What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Queens59]

Checked all 4 hives...and all four are laying...but #2 'Emma' continues to worry me. The Queen is only laying in the top super...and seems to wait for them to hatch before she will lay more. Took off one super, and swopped the other two around in the hope that she will move down - but she is an odd one

 

[pargyle]

There's an updated modern version, made of plastic
http://www.coroflot.com/AndyWallDesign/Design-for-Need-BeeScene

Actually, it's got some quite nice design features - it appears to be actually based on standard national dimensions but at £199 (target price) if that includes the frames, the super and super frames then, as a starter kit for a newbie, it's got some merit. The only thing is whether or not the plastic will prove acceptable to the bees and the drawback with the hive is that there is no real room for expansion. Could be a bit prone to swarming if you didn't keep a close eye on it.

The stand may be a little on the flimsy side when you consider the potential weight of the hive - I'd be happier with a couple of concrete blocks sat across the frame sections on the ground (Ok - not as pretty but a bit more practical !). Competes with the beehaus on price but probably lacks the flexibiltiy to allow the colony to expand.

Interesting design concept ...

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Yey! Happy days
Found and marked a lovely new laying queen today from my first ever A/S done on 12th June. She's beautiful, long and dark and I can't believe something's gone to plan for a change. These sort of 'highs' make this hobby such a delight!
Lets hope the other two virgins that I'm waiting for soon catch her up! Fingers and toes crossed for a successful unite with the other half and I may yet get some honey this year..... Just a few jars for my morning toast would be nice

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well done, Jimmy's mum!


I spent nearly a couple of hours looking through my 2 home hives for two new queens.

Think they're wearing cloaks of invisibility!


Great fun, when it goes well......

Dusty

 

[madasafish]

Caught a swarm in the rear of one of our local High Street shops..- see http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=23669&page=11

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The knockers and hooters will be along shortly though ....

Oh good - some adult material never goes amiss - I'll get the popcorn (better make sure all the youngsters are abed first though)

 

[pargyle]

Oh good - some adult material never goes amiss - I'll get the popcorn (better make sure all the youngsters are abed first though)

You enjoy it as much as I do then !!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You enjoy it as much as I do then !!!

Unfortunately, due to duties categorising many hundreds of 'that kind' of videos in a short timescale many years ago - I can only properly appreciate them in fast forward mode

 

[BeeJayBee]

There's an updated modern version, made of plastic
http://www.coroflot.com/AndyWallDesign/Design-for-Need-BeeScene

Actually, it's got some quite nice design features - it appears to be actually based on standard national dimensions but at £199 (target price) if that includes the frames, the super and super frames then, as a starter kit for a newbie, it's got some merit. ...

Interesting design concept ...

I thought it was interesting too, although I think it's only a concept design for a degree assignment. The stand and means of providing extra space would need to be sorted out before it was ever marketed, but maybe it's intended to be stacking?

Bees don't mind living in plastic - there are several branded plastic hives available, and they seem to work okay.

 

[Alabamaeee]

Had a call from a friend "I think there is a swarm of bees in my roof"

Called half an hour later, he was in town and his wife took me outside the house to look.

A few dozen dark coloured "Bumble" type bees. As I'm looking she finds one on the ground rolling around with a strong resemblance to the behaviour on any High st on Saturday night!

As I take a closer look she exclaims " maybe they're hornets as it looks too long to be a bumble bee"

As I take a closer look I can't help but chuckle as I see one happy drone!

" They'e mating" I say, and she says "Oh I didn't know bees mated like that!" I try try to act serious but inside I'm

As we watch they right themselves and off they fly in tandem.

Here is a poor quality photo taken with my phone, I think they are Northern Moss Carder bees but I'm no etymologist

I have no idea what the rest were doing up at the point of the house but I am guessing they were all out waiting on her departure.

 

[leonotron]

Small ants have been helping themselves to the bees sugar syrup so had to tape the crown board to keep them out.

 

[Mellifera397]

Yesterday I found that the nuc I made up with a queen cell actually had the queen in so my other colony was queenless. Doh.

M

 

[pargyle]

I thought it was interesting too, although I think it's only a concept design for a degree assignment. The stand and means of providing extra space would need to be sorted out before it was ever marketed, but maybe it's intended to be stacking?

Bees don't mind living in plastic - there are several branded plastic hives available, and they seem to work okay.

Yep ... it wouldn't take a great deal of redesigning to add another module on top - be it super or another brood box. The stand just needs to be sturdier with either a much bigger footprint or a facility for adding a weight to the base- clearly also needs to be attached to the hive rather than sitting in it like an egg in an egg cup.

Like it though ... some thought gone into it.

 

[madasafish]

Housed caught swarm in "unused" warre. Except when I came to check it, it was used.. by a wasps' nest. Ejected wasps and eventually housed swarm. It was cool 13C - they had been out overnight the prior cold night - and I poured them in in lumps.

(Correx carrying box was more than half full- biggest swarm I have caught in it).

All housed successfully... stragglers this morning were clinging on for life as it was another cold night. 8C.
Visited site of swarm in morning walk - no bees to be seen. Very cold so stragglers may be hiding waiting for it to warm up - they are likely to be disappointed today as it is still cold as I write..

 

[Teemore]

Was away for a few days so only catching up with posts now.... Tried my hand at grafting last week and took a quick peek at the cell bars before I went. Nine out of eleven grafts appear to have taken.

 

[blackcavebees]

Was away for a few days so only catching up with posts now.... Tried my hand at grafting last week and took a quick peek at the cell bars before I went. Nine out of eleven grafts appear to have taken.

Well done! Good ratio

 

[sunhivebee]

My massive Sunday morning swarm took off on Monday just as I was fiddling with cutting up a queen excluder to fit over the entrance; they landed about 200 mtrs away on a tree, reasonably easy to get, for a change; offered them a different hive, plus a frame of open brood and eggs from another hive ..... fingers crossed now!
My feeling is that they will stay and take care of the brood.

 

[Goran]

My massive Sunday morning swarm took off on Monday just as I was fiddling with cutting up a queen excluder to fit over the entrance; they landed about 200 mtrs away on a tree, reasonably easy to get, for a change; offered them a different hive, plus a frame of open brood and eggs from another hive ..... fingers crossed now!
My feeling is that they will stay and take care of the brood.

Here is considered if You put a swarm with virgin queens in the hive with unsealed brood that You signed a death sentence to these queens ( as the bees assume they have mated one and get rid of these virgins fast..). So in that case the swarm can become queen-less..
Although I don't say that Your swarm has a virgin queen..

 

[sunhivebee]

Here is considered if You put a swarm with virgin queens in the hive with unsealed brood that You signed a death sentence to these queens ( as the bees assume they have mated one and get rid of these virgins fast..). So in that case the swarm can become queen-less..
Although I don't say that Your swarm has a virgin queen..

Thank you, that's a really good point; I do think that it was a prime swarm, as it was extraordinarily big and to my knowledge the first swarm of that particular colony.
I will know in a few days; they will be building rapidly now, and I hope to see evidence in five or so days.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Here is considered if You put a swarm with virgin queens in the hive with unsealed brood that You signed a death sentence to these queens ( as the bees assume they have mated one and get rid of these virgins fast..). So in that case the swarm can become queen-less..

That's really interesting.
I have read many posts here advocating a frame of brood to anchor a swarm.