What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Plenty of honey]

Took frame into hands, checked 1st apiary and half of 2nd, now I am in notes.. So far, again showed to me location, location, location.. Just 500m distance and such difference.. I had to manage frames carefully cause when I lean it, pollen is pouring off it literally.. Mostly from goat willow and some cornel. Whole day bees can be heard on goat willow..
I wanted to take pics of bees and comb, but new "shiny" gloves don't let me open my mobile phone.. odd.......

Pleased for you Goran. Nice to hear. Yours have survived a real winter. You must have made good autumn preparations!!

 

[madasafish]

Association Apiary this am
Stