What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Gardenbees]

Hurray! First inspection today. Two hives, both very calm & busy. Both have queens from last year (reared on site, not bought in). I was worried that they might not be much good, after a late and inclement start last year, doubtful mating opportunities, and a difficult winter.

One queen is producing smallish, quite dark bees of very calm temperament, and has a busy hive with brood on 7 frames. Very pleased with them as they have already managed to find quite a lot of pollen & nectar.

The other queen has a hive with fewer, but larger, patches of capped and young brood, and medium-sized golden stripey type workers. One or two pinged me when I bumped a frame, and they needed a bit of smoke (the others didn't), but otherwise were quite calm.

The bees look OK, and I got a good chance to really stare at them without them getting upset (I was looking for signs of deformed wings, but didn't notice any). The brood isn't too bad. Not show-winning, but the capped cells were hatching as I checked, and there's no obvious sign of problems, apart from a wax moth "tunnel". I evicted the grub, only to see it stung and carried off before I could remove it!

The worry now is that when this lot hatch, we may get rubbish weather again and the perennial risk of spring starvation. Constant vigilance!

 

[richardbees]

DIY Solar wax extracter

Although it was only 14 c today. my wax extracter made from Estate agent's board actually worked!

 

[Bob Bee]

Friday/ Saturday were the first days warm enough to inspect my 4 allotment hives. I swapped the fondant for a few pints of 1-1 syrup. The strongest colony I gave an extra brood box, in the hope that it will go to a double brood and be strong enough to raise some queens later in the season (demaree or similar). All colonies were flying and bringing in Pollen. One empty fondant container was full of new comb with brood and I almost lost the queen when removing it, fortunately I spotted her on the removed comb and slipped her back into the colony.
2 hives that had solid floor inserts since December were the strongest, Ill give them all the same next year.

I transferred three strong overwintered nukes to hives on an out apiary and added drawn comb, foundation and dummy boards. Put up a bait hive on the side of a barn there too.

The late swarm that settled in my Warre hive had passed away even though I'd given them a makeshift feeder, when theyre too small late, theyre too small and late. At least they drew some comb to help attract more bees this year.


Nice to feel the sun.

 

[Cazza]

Ratchet strapped a bait hive to a sycamore tree in the garden as far away as possible from the apiary.

Are we agreed? Old comb, solid floor. Entrance wide or reduced?
Cazza

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ratchet strapped a bait hive to a sycamore tree in the garden as far away as possible from the apiary.

Are we agreed? Old comb, solid floor. Entrance wide or reduced?
Cazza

reduced Seeley advises an inch and a quarter diameter hole - so a couple of inches should be ample

 

[abi-e]

it is the bee keeping forum Cazza - we will never all agree!!!

 

[Polyanwood]

Today in the association apiaries I shook out a drone laying queen colony and one that was only about 500 bees and queenless.

I looked at some of my bees too. Some were bad tempered and at one point I had 6 bees inside my veil. I also got stung on the wrists and ankles. Tonight I am still burning frames in the garden.

I'm going to buy myself a new beesuit.

 

[Tdod]

concreted a nice flat area ready to site my hive.
cut up some reclaimed timber ready to make more hive bits,
then it rained...

 

[PBee]

Today in the association apiaries I shook out a drone laying queen colony and one that was only about 500 bees and queenless.

I looked at some of my bees too. Some were bad tempered and at one point I had 6 bees inside my veil. I also got stung on the wrists and ankles. Tonight I am still burning frames in the garden.

I'm going to buy myself a new beesuit.

New genes might be a better idea.

 

[Goran]

Yesterday I planned to put second tour of foundations in one colony. 7 days ago it was on 7 frames of brood so I shuffle the brood, and put foundations. In that period it reaches 10 frames of brood, foundations built of course and wants to swarm.
I will give them tommorow swarming by my conditions, grrrrr...
Also all the bees are extremely aggressive most likely cause of wild cherry. When open the hives it smells on cherries - almost suffocate. The bees strike 100 meters from a hive - " for a medal".
For approx. seven days they don't go for water ( all they need found in a nectar I believe).
Time is running fast and bees are developing also fast, hoping all will be set for acacia.

 

[VEG]

I'm going to buy myself a new beesuit.

Get some wellies as well

 

[Dadnlad]

Had a swift look through all frames today as 16 degrees and sunny

To our great relief Q has done really well, BIAS over 5 frames and stores and pollen on the others. In the last week they had burr combed up into the box of fondant ! So obviously needing more space we added a super with a mixture of drawn comb and foundation, and swapped fondant for syrup

Have to keep an eye on the weather for a while yet, but really happy they've survived the crappy winter and Q is proper getting on with it

 

[itma]

Got fed up with waiting for a "properly warm" day to sort out my overenthusiastic lot, who have built brace comb in the Apiguard eke that I used for feeding them chunks of fondant.
Not warm air (only 10 ish), but strong sun, and likely the best chance for a while.
So I seized the moment, grasped the nettle, and also entirely metaphorically, rolled my sleeves up.
The naughty girls had actually got as far as having brood in the brace comb.
So slow going, hoping not to encounter the egg-layer.
Turns out that they have 5 frames (14x12) well covered with brood... and even a nice neat patch of drone brood in the corner of one, quite apart from what there was in the eke. And no QCs. Yet.
Cleaned up the top bars, covered with a conventional (Porter-holes) crownboard (one hole covered), the eke, then the wild-comb attached crown board, super with insulation and the roof. I'll give them a week to abandon the wild comb... and hope that they don't try and extend it!

 

[Cazza]

reduced Seeley advises an inch and a quarter diameter hole - so a couple of inches should be ample

Reduced it is then.
Cazza

 

[Erichalfbee]

Ratchet strapped a bait hive to a sycamore tree in the garden as far away as possible from the apiary.

Are we agreed? Old comb, solid floor. Entrance wide or reduced?
Cazza

I have a bait hive in a sycamore 100 yards from the Apiary (somebody else keeps hives about half a mile away) and one on the garage roof in the garden. Both have 2 x half inch entrances.

 

[stephenpug]

just had a look at my 3 hives , last week they were bringing in loads of yellow pollen i put on some syrup all looked good BUT today 12*deg and cloudy lots of bees busy coming and going from all the hives but no pollen (sorry if i am being stupid again but is this normal ?)

 

[Cazza]

I have a bait hive in a sycamore 100 yards from the Apiary (somebody else keeps hives about half a mile away) and one on the garage roof in the garden. Both have 2 x half inch entrances.

Thought I'd ask at my garden club if anyone in my village wanted a bait hive then I could have one slightly further away - the sycamore is about 150 yds away from the hives.
Cazza

 

[Cazza]

just had a look at my 3 hives , last week they were bringing in loads of yellow pollen i put on some syrup all looked good BUT today 12*deg and cloudy lots of bees busy coming and going from all the hives but no pollen (sorry if i am being stupid again but is this normal ?)

Can be normal perfectly if the pollen source has finished or the temperature for the source is not high enough for pollen to be released or sometimes if the day is cloudy. Do not panic!!
Cazza

 

[stephenpug]

Can be normal perfectly if the pollen source has finished or the temperature for the source is not high enough for pollen to be released or sometimes if the day is cloudy. Do not panic!!
Cazza

 

[Swarm]

just had a look at my 3 hives , last week they were bringing in loads of yellow pollen i put on some syrup all looked good BUT today 12*deg and cloudy lots of bees busy coming and going from all the hives but no pollen (sorry if i am being stupid again but is this normal ?)

Water carriers perhaps?