What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Purple Pete]

I had thought of fanning but its a lot cooler today - many thanks though.

 

[Chris Luck]

Why couldn't AFB have come from an old UK honey jar?

Chris

 

[stephenpug]

I had thought of fanning but its a lot cooler today - many thanks though.

have you got any wasps about could be guard bees

 

[lilybetbee]

Took off the first capped frames I'd left to clear on Sunday.

 

[VEG]

Had a text today while on the beach in Spain to say my uncapping machine and table will be here from Italy on Thursday. So I will be meeting up with the chap from park beekeeping on Monday as he will be down this way. Good job too as I have 30 odd supers to take off and get back on ready for the balsam.

 

[madasafish]

Why couldn't AFB have come from an old UK honey jar?

Chris

It could have but there are not many cases in England - and there have been none locally for years.

 

[Ely]

Visited the hives. Still empty supers . I think it is too late now as I'm not sure there any more flowers yet to give nectar, except ivy. No summer crop for me. I had a spring super so not too bad.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Checked the feeder of 2:1 (2kg:1.25l - really WHAT was that article and thread all about) that a MOST surprising source had suggested I put on ahead of this week's rain. It just shows; there are no rules that over-ride what an inspection tells an experienced eye (not mine). Pollen still POURING in, weather improving and feed roughly half-gone so feeling pretty well set up for Saturday's inspection. I do enjoy this thus far (swarms, DWV, *FB, CCD all in my future for now).

 

[Mellifera397]

(swarms, DWV, *FB, CCD all in my future for now)




Swarms and DWV yes.

AFB, I hope not.

CCD, not in the uk.


M

 

[Luminos]

(swarms, DWV, *FB, CCD all in my future for now)




Swarms and DWV yes.

AFB, I hope not.

CCD, not in the uk.
M

OCD, however...

 

[Mellifera397]

OCD, however...

M

 

[drstitson]

transferred recent swarm from soft poly 7 frame shallow bait hive to a proper 6 frame 14x12 poly with 2 ekes above for the contents of bait hive.
nice big queen.

 

[cjhart2]

Got out early ,expected to reach 37 degrees today, changed the crown boards to the new see- through plastic ones , like them already . The new hive 4 is up to 9 drawn frames so added a super just to give them room . Left the bees working flat out , probably the only things that do work in France , ( grumpy mode switched back on due to incompetent French workers ,again ) Came back and made up some ¾ English Langstroth supers but with an internal design to take French Dadant frames ( original idea from ‘herefordshirehoney, many thanks ) . Now looking at going one step further and keeping the Langstroth footprint and using Dadant brood frames , gives me a lot more options , it will be interesting to see how they all work together .

 

[Luminos]

Left the bees working flat out , probably the only things that do work in France , ( grumpy mode switched back on due to incompetent French workers ,again ) .

And it's August now, so they'll be doing even less. (The French, I mean, not your bees)

 

[Chris Luck]

And it's August now, so they'll be doing even less. (The French, I mean, not your bees)

Tell me about it.

Chris

 

[pargyle]

Tell me about it.

Chris

Doesn't France shut for August ?

Italy used to as well .... Once had cause to buy some fragrance bottles from Italy for a new product launch in September - the Italian company made them but for some reason only shipped the stoppers in July - 20,000 bottles sat in their warehouse until 1st September and NOTHING could persuade them otherwise !

Total nightmare at the time ... and it was the 'so what, we're on holiday' attitude that really gripped us.

 

[drstitson]

still does - large parts of the population will be in hills, at coast or sat in massive motorway queues.

giordan shut down production for a month - always order your extractor well before the summer harvest!!!!!

but for most summer officially ends on the 15th.

 

[Chris Luck]

Doesn't France shut for August ?

Italy used to as well .... Once had cause to buy some fragrance bottles from Italy for a new product launch in September - the Italian company made them but for some reason only shipped the stoppers in July - 20,000 bottles sat in their warehouse until 1st September and NOTHING could persuade them otherwise !

Total nightmare at the time ... and it was the 'so what, we're on holiday' attitude that really gripped us.

As far as I can tell France is never really open, certainly not open for business.

Yesterday I went to two places, one a nature reserve, (only one in Vienne), and the other nearby an old water mill information centre called "ecologia" for my next magazine article. Both only had their information centres open for 3 hours - 3.30pm until 6.30pm and the mill which is well advertised only had the refreshments and food available for the same hours AND I'm supposed to write something good about them.

C'est une blague!

Chris

 

[jd101k2000]

Requeening success

This is my first year, so this is exciting. The requeening performed a fortnight ago has worked - lots of eggs, chalkbrood disappearing and the bees seem calmer. (Cannot wait for HMs workers to take over.) Italian queen replaced with a Welsh queen. Hope the new one has placid bees like my other hive. They just mooch around while I inspect them. LOVELY!

Also looks like I will have three supers of honey between the two hives.... i calculate 75lb of honey, in year one.

(Realise that it is not always this good, so rejoicing.)

Checked Varroa drop - one hive scored 3 in three days, the other one scored 6. Put the scores into the DEFRA website and it told me not to treat for 11 months. (Rejoicing about that, too... but a little scared as Varroa worries me and doing nothing seems wrong.) If any of you have suggestions that would go against DEFRA's advice, I would like to hear them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Checked Varroa drop - one hive scored 3 in three days, the other one scored 6. Put the scores into the DEFRA website and it told me not to treat for 11 months. (Rejoicing about that, too... but a little scared as Varroa worries me and doing nothing seems wrong.) If any of you have suggestions I would like to hear them.

Drop counts are notoriously misleading - as a few post on here from last year will tell you. Apiguard in the autumn then Oxalic Christmastime will mean they get a good start to the year.