 species, are also common. None of this does more than play its natural part in maintaining a balanced sustainable population across the board whereby everything lives and eats.

Chris

 

[poshpikey]

....so yes, complete tosh, it's a habitat issue
Chris

Good to see you've changed your mind in the last hour then!

 

[Chris Luck]

What are you talking about Pikey?

It's clearly a habitat issue in the first instance which is probably why the wildlife of France is still better than that of the UK, simply because there is more space and a greater diversity to start with. Threats and losses here are the same though, we are losing habitat, mainly to hedgerow loss, monoculture, loss of wetlands, (50% in the last 50 years), loss of ponds, (used to be several for each small group of houses, 90% gone in he last 50 years).

Cats are an introduced non native species, just as are mink, american crayfish, grey squirrels, harlequin ladybirds and so on. Invariably introduced species have a detrimental, if not catastrophic affect on native species, hence the increase in cats is not natural. Perhaps it would be better to shoot cats rather than Corvids?

Chris

 

[pigletwillie]

Back onto the thread . its a gloriously sunny morning so I checked the hive. they have drawn out and laid in a couple more frames so hopefully before long if this weather holds I will be adding a super. Lots of eggs, larva, sealed brood and quite a bit of stores already on the frames.

The bees were very docile, no smoke required and once the lid was back on tolerated me standing to one side without any angst at all.

 

[beeboybee]

come back from checking my hives...... feeling pretty rubbish, both hives are rather grumpy, no stings but plant of persistent bee pinging off the vail, then for the first time i was followed by 4 bees who where insistent on flying into my vail straight for the eyes. today i hate my bees! i think i might be about to succumb to the the newbee allotment disaster statistic!!!! this is my third year and so far everything has been good but this last couple of month they have been right nasty little bees!

 

[BBG]

50% of the owned 10 million UK domestic cats catching one a week 20 weeks of the year = 100 million birds.

magpies not guilty
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/m/magpie/effect_on_songbirds.aspx

a reduction in cat population would be more effective, or an increase in available habitat

A newly arrived neighbour dug up a 40' hedge and cut down two apple trees after being there six months.

Why?

Because he couldn't stand seeing his newly bought cat catching birds or fledglings that had left the nests in the hedge or trees and gone onto the lawn to feed on the crumbs he put out!

His pet python (which will die immediately it slips over the fence) is however 'Nature' as he calls it.

More swarms, more AS more Queen disappearances/failures to mate.

Most are quiet, a few suspiciously aggressive, had three stings yesterday, one for no reason, OH also had one.

We might start wearing gloves if it gets worse.

 

[george]

Through everything yesterday . All good apart from 3 which had sealed QCs but original still there . Made up QR nucs and moved them off site . Released virgin into what was left and destroyed the rest .
This morning a 14 12 nuc into full hive . One single box national with 2 supers all clear . One 14 12 cant make up its mind , two weeks ago it had a supercedure cell which was torn down a week later . This week 6 or 7 scrappy cells and no eggs or larvae , so queen looked for and not found . Broke down all but the best cell and left them to it . Look again in 3 weeks .
Probably poorly mated queen earlier this Spring .
G

 

[Poggle]

Went to allotment and had a look at the new nuc from yesterday, one or two bees flying in and out in the rain, nothing from my "own" hive.

 

[circe]

Day 16 following queen removal - had left (thought) only one cell in main hive on marked frame. Quick check with stethoscope today - piping - no option but to open hive - bees foraging well and good tempered, only used mister. Capped cell had lid sealed back by bees, opened up and out she came. Shut hive. 1 hour later still piping. Open hive again in search for missing queen cell bees shaken off frames - no sealed cells - hardly any brood!! shut hive. Still piping..... anyone ever had bees keep their hatched virgins apart determined to swarm when weather suits. Or do I need a trip to specsavers..... In retrospect(!) I wish I had put the capped and resealed cell in a nuc. Live and learn..... Bait hive optimistically vacant

 

[Poggle]

bees foraging well and good tempered, only used mister.

This is the first time I have heard of using a mister instead of smoke when doing an inspection. What are the main pros and cons of this over smoke?

 

[VEG]

I always take one with me as smoke winds up one colony I have but the water spray keeps them down.

 

[drstitson]

Got in from lunch to find garden rather bee-ey. eventually settled with no sign of swarm. however a bit later i discovered a 1/2 pt cluster of bees in a recess of a mini pallet that i had previously used as a hive stand - there had been a few bees snooping around it first thing this am.

now homed in a Keiler.

 

[jackbee]

Watched as 2 drones were dragged out of hive and dumped over side. Seems a bit early to be kicking out but seems bees don't think so.

Also finally got angle right on home-made landing board edge so it sits flush on support and side of hive, only 2nd attempt too lol

Took off entrance block with small hole yesterday but totally open entrance just seems too big so got a piece of strip wood and made up 2 smaller entrance block pieces to place each side to give decent sized entrance but not huge.

really enjoying bees and making up kit, never been a woodworker but slowly getting into it.

 

[Ziggymole]

I opened a hive for the first time ever today and was allowed to take out frames, look at them closely (I won't call it inspection as that sounds as if I knew what I was looking at). What a buzz - fantastic, exciting, nerve racking experience. I'm completely hooked, I want my own bees NOW, but know I have sooo much more to learn. Patience girl, patience

 

[circe]

Hi Poggle

no cons - as long as you gently mist the bees and don't use it excessively. Different hives may react differently, but it works well for my hives.

I put a bee feed additive product in that smells like lemon balm and I find it helps calm the bees - I mist the air around me before I open hive and I use it as necessary to clear them from the frmae tops . I do keep a smoker handy though...rather not have to use it than need to light up in haste. My colonies are smallish (brood and half nationals) and the bees ( 4th generation crosses) are very gentle. I also use cover cloths washed each hive inspection. I only have 3 hives + a nuc so it's not too much faff for me. I tend to - spray myself with the mister when I have finished dragging the barrow to the top of the field!