What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Himalayan Balsam (or Himalyan as the in crowd say )

Doh! we all know HB pollen is white!! trust me to just grab the pollen chart and answering without thinking!! I'm beginning to have serious doubts on the accuracy of the IBRA pollen charts as they have HB down as yellow and Ivy as a dull light Khaki colour doesn't agree with Howse in the least

 

[garlicpickle]

Just bought sugar and made thymolated syrup - going down tomorrow to put clearer board on, then back on Saturday to take super off, put on Apilife Var and feed.

 

[Mike a]

Finally frames ready to be extracted.

Put together a short video of a heather honey frame being uncapped using a hot air gun for those who haven't seen it being done.

http://youtu.be/Ge1HT_ItIv4

 

[garlicpickle]

Yet another noob error - hadn't thought about the fact that the rhombus bee escape i'd pinned onto my all-purpose crown/clearer/feeder board was taller than the rim of the board so it wouldn't sit on top of the BB.

Luckily the other beek turned up while I was there and lent me an eke.

One day I will get the hang of this (adds eke and clearer board to list of things to make over winter)

 

[drstitson]

yet another reason to use top bee space!!!!

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Finally frames ready to be extracted.

Put together a short video of a heather honey frame being uncapped using a hot air gun for those who haven't seen it being done.

http://youtu.be/Ge1HT_ItIv4

Looks great - another thing on my want list now =).

 

[Pete D]

Thursday.
Checked 8 hives at farm out apiary on way home from work. All with BIAS but all have slowed down.
Put clearer boards on last 3 hives that have supers on, wont get much off and most will be fed back. Added feeders to 3 others. Floor trays and entrance blocks added.
Now into a daily before work routine of walking the hives and having a peep in the top and topping up feeders as appropiate.
Quick weekly check to ensure they are not stuffed with stores but have appropiate laying space. Was amazed how much a full 14 x 12 frame full of stores weighed.
Tomorrow will remove and treat all hives with thymovar.
Currently 19 hives, 8 std nationals and 11 14 x 12.
Still 3 or 4 too many but will feed and treat them and either they will be reserves if my over wintering goes badly or off load them in the spring.
Last winter had 1 turn drone layer out of 13 so a 7.7% loss rate, wonder what this year will bring.

 

[Elaine]

Finally frames ready to be extracted.

Put together a short video of a heather honey frame being uncapped using a hot air gun for those who haven't seen it being done.

http://youtu.be/Ge1HT_ItIv4

That makes it look so easy! (Or is that a refection of years of practice? ) Is teh heat gun set on quite a low setting?

I think I might give it a go next year I don't expect to have any more honey to take off this year, unless they really go mad with the ivy when it flowers, and I decide to try some for my toast!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Paid the rent to the landowners in Honey and had a chat with them about bees and how bad the harvest for them and me was this year

 

[Mike a]

Looks great - another thing on my want list now =).

That makes it look so easy! (Or is that a refection of years of practice? ) Is teh heat gun set on quite a low setting?

I started using method in 2010, its so easy that anyone can do it provided there is the air gap between the caps and the honey. If there isn't the air gap and honey is touching the cappings they are almost transparent. See pic

As for settings I just turn it on full blast which helps push the melted wax away.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Anyone recommend a good gun to use for this method, as I have concerns about loose mica getting blown into the honey after reading a few threads here.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

One colony not had brood for the past three weeks which coincided with the start of the thymol regime. Varroa drop now 0 (next to no brood to hatch) so 4th week of treatment skipped and test frame introduced to see if the queen's gone off or just gone.

One colony still dropping hundreds of varroa so may get extended treatment beyond the scheduled 4 weeks. The third dropping just a few so looking good.

Thymolised syrup all made up so will probably start winter feeding next week as there doesn't seem to be much coming in and stores are starting to get low.

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Installed arnia bee hive monitors in my two hives two temp probes put in middle of brood nest. Will be interesting to see data after 1am tonight when it polls.

 

[VEG]

took the last supers off.

 

[meidel]

concerned queen would go off lay after reading others' posts so inspected hives and relieved to see she's still at it like the proverbial carnie mongrel cross she is, both of them actually, despite the apiguard in situ.

not taking as much of the syrup though but then the foragers are all coming in laden with pollen, etc.. and HB and knotweed are in full bloom about here, ditto the ivy.

 

[garlicpickle]

Last full inspection of the year, HM spotted and I actually managed to see eggs for the first time with my ageing eyes!

Took off the super, put on Apilife Var tablet and a gallon of syrup.

 

[ma1308]

Final treatment for vorroa, went quickly through the hive as they are still a little moody to find they are filling the brood area with syrup while leaving 3 drawn frames totally empty.

 

[beeno]

Last full inspection of the year, HM spotted and I actually managed to see eggs for the first time with my ageing eyes!

Took off the super, put on Apilife Var tablet and a gallon of syrup.

Well done. I am getting better at it as well.

 

[Sadders]

3 weeks thymol done 1 to go and now absolutely brood-less which should hopefully leave the varroa no place to hide. Another week with 100+ on the inspection board. The bees seem happy though and still bringing in stores (plenty of nectar) so I am not too worried although I would prefer if they weren't filling in the centre of the brood chamber with it.

The little wasp trap I set up out of a Robinson's squash bottle is doing great.

 

[dpearce4]

sulphured all my spare broods and supers. have a major moth issue. hope it clears it up. will check again next week and maybe repeat.