What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Gilberdyke John]

Went to York BKA Auction today and came away with two new National supers plus an electric nailer for less than twenty quid.
On the way home I noticed a field of rape about 3/4 of a mile from my hive has come into flower since mid week. Bracing myself for a heavy flow now and feeling glad I had put more foundation in yesterday as the girls seemed to be in a comb drawing frenzy.

 

[For want of a better word]

Forgot to release the queen from the Jenter.... do it tomorrow morning as the forecast is hot and sunny !

 

[Lesley Hoppy]

Queen flew off!

Performed AS on my one remaining colony because there were 5 sealed Q.cells.
All going well until it came to carefully re-introducing her into the brood box ... when she flew off!
SO.... I was left with a new hive containing a sealed Q cell, lots of brood & house bees - and a hive full of new foundation no Queen and a lot of returning flying bees who would wonder what had happened while they were out....

After a cup of tea and a think, I went into the 'new hive' to try and find some eggs to put into the queenless hive - but found another sealed Q cell that I must have missed ....so I put this frame back into the queenless one.
Both hives have on a pretty full super but I also added a feeder of heavy syrup to encourage comb building.... hope I have done the right thing.....

 

[Swarm]

I'd have waited, there's more than a good chance the original queen is back in the hive.

 

[VEG]

got supers ready to go on but the weather is crap today but looking better for tomorrow so they will go on then whatever the weather lol

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'd have waited, there's more than a good chance the original queen is back in the hive.

I'd go back to have a look. I bet she's there but if your cell is sealed maybe she won't be tomorrow. Put a bit of QE over the entrance for a couple of days?

 

[TOBY-3652]

put another super on a hive... cant beleive how many bees there are in some hives..2 hives have got 4 supers on and 4 have got 3 the others have got one or 2 on and there capping it nicely

 

[dpearce4]

Nout over the last 2 days been to windy, went up and was told to go away by the bees. Took their advice.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Too windy to open up today so I took the opportunity to try and teach our new 10 week old lab why sniffing at beehive entrances is not to to be recommended! Big brother, the cocker spaniel, observed from a safe distance already being wise to the probability of a sting in the nose when one gets too inquisitive!

 

[herefordshirehoney]

Extracted 4 supers taking 100lbs totally 180lbs from two hives. Have least another 4 boxes to takeoff when capped when osr finally dries.

Will be interesting processing this amount of honey to softset!

 

[einsteinagogo]

Went to York BKA Auction today and came away with two new National supers plus an electric nailer for less than twenty quid.
On the way home I noticed a field of rape about 3/4 of a mile from my hive has come into flower since mid week. Bracing myself for a heavy flow now and feeling glad I had put more foundation in yesterday as the girls seemed to be in a comb drawing frenzy.

yes, it was bargain city at York BKA yesterday, but did you notice some of the sellers "getting really p*****d off and swearing at the crowd!", because items were not hitting reserves, seems everyone wanted a bargain. There were a few buyers and sellers, buying for eBay, and sellers that normally sell on eBay, expected to get near eBay prices!

and many live bee nucs and hives, were pulled from sale, because they did not hit reserves!

I've also noticed more fields in my area, flowering up with yet more OSR!

too wet windy, heavy rain today for inspection.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

yes, it was bargain city at York BKA yesterday, but did you notice some of the sellers "getting really p*****d off and swearing at the crowd!", because items were not hitting reserves, seems everyone wanted a bargain. There were a few buyers and sellers, buying for eBay, and sellers that normally sell on eBay, expected to get near eBay prices!

and many live bee nucs and hives, were pulled from sale, because they did not hit reserves!

I've also noticed more fields in my area, flowering up with yet more OSR!

too wet windy, heavy rain today for inspection.

I didn't see the seller swearing but I was chatting to a lass from Hambleton who mentioned the antics of one seller.
Things are cranking up more today with two more fields of osr coming into bloom within half a mile of me. My lot were drawing comb and filling it with nectar almost as fast before that started so I think I might put a super on tomorrow. It will be there if they need it.

 

[Dishmop]

What did I do today?

Well, I er, and,
Nothing.
Oh, looked for virgin queen in obs hive,

 

[Tim.S]

Inspected 4 splits today for the first time and blow me they all had eggs at the same stage. Must be the first time that the bees have been reading the same books as me!

 

[Rio]

First time looking at the bees since I was hospitalised during the week with a bee sting. Moved two nucs out of the garden to a new site. Cool and windy so thankfully they were both well clustered.

 

[youngyoungs]

Too windy (branches blowing off trees here) for an inspection today, so will recount my experiences yesterday.
Inspected all.
Added super to hived swarm with laying queen.
Frame of eggs to suspected Q- colony.
Ran in virgin queen to another suspected Q- colony.
AS colony has someone laying eggs in queen cups, and cells. Sometimes one egg, sometimes more...............hmmm
AS colony with sealed queen cell waiting for action
AND (last but not least)
Retrieved two capped frames from one super, extracted them and bottled the first crop of my own honey - wonderful. Family are now starting to believe that bees actually do make honey!

 

[Pete D]

Inspected 25 hives yesterday in far from ideal conditions but needed doing as off with work for a few days to Belgium. 8 new queens that were not laying last week all are now so we must of had a decent mating day in the week.
Will be uniting several hives next weekend.
Removed and extracted 8 supers of mostly OSR and have 180lb now sitting in buckets.
It seems to me that the OSR will drag on for a while yet and will be coming in alongside the summer honey so everything will set this year.
Gave two swarms away for small donation to cover frames, feed and fuel. I have had these for a couple of weeks or so and both now laying. 2 happy beekeepers, 1 newbee and 1 who lost his only colony this winter.

 

[Goran]

Transferred "colony" from mating nuc to 5frame nuc. Sealed brood before opening, seems OK, calm bees. Carnie all the way..

Since I am new to this mating nuc I like it much. Cause it needed me 5-10 minutes to attach the frames together and put in a hive with normal frames, added two frames of food and half frame of foundation ( mating nuc has 5 half frames). Also when moving from apiary easier than normal box. This winter I have to make as much as I can.

And finally some rain after high temperatures for a some time..

 

[stephenpug]

Had a look at my hives lots of activity with bees coming ang going but not a lot of pollen going in , is it because they are bringing in water and nectar ????

 

[simonrp]

Had a look at the swarm I hived on Monday, plenty of coming and going, will have a look inside at the weekend when they have settled in.