What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Heather]

Collected a revolting swarm!

Called to a swarm in a council bin- due for collection... bees spilling out of the top, so yes, was honey bees.
They had explored every bit of foul smelling, mouse evidenced food packet, and then gathered in bulk right at the bottom of the bin. I couldnt even reach down far enough and was just pleased I had gloves and a suit on. After I emptied every scrap of refuse out I then tipped the bin over and thumped them out onto the pavement. They must have been pleased to get into a box to escape the stench. Those scout bees will be in for a pasting!! Poor decision by them!

Now safely in a hive. Shame I am trying to reduce numbers at my apiary and have collected another 3 today. Him indoors just groaned

 

[george]

The gamekeeper on the estate we have a good number of hives on decided that the under keeper had been stung enough by bees in one of the apiary sites . So last night approaching dark we foamed up all 7 hives and moved them 10 miles away .
Not easy to do when 2 were x2 broods and 4 or 5 supers high . Anyway , job done and the delivery of Pheasant poults should go without incident this morning . Hopefully .
G

 

[Luminos]

Collected a revolting swarm!

Called to a swarm in a council bin- due for collection... bees spilling out of the top, so yes, was honey bees.
They had explored every bit of foul smelling, mouse evidenced food packet, and then gathered in bulk right at the bottom of the bin. I couldnt even reach down far enough and was just pleased I had gloves and a suit on. After I emptied every scrap of refuse out I then tipped the bin over and thumped them out onto the pavement. They must have been pleased to get into a box to escape the stench. Those scout bees will be in for a pasting!! Poor decision by them!

Now safely in a hive. Shame I am trying to reduce numbers at my apiary and have collected another 3 today. Him indoors just groaned

Now you can say:
Bin there, done that...

 

[Heather]

 

[Chris Luck]

All this talk of bees having problems and yet it seems most keepers have too many. I'm starting to dread the phone ringing with yet more bees for collection....yet another lot yesterday.....

....perhaps it's time someone informed the media that generally honey bees are doing just hunky dory.

Chris

 

[Heather]

yes, Don't want them myself- but a swarm is a nuisance to the public too and need to reduce that factor. I give them away.

 

[Chris Luck]

Quite, but non the less there is a continuous load of old cobblers about bees being in decline and the end is near blah, blah blah... the reality is supply and demand and gravy trains.

Chris

 

[Queens59]

Hived my last swarm into a poly nuc box...and hoping hard that the neighbour who watched us catch them buys the hive as he hoped to so that they can go to him!!! I am supposed to be lowering numbers to make (an eventual) move easier - mmmm not much success yet...

 

[Chris58]

Joined MJBee to cut out a hive between a window and shutter on a first floor window. Very calm bees and temp around 26 degrees in end. With a load of thought, MJBee got them all into hive, I know he'll post the pics later. Then checked our bees. Swarm we picked up a week ago settling in, no eggs, think it's a virgin queen but drawing out nicely into every bit of board. The hive I artifically swarmed last week that had 12 QCs had eggs and brood this week and had about another 6 QCs, so super on top, MJBee sorted out best cell and we left them to it. Old queen and flyers working well in new hive as well - she's laying well. Swarms everywhere here.

 

[ma1308]

pity I am not closer to you I would have had them off you :-(

 

[madasafish]

Test frame into TBH with lots of bees and queen stopped laying . Can't find queen.

 

[nosmoking]

Got all the gear ready to finish national. Everything ready and then it peed down with rain! Rushed to get it all in the dry. 10 minutes later it's dry as a bone. Sod it! Tomorrow will do.

 

[Chris Luck]

Yet another swarm.

32°C in the shade.

Loads of bees clustered outside their hives - I think they've been drinking.

Chris

 

[alysonmaria]

Got my first bee sting!
Actually wasn't half as painful as I thought it would bee

 

[VEG]

just wait till the itching starts lol

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In the morning, waited eagerly for the postman to deliver my new queen all the way from Wild and wooly West Wales; He was a bit intrigued at an envelope of bees! - weather was a bit iffy , dampish mist but quite warm - I opened up strongest hive, inspected it and took out some frames of brood and stores to make up a nuc for her and let it settle for a few hours (took a few stings to the fingertips for my trouble!).
This afternoon, blazing sunshine and all's right with the world inspected no 2 hive, nicely full of bees even with the foragers out in force. Then put HM in her introduction cage in the nuc which is sited in the second part of the garden which I'm working on - out of sight of the house (shall we now call it the secret garden?) I'd stuffed the entrance with grass as advised by HM and the flying bees had already managed to make a tight single bee sized entrance, conducted orientation flights and were now busily bringing in forage (I was confident it would work, but that fast! ) Queen now ensconced, will open again in a few days to remove the tape from the intruduction tube.
Checked the Garn cottage bees (a few miles away) they had been struggling a bit but now drawing comb, the queen laying well with a good brood pattern - super on next week I think.
Now checking my shopping list ready for the Maisy Moore sale on saturday (a few people have put their orders in!)

 

[MuswellMetro]

#chased a swarm that absconded ( 2nd in two days but missed both) then went on to my university roof hives and with diffculty got access as someone had double locked the door onto the roof so my pass did not work...took an almost an hour to get it opened

Then adfter lunch went on to finish inspecting my main apairy.............eggs still awaited in two colonies , all the rest are queen right even if some will need requeening as too aggressive ( italian strain crossing with local black bees)

i then went to the Association's Isolation apiary and fed my recent caught castes that for their size have drawn well

 

[jackbee]

Now you can say:
Bin there, done that...

i like that - it's wheely good

 

[jackbee]

Helped collect a swarm on a fence post. Only my second collection, both on posts - I want a branch one next

I LOVE collecting swarms - such a buzz

 

[Orpheus64]

What did I do in the Apiary today

I'm looking after a friends bees whilst he is on holiday. His bees don't like me much. Everytime I visit them they go for me. 3 stings today... just from one colony. I decided not to do the others, will try again later. I can't help thinking that bees get to know their keepers, mine are great (touch wood).