What did you do in the Apiary today?

[wmfd]

Good weather, what a change! Great to have a chance to have a quick run around the hives.

Two hives in the garden flying well. One nearly out of fondant so added a syrup feeder to see if they'll take down.

One I am babysitting looked very good. Loads of pollen coming in.

Last one at out apiary also flying, a reasonable lump of fondant left, but still as bad tempered as they were last year when I collected them as a swarm. A candidate for requeening later in the season if I can get myself organised.

David


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[REDWOOD]

overcast day with cool strong wind, a few bees venturing out still too cold for inspections so put a new hive stand in the apiary and a few hives for hopefully a good year

 

[Swarm]

Looking very nice.

 

[Summerslease]

Lost one hived colony and one nuc. over the winter. As many have reported there were plenty of stores but the clustered bees couldn't reach them. It looked as if as the colonies got smaller they couldn't even reach the fondant I gave them.

The remaining three colonies look good and I cleaned the OM floors out as it was a mild day today. Not warm enough for an inspection though. I gave the two strongest ones a feed of 2:1 as a boost. I'll be following the two queen system that Ron Brown recommends in his pamphlet with them this year.

After treating with Apivar in the autumn and oxalic in January I was pleased to see there was no varroa drop in the two weeks I've had the inspection boards in place.

This is my fourth year beekeeping. I have the gear and a bit of an idea- but what will the weather bring for us all?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Still too cold for pulling out frames (12 deg C)

I'm going to be doing first inspections next weekend as long as the weather behaves as forecast.

Yes, keeping a close eye on the forecast too.
Sun/Mon look like good days if the showers can be avoided

 

[corhob]

Nice Day Girls out and about and bring in Pollen I added a syrup feeder.

 

[nonstandard]

Have seen the girls flying over the last two or three days, all nine hives and the two nucs active. It's too early to inspect here yet but it's looking like no losses so far.

 

[Outlander]

I have had the inspection boards in for the past few days just to try and work out what may be happening within. The visiting colony that has been wintering at mine as penance for their robbing behaviour appear to have had about three seems of brood emergence going by the colour of the cappings on the inspection board. The other three colonies don’t appear to be up to much though all are bringing in vast quantities of pollen the past two days or so. All colonies are taking the fondant at an alarming rate which I will keep giving them until I change to syrup if needed.

Have lost one small nuc that did not have enough bees to get them through but the rest appear quite strong considering the late spring

 

[alldigging]

I have had the inspection boards in for the past few days just to try and work out what may be happening within.

Are all the darker uncappings brood? Is can honey have dark uncappings too?

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Cold again here today, well too cold for flying. Topped up fondant and neopol which they seem keen on

 

[madasafish]

About 7C here.. Warming slowly through wispy cloud.

After adding syrup to all hives two weeks ago - and finding none taken by last Wednesday, checked today and all gone. Presumably the warmer two days at the weekend. Refilled them all. Very few bees flying - perishing wind. Gilet weather.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

About 11 degrees with us today but with a brisk Southerly breeze - all hives bringing in pollen this afternoon.
Took a new hive stand down to Garn Cottage and tidied up the site there in preparation for moving the Swansea mob down there for the apple blossoms, adjusted the orientation of the stand to make better use of the morning sun - as they like their lie-ins (bit shaded there and I can't have a South facing entrance as the bees would be low flying across the garden path.)

 

[MuswellMetro]

11c todays partially sunny, did a quick check of about eight of my hives and a further 20 of members hives, found another dead out in the apiary that was next to Maize, that's 9 out of 12 dead on that apiary...nosema clear last autumn

On mine I just added variroa boards, lots of lovely yellow pollen cover bees ( goat willow)

 

[Bitbybit]

Bloody awful weather here. More of the same until Friday at least. Painted some boxes and crossed my fingers....again

 

[beebopalula]

Opened up a hive that no bees had emerged from for a few days when others were flying, to find the entrance blocked by dead bees. I regularly clean entrances from the outside with a curved piece of thick wire kept for the purpose. However, there was a pile of corpses under the first two frames further back which caused the blockage. Numerous young bees left for orientation flights, all sweet-natured, no grumpies.

 

[Chorlton Honey Bees]

nice the hear that they are ok

 

[richardbees]

I tried out my diy solar wax extractor today at 2pm:

It was only 11C hazy sun but it still reached 30.9c inside so I've high hopes it'll work in the Summer!

 

[Cellectronic]

Devastated

Well I went to check my 2 hives today to ensure they had enough fondant.
One hive was ok the other was dead and no fondant in sight. They had scoffed the lot. Lesson learned , Give to much rather than too little.

 

[beebopalula]

Set up two bait hives ready for next weeks hot weather (just in case).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

11 degrees with us but a brisk South Easterly made it feel a lot cooler - a few bees out but not a massive amount.