What did you do in the Apiary today?

[TryingToLetThemBee]

The colony that I A/S on Wednesday swarmed today. Luckily they clustered in a tree in our garden so I was able to catch them fairly easily. I have put them in in a 6 frame poly nuc as that is what was to hand.

I will have to go into the hive where I had put the queen and see if there were any queen cells that I missed (I transferred the queen on a frame of brood that I thought I'd checked properly).

There's a risk thry'll swarm from that. As an emergency measure, I would use the QE entrance.

 

[Minxpinx]

There's a risk thry'll swarm from that. As an emergency measure, I would use the QE entrance.

Thanks for the advice - I've done that now.

 

[BeeJayBee]

One or two pear trees have fruit buds opening, blackthorn is flowering...

Hedgerows here are white with blackthorn, and the weather's turned very cold.

Looking like a good year for sloe gin

 

[einsteinagogo]

It was so cold today, I had a full bee suite, and bee jacket over the top! and new disposal nitrile gloves. - not T-Shirt weather, I'm surprised at other Beeks on the forum, reporting heat waves.... certainly not here...

Sun was out, very sunny, clear skies, but bitter cold, with the breeze.

Removed all mouse guards from the hives. It was very cold, no bees were flying, I did expect so to charge out at me! (probably still get frosts up until June, but I'm sure bees can challenge any mouse that tries to enter, although they seem to be all around my garden and bee shed, they've been eating kingspan!)

Much too cold for inspections, I noticed when removing the roof, and looking through the clear crown boards, they started to mist up with the cold!

I felt the top of crown boards with my hand, and they were warm too touch, as my hands were so cold.

A field or OSR, is coming in bloom, 100m away from the apiary, and some of the colonies were building comb on the underneath of the crownboards.

Need to inspect, and get supers on, weather permitting.

May attempt this weekend, if I am quick....

 

[dpearce4]

finally managed to get the last of my hives inspected for the first time today. only got 1 that maybe terminal but will wait as there was what looks like a reciently opened QC so will see what happens over the next couple of weeks it is very small to.

all other hives in that apiary now have 1 or 2 supers on and some will possibly need an AS done very soon but will wait and see as there are 2 fields of OSR on the farm in flower now so they may wait for a month while it has the flow on.

Cut down a budlia bush that was overhanging a couple of my hives on the site and sprayed most of the stinging nettles to try and get them under control. will do the same at the other site next weekend.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Went to check out a couple of new apiary sites early this morning, well sheltered and nice and secluded, with several good forage sources, also an abundance of wort plants just starting to green up, should be in flower next month, and plenty of bell and ling for later.

 

[einsteinagogo]

Thanks to everyone, I do read your comments! - Andy

I've been dithering long enough, waiting for the "ideal conditions" but I'm afraid as a "weekend beekeeper", today was the best it was going to get. Weather was sunny, and bright, but bitter cold wind, (14 degrees C) in fact so cold, I actually had two bee suits on. (the veil on my all on one had failed, so just put on a jacket on top! and I was still cold!). But tomorrow is going to be raining, and 10 degrees C!

So new nitrile gloves, new jacket, and off on a mission to my new apiary site, which I had moved all the hives two, last summer (August 2014), so not really worked the site a lot. (other than remove supers, feeding, and OA treatment)

I'm learning a lot from the members of this forum I have to thank, in reading these forum posts, and use that information, e.g. going with a plan, on what I trying to achieve today, and also remembering what @oliver90owner (Rab) has said, look at what the bees are doing, it was almost like I had him in my head, look at the hive, look at the comb, handle them carefully, less smoke, handle frames, and equipment, try not to be clumsy... (so I'm trying to practice, what I'm reading here...so thanks to you all, for your encouragement, and online mentoring, and that also includes you @oliver90owner (Rab)!)

All colonies had sealed brood, and larva, could not see eggs, but this is probably me, need to get a torch, in three colonies I saw the Red Marked queen, and caught her, but the bloody pen would not work to mark her! (typical!). So I put her back. (the red spot was disappearing, reason for marking again!).

Three colonies, good pattern, 5 frames of brood, lots of laying space, 3 frames of stores. These are good. Capped drone brood present in three colonies.

Two colonies, one colony with a little chalk brood, 3 frames of brood, one not as good pattern, and three frames of stores. No drone brood. (Im going back tomorrow, to insulate these hives to improve the insulation).

I removed all the supers underneath, and put them on top with a queen excluder. I was surprised these were all empty, no brood, no stores (two OSR fields, 80m away from apiary have been planted), wanted to give them room to expand. They are starting to become yellow, and flowers are out.

I did not see any queen cups, or sealed queen cells in any colonies. That I spotted.

I used two tea towels, to keep the heat in, whilst checking combs, and removed the frames and inserted them quickly, also to keep the bees that were pinging my veil and gloves.

