What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

I wish those forecasters would be more accurate because there's been rain then hail here today, with a bitterly cold wind. It's already frosty, so the blossom that's starting to appear is likely to be ruined.

Yes ... felt like midwinter up the ladder today ... they are now predicting a frost overnight and a max of 12 degrees at midday ... I think my bees know more about weather forecasting than the weather forecasters ...

Supposed to be a glorious sunny day tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath on it ...

 

[madasafish]

Yes ... felt like midwinter up the ladder today ... they are now predicting a frost overnight and a max of 12 degrees at midday ... I think my bees know more about weather forecasting than the weather forecasters ...

Supposed to be a glorious sunny day tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath on it ...

I've seen snow in May before.

You're all too impatient... take up meditation or yoga rather than beekeeping if you are going to be so impatient.. As I can do nothing about the weather, I don't complain about it..



But it's a PIA

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

I've seen snow in May before.

As I can do nothing about the weather, I don't complain about it..

Where would we be if we all took that attitude?
Where would the Forum be?

There's always some killjoy wanting to take the fun out of life.

Honestly!

Dusty

 

[Goran]

Some had to spread in three boxes, in 2 were crowded.. QE in the hives.. Rotations.. Shuffling.. Ordinary spring operations..

 

[Tremyfro]

The sun is up and shining...yay.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes......that's what I would do......a poly nuc.
I've had a suicide hive too. They went through three queens and two unites.
They are on their last chance too with a final unite with a bait hive swarm.

Beautiful morning here too. Took a turn round the fields with the young dog at six this morning. Cold though.
Beginners are supposed to be getting a look into the association hives this afternoon.....maybe too cold still.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beautiful morning here too. Took a turn round the fields with the young dog at six this morning. Cold though.
Beginners are supposed to be getting a look into the association hives this afternoon.....maybe too cold still.

still quite a ground frost lingering in shaded areas at 0800 this morning, but clear skies and bright sunshine now.
We don't take our beginners to the hives until May. Trouble is, when you've got beginners you can't just do a two minute inspection, it's not fair on them in all their shiny eyed excitement - any longer though is not fair on the bees.

 

[user 6228]

still quite a ground frost lingering in shaded areas at 0800 this morning, but clear skies and bright sunshine now.
We don't take our beginners to the hives until May. Trouble is, when you've got beginners you can't just do a two minute inspection, it's not fair on them in all their shiny eyed excitement - any longer though is not fair on the bees.

my point about sheltering beehives from the night sky. A real life example so soon!

 

[chrisb]

Don't be too fed up. Better they be delayed and be good quality and with a tested queen, than be 'made up' of random frames from random colonies with an untested queen shoved in just to meet a time schedule.

thank you I can not help in back of mind seeing it as 5 less weeks to build the brood up for winter ! and 5 less weeks to iron out any problems if one happens.
just a little change in the forward planning

 

[Cussword]

Don't worry Chris, I didn't get my own bees until June.Trust me, you'll find plenty to do this year.

 

[Michael Palmer]

Gave the final bits of pollen sub last week, and finished unwrapping hives yesterday. Took 664 production colonies into winter. 5 died...4 queen issues, 1 starved. Most clusters are very strong this spring. Took 460 nucleus colonies into winter. 22 died...queen issues or late season swarming. Again, large clusters.

Very encouraging wintering results. Now I just have to keep them in their hives.

 

[mbc]

. Now I just have to keep them in their hives.[/QUOTE]

Lol. Always especially challenging after a successful winter as empty equipment is scarce.

 

[Erichalfbee]

still quite a ground frost lingering in shaded areas at 0800 this morning, but clear skies and bright sunshine now.
We don't take our beginners to the hives until May. Trouble is, when you've got beginners you can't just do a two minute inspection, it's not fair on them in all their shiny eyed excitement - any longer though is not fair on the bees.

I'm going to pop over to the association apiary to catch up with some gossip for an hour or so. I trust they won't be opening up. Still cold.

 

[JWF]

Took advantage of the lovely warm weather to go through my three hives. One, which overwintered on brood and a half has loads of stores and 7 frames of brood, the other two overwintered on a single brood box and both are laying well - plenty of brood and one has a few drones already, and a healthy amount of drone brood present. The other, which was a really late swarm caught in September just before the weather went really bad has plenty of brood but barely any stores at all - syrup going on as soon as next door's kids have gone inside!

 

[Goran]

Been with bees.. More ones on 3 boxes.. Steady flow from forest, I think maples, black ash.. also seen hawthorn in flower full. Gloster apple in bloom, seducing smell of its flowers attracted bees also.. Russet apples are finishing flowering, interesting how bigger flower they have in comparison with other apples. Golden delicious also passed peak of blooming. Service tree in full bloom..
Hives full of pollen, honey pouring from the frames..
Even I see that I will have some extraction of great spring honey, I am not excited.. Since here it is low valued and low paid.. And as such I don't sell at large.. As it has compete low prices of such imported honey form Argentina/China..
More sad is black locust also follow that route in decreasing its price due enormous imports.. I wonder if generally is lack of honey in the world.. Where all these come from..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Beautiful day here although a bit chilly this morning. Took a hive up to Carreg and as it was so nice decided to have a quick look in the rest of the hives up there - all coming along nicely although slower than the home hives due to the difference in altitude, even so, a few will be getting a super before long.
was on a roll so decided to check the home hives - queens going like trains, most have now been supered - happy days.
Love my new smoker, lights like a dream and never seems to falter, right down to the last scrap of fuel. Can see why the Dadant smoker is so big though - the down side of continuous copious smoke is it doesn't half go through some fuel!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Played with association bees. Test frame in one brood less hive

 

[REDWOOD]

8:00 start, sorted out all the supers and fitted castellations to a few that have been drawn out last year, 12:00 headed to Ynystawe apiary, all looking good but a bit behind compared to last year, then off to Birchgrove apiary to find all hives bouncing, supered two and the rest will get a super next weekend if not sooner.

 

[Firefly]

2 years ago today I was dealing with queen cells. Today I gave the same colony in the same place, with the daughter queen, a frame of honey because I'm so concerned about how low they have got in the last 2 weeks

OSR just starting to flower, but there is a lot less of it than the last 2 years and it is a lot further from my bees

 

[chrisb]

Gave the final bits of pollen sub last week, and finished unwrapping hives yesterday. Took 664 production colonies into winter. 5 died...4 queen issues, 1 starved. Most clusters are very strong this spring. Took 460 nucleus colonies into winter. 22 died...queen issues or late season swarming. Again, large clusters.

Very encouraging wintering results. Now I just have to keep them in their hives.

that's very pleasing results