What did you do in the Apiary today?

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cleaned the extracting room ready for some of the supers to come off.
 
Well moved my brood and a half to my garden from a friends apiary, just wish the sun was still shining so I could go and see them.
 
Yesterday I finally finished my latest inspection round of all my colonies. Due to work commitments (working away) it had been almost a month since they were inspected. Please to say that on the whole most colonies were ok. I have had to do 2 combines due to Q- (probably swarmed like crazy just after I left!).

I have removed quite a few empty supers but there are still some almost full supers on some of the hives. One thing I did notice is that some of the colonies on double BB's had filled the upper BB with honey and not put much in the super.
May mean I don't get any crop from those colonies but at least I shouldn't have to feed them for winter!

So overall I'm happy with the state of the colonies despite having to be away so long and not being able to find a local beekeeper to cover 15+ hives at short notice!
 
Did our weekly inspection. One have while having BAAS was absoltuely vile - 15 stings just removing the super...I retreated afer becoming so covered I couldn't see! Either HM is not up to the job or they are very protective of their stores...We removed 50-60lb again so looking at 120lb for the year...But it has taken 3 years to get here...
 
Association apiary this morning, checked my hive the lovely blue queen is going great guns and has filled five frames with brood and all but two frames are drawn, these bees are so laid back it's unbelievable. Checked a few more hives and home bit tired after the last hectic day.
Yesterday not technically apairy but our annual carnival (i was busy in the beer tent - my fishing club had joined forces with the football club who share our premises and we were running to raise funds for us and the carnival - i was licensee)
The theme for the carnival was 'the queen' or 'the olympics' and as the club's carnival float organisers were a bit unresolved as to what they would do I suggested...... guess what:D so all spare beesuits taken over for the adults stylised beehives made from old packing polystyrene plus on SWMBO's orders an empty Brynmair hive was drafted in (how did she know I had spares?!) kids dressed up as bees (various) and other pollinators and voila we had the queen bee's garden party. they won best float in category and best overall!.I never saw the finished float as i was in a funeral but I shall endeavour to get photos from SWMBO who at the moment is just learning the lesson that ten pints of lager in a petite 5'4" body has it's side effects :D
 
Extracted 1 super full of bolsom honey... Lots yet to cap in hives looking good thats 240lb of osr honey and 30 bolsom off 7 hives hopefully get 1 or 2 full supers off all hives
 
I went to inspect my hive at my (as I thought) wonderful new out apiary where I thought I'd be able to keep them in peace. Only to get an earbashing from some people who rent part of the land to keep their horses. At the time I arranged with the landowner to put the hive there, he said the horse people didn't use the fenced off section of the field near the hive. But now they have decided to let the horses in there to eat the grass and gave me a right earful. They said the bees were "going mad" yesterday afternoon. They didn't want to listen when I tried to explain about orientation flights.

So I guess I'm going to have to move them again as soon as I can find somewhere else. :\

On the plus side the bees behaved beautifully for the inspection and are doing well filling up their super.

IMG_7215.jpg
 
took off 6 supers today and filled 5 30lb buckets :D plus I still have to drain the cappings
 
garlicpickle said:
I went to inspect my hive at my (as I thought) wonderful new out apiary where I thought I'd be able to keep them in peace. Only to get an earbashing from some people who rent part of the land to keep their horses.

So I guess I'm going to have to move them again as soon as I can find somewhere else.
Click to expand...

It would be best to move especialy if there is only a flimsy barrier between your hive and the horses (which I assume since the horse owners can see the hive and bees.) Bees should never be kept next to livestock and if they are there should be a heavy barrier such as a thick hedge rising higher than 6 feet both to keep the livestock away from the hives and to make the bees fly higher than the livestock.

Sorry but better to err on the side of caution.
 
Der Alte Fritz said:
It would be best to move especialy if there is only a flimsy barrier between your hive and the horses (which I assume since the horse owners can see the hive and bees.) Bees should never be kept next to livestock and if they are there should be a heavy barrier such as a thick hedge rising higher than 6 feet both to keep the livestock away from the hives and to make the bees fly higher than the livestock.

Sorry but better to err on the side of caution.
Click to expand...

Yes, originally there was a big paddock and 2 electric fences between the bees and the horses and about 100ft of space. It wasn't until they decided to take the middle fence down and make one big paddock that it became a problem (the owner said they weren't using that bit)

I am going to move them as soon as I can find another place.
 
jenkinsbrynmair said:
Doesn't the owner have an opinion on this as he is, well, the owner and did offer you the land?
Click to expand...

I haven't been able to speak to him yet, went down this morning but he wasn't there.

The horse person said yesterday that the landowner hadn't advised them that bees were coming, so when they saw the hive on Saturday they thought "What the ****" and went and complained to him, and apparently he said he had another place in mind where they might be able to go. There is another apiary on the same land but at the other end from where the horses are, but I've never met the beek so don't know if he might be willing to share his spot, he has 6 hives there.

really feel like I CBA with all this hassle.
 
Sounds like as long as the security of your hives and bees are not compromised you don't need to do anything.

CBA - I thought it was only a term used within my family lol :D
 
meidel said:
Sounds like as long as the security of your hives and bees are not compromised you don't need to do anything.

CBA - I thought it was only a term used within my family lol :D
Click to expand...

I think it's pretty universal haha

I managed to see the landowner after going down there again, he didn't seem overly concerned, but by happy accident the other beek turned up while I was there. He is an experienced beek with various apiaries in the area and he can find me a space on one of them. We're going to move them Wednesday night. He's also offered to mentor me :)
 
meidel said:
Sounds like as long as the security of your hives and bees are not compromised you don't need to do anything.

CBA - I thought it was only a term used within my family lol :D
Click to expand...

Ah, Its a term.

I thought it was a philosophy for life that is subscribed to by my 14 year old daughter.
 
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