What did you do in the Apiary today?

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Hi:Well I bought a queen a few days ago for one hive which had no queen and kept her in cage for almost 4 days with her attending bees.I decided to release her my self and she went down into the frames a once with a group of the hive bees in chase.I think they killed her at once!She didn't have a chance so these bees are mean any way I will just let them die out.Queen cost 40.00 plus drove 100 miles round trip to get her!
 
Checked on my air freshener unite of yesterday - all seems fine and dandy with all bees in good order and no signs of carnage :) Reshuffled the frames to get them back to a single BB, and added an empty super over the one that came over with the Q- colony during the unite.
Shook out a DLQ colony - felt a complete brute doing so :( Actually ended up having to brush all the bees off the frames as the uncapped stores were flying everywhere when I was shaking the frames and that didn't seem like a good idea. Managed not to get any stings though.
 
Shook out a LW colony. Most bees seem to have found a home in the hive next door to their old site. Hopefully this'll help to build up numbers in that colony, as they recently has to be requeened and are still a little thin in the ground.

Treated the swarm that arrived a few days ago with oxalic on Friday. Drop not as high as I'd thought it'd be, but enough to be glad I treated.

Put up another bait hive. Last weeks swarm was a lovely big prime, so you never know, even if it is July...
 
icanhopit said:
The heavens opened, and I got soaked.

Has washed the crow crap off the National roofs beautifully!

Yeghes da
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Didn't think I'd see you go down the sun hive route! how long did it take you to collect enough crow crap to coat one hive?
 
Erichalfbee said:
Ahhhh I used to work there and live in Bray.
Local watering hole was William 1V on Thames Street....wonder if it's still there?
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have to be honest I'm not sure if its still there. Ill have to look next time we go through( my boy plays football at home park sometimes)
 
Carried out an artificial swarm on my largest colony, which was itself prime swarm collected at the beginning of May. They're on brood and a half and two supers, and the queen and three frames have been transferred into a nuc, along with some undrawn foundation.

My intention is to reunite the nuc with the original colony as soon as they get swarm fever out of their system :)

Meant to also say they were rather feisty, and though there were probably around 20 stings stuck in the chest of my suit, and bees all over my veil, I managed to get it done with the help of a blanket, and without any stings! Nearly bottled it though, its the first time I've been faced with intimidating bees on my own!
 
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I've sort of had a rest from beekeeping this weekend! (just a little!).

All I've done, quick visual inspection of all colonies, through clear crown boards, including three apideas. Sprayed some water into two apideas, and put in the warmth in my dark garage. (checked underneath of OMF!)

I'd had two (closed) apideas out in the garden, and was surprised they were joined by a number of other bees on the open mesh ventilation grid, not my bees, as these were very very yellow. May be Buckfast!
 
one of my hives swarmed today just as I got up to garden only went into next garden up a big tree stopped there for 10 mins . just got kitted up to have a look and they came back well pleased but had to make a quick dash lol
 
Dropped 100 kg hive, at dusk, and got stung about 20 times (wrists and ankles). And I could not (due to lack of light, and lack of cooperation from confused bees) get the hive to sit straight on the pedestal again. Fortunately the bees have glued the hive bodies together nicely, so the hive itself is "intact", but the thing doesn't sit straight on the bottom board. I just hope there won't be strong winds tonight. I'll visit the apiary by mid-morning tomorrow to see if things have quieted down sufficiently for me to secure the hive.
 
Shored up my L-shaped stand with half breeze blocks scrounged from a local site because it is carrying the thick end of 400 kg from my 3 production colonies. It's fine, but I need my hives vertical where they are atill drawing comb and there is a bit of movement.
 
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Been to Hampton Court Flower Show today... so not seen much of my bees .. popped round to the apiary tonight and peeked through the crown boards .. don't you just love that smell of ripening honey and that low hum that they make ? Like a power station generator room ticking over ... Loads of bees sitting on the porch but there's a bit of thunder in the air so I don't expect they'll be alfresco for long.

The contrary little beggars that had built some creative comb in the second super seem to have come back into line and have cleaned up the mess I left behind after sorting it out yesterday. Amazing how quickly they sort things out ...

Just as an aside ... there were loads of honey bees on the flowers .. I didn't see a bee tent there this year but there must have been some hives behind the scenes somewhere ? The BBKA had a talk going on in the lecture theatre but I missed it ! We had a picnic under some lime trees and they were in blossom ... bees all over it as well ...
 
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I just love Hampton Court Flower show. I was at the very first one and have been to a few since. It was just a walk through Bushy Park from where I lived for 20 years.
 
Erichalfbee said:
I just love Hampton Court Flower show. I was at the very first one and have been to a few since. It was just a walk through Bushy Park from where I lived for 20 years.
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We've been going since about year 3 ... it's now huge ... and a lot more expensive ... even with RHS membership discount tickets were £24 each and with car parking extra at £11 it's not a cheap day out ... but a real treat. The last day is good as you can pick up some good bargains ... we bought quite a few large perennials which were going for 4 pots for £10 ... Achillea, Lavender, Penstemon, Asclepias ... you can't get this type and size of plant for £2.50 each in Aldi even ... They were all originally selling for £8 each. All well watered and looking good ... they also sell off some of the plants from the display gardens which are good value.

But .. we go more for the ideas that it all gives you .. quite a few 'bee based' sellers in the Country Life marquee - seemed to be doing quite well.

Sorry ...:ot:
 
ugcheleuce said:
Dropped 100 kg hive, at dusk, and got stung about 20 times (wrists and ankles).
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Brag pics. Its the green hive to the far right that did it (this picture was taken this morning, after I went back to put the hive up right again).
 

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ugcheleuce said:
Brag pics. Its the green hive to the far right that did it (this picture was taken this morning, after I went back to put the hive up right again).
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100kg? What are they foraging on, lead?

ADD Whatever it is, it is a heavy flow :) ENDADD
 
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