What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unless he's a mushroom farmer

 

[Heather]

 

[itma]

Thinking about it.. err... must be fungicide unless he wants to write off his crops!

No expert in the dark arts, but there do exist "selective" herbicides, intended to kill 'weeds' without harming the crop. And IIRC, some of the GM things are modded to be more resistant to some of those chemicals.

 

[TOBY-3652]

damn. hope they will be ok.

i saw the farmer spraying fields other side of the hedge to my bees but i was lucky it was very cold and they were inside.

i hope it hasn't done serious damage.

farmers will be spraying like theres no tomorrow soon.. im afraid we just have to let them get on with it.. half my bees are surrounded with 300 acres of rape... there fairly good. but there was one incident last year where they sprayed some rape at 11 oclock on a hot day didnt lose any bees at the hive but saw a few dead in the first field i went into.. didnt look in anymore,

 

[Chris Luck]

Without knowing the crop or its stage of development it's not possible to say whether it's fungicide or insecticide or both.

I don't know any selective herbicides that are used on crops other than roundup ready Monsanto GM maize. Selectives are usually used on pasture.

Chris

 

[youngyoungs]

Moved two hives to my new out apiary. Will go and check on them today to see if they like their new home.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
I am looking forward to a buzzy day. My bees are itching to go judging by a brief spell of activity yday. So there will be orientation, cleansing and foraging flights galore. I will be doing nothing just watching. Bliss.

 

[iand]

damn. hope they will be ok.

i saw the farmer spraying fields other side of the hedge to my bees but i was lucky it was very cold and they were inside.

i hope it hasn't done serious damage.

If the farm is in on liquid fertilizer it will probably be a dose of nitrogen. One or two have been putting granular this last few days.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Sat and marvelled. Touch wood I seem to have a strong colony, which is really satisfying.

 

[Heather]

the liquid fertilizer still drenches bees if they are foraging there. They soon get cold and don't get back to the hive. Just a phone call to the relevant farmer usually works.

 

[Cazza]

Just finished some bee housekeeping.

1. Swapped a combined hives wooden national for a poly one. Bees have settled well together. Queen in top (was Q-) box and laying well.

2. Really disappointed with the temper of the bees from my only ever once bought in queen. (Chosen to produce a calm hive!!) Huh!! They are on licence.
Drone cells in there too. However they are busy filling a super.

3. Moved a hive 3 feet sideways. Lots of confused bees filling the air wondering where there home has gone.

All good fun.
Cazza

 

[Nige.Coll]

very busy at the hives.
also very feisty and noisy.
looked at the direction they were flying and found a field of osr in partial flower i didn't know about around 1/4 of a mile away.
i presume that is the reason for their change in temper.

 

[Nige.Coll]

as far as the spraying goes i have no idea what it was.
the farmer has been spreading some grit like substance . i've seen that in the hopper.
that field has been very wet all year and still is.
i tried to ask the farm hand what it was but his english was poor. better than my polish though.

i don't know what it was . big machine with long arms and a tank. could have been fertilizer but i don't know.
didn't harm my bees so i'm not really that bothered.

 

[Mellifera397]

Quick inspection. Swapped floors and put the bottom empty brood chamber above the crown board.

Bees loving the warm weather.

M

 

[Chris Luck]

the liquid fertilizer still drenches bees if they are foraging there. They soon get cold and don't get back to the hive. Just a phone call to the relevant farmer usually works.

Not here, no chance, shrug, shrug.........and anyway here they always lie about what they are using.

Chris

 

[Chris Luck]

Made a start putting on supers this afternoon.

Chris

 

[Loubylou]

Lovely weather here, sunny and 17*c. Spring has sprung! Put supers on 4 of my 5 hives as all busy, plenty of coming and going and brood frames building up nicely.

 

[sansai]

First full inspection. All the girls very busy.
Very pleased with the amount of brood. OSR just coming into flower in this area, lets hope the weather holds for a while.

 

[Chris Luck]

OSR faces here now.......

Chris

 

[beeno]

OSR faces here now.......

Chris

Hi Chris,
Appreciate seeing yellow OSR pollen. Question, in your experience is it always yellow?