I remained calm, and kept working the frames, despite the number of bees around me, in trying to build up my confidence.

Less smoke was used, and my new astronaut veil has worked very well, I feel a lot more confident working the bees.

Also using thinner gloves, nitriles, you can feel better through the gloves, handling frames.

I also felt much better, in a private out-apiary, away from anyone, whilst I worked the bees at my pace, and not wanting to look over my shoulder, should any one be around.

So today, back to the bees, first inspection of the year, I feel very happy with myself.

(they'll probably swarm next week!).

 

[Erichalfbee]

I had a look at some drone brood I removed from a DLQ colony. Nice to see no varroa but the strangest thing..........maybe a third of the grubs in the sealed cells were head down!
Definitely drones.

 

[madasafish]

Second full inspections of the year at home after various unites.Sunny , 11C slight wind. Added to my tally of stings including one on the ear before I suited up..Arranged combs to give more laying space. One TBH has several honey combs I shall harvest next week.

Unites OK..but merger of strong but Q- colony and weak but Q+ colony appears hesitant to take off..

No supers on any lang.. nothing strong enough.

Lots of bumble queens.

Fox killed young blackbirds in nest: young strewn all over garden.

 

[majika]

Inspected two of the garden hives this afternoon. Found one queen cell with grub in about 5 days old andand another with a fresh egg...

 

[Tremyfro]

I was a on my own today...as football at Wembley took precedence for OH.
Put the new Buckfast Queen into the split today. The sun was out but it was windy...took the roof and clear cover board out of my hands...for a ride across the Bee Yard.
Now have to wait to see if they accept her.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Demareed Buckybeast. No QCs yet (I hope!).

Seeing brace comb, thought I would give 2A, my other very strong double-brood colony, its first inspection and I had timed it to within days; loads of charged cells, one with just an egg, none sealed. There followed the clumsiest AS you would ever wish to see, my first, complicated by my pathetic inability to find queens. The poor bees got shaken and sifted within an inch of their lives. Hopefully HM is in the right place but I'll have to go through again tomorrow to check.

 

[vivienne13]

first inspection

I got my bees three weeks ago, I have left them alone but after bee class today we built frames and opened the brood box, I saw the queen,
They were busy and I saw grubs too.
They had lots of space but added queen excluded and a super.
One worry was a foundation was very dark with not many bees ,it came with nuc and I wonder should I replace it?

Overall all looked good

Vivienne

 

[pargyle]

I got my bees three weeks ago, I have left them alone but after bee class today we built frames and opened the brood box, I saw the queen,
They were busy and I saw grubs too.
They had lots of space but added queen excluded and a super.
One worry was a foundation was very dark with not many bees ,it came with nuc and I wonder should I replace it?

Overall all looked good

Vivienne

You may have put a super on far too soon .. the general rule is that you don't put a super on a hive until you have at least 7 frames of capped brood. Old comb (it's comb not foundation btw) is dark - doesn't necessarily mean there is anything wrong with it. You got nucs only three weeks ago and you have them in a full size brood box and have now put a super on ? They will be rattling round like a few peas in a gallon can ... what did you put in the rest of the hive outside of the frames that came with the Nuc ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

There followed the clumsiest AS you would ever wish to see, my first, complicated by my pathetic inability to find queens.

If you do Wally Shaw's modified Snelgrove 11 you don't have to find the queen on the first manipulation and when you do in the second she is in a much depleted box when it should be easier

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

If you do Wally Shaw's modified Snelgrove 11 you don't have to find the queen on the first manipulation and when you do in the second she is in a much depleted box when it should be easier

Thanks, Erica. I think that's the way forward. "Make Snelgrove board" has been on my to-do list for a while. Into the workshop... By ear, she's in the right place but I will check; this is meant to be a producing colony this year.

 

[Erichalfbee]

You don't need a split board. Do it in two hives in two locations. That's what I plan, I can't lift a full 14x12 that high.

 

[Glenviewbee]

Another sunny day here in West Cornwall and the bees were out and about - obviously pretty thirsty as they were making good use of the granite water bowl we made for the apiary. Apple, pear and cherry blossom just starting, blackthorne has been out for a while

 

[madasafish]

Another sunny day here in West Cornwall and the bees were out and about - obviously pretty thirsty as they were making good use of the granite water bowl we made for the apiary. Apple, pear and cherry blossom just starting, blackthorne has been out for a while

Nice waterbowl.

Taking orders?

 

[einsteinagogo]

Popped back to the apiary this afternoon, and put some insulation on the outside of two of my weaker colonies.

It was bitter cold today, and not a single bee was flying. Although one did ping my ear, but did not sting me. (again, I decided not to where any protection - silly!).

Weather was cloudy, bitter cold wind, and threatening to rain, so glad I made the call to inspect yesterday, today would have been much too cold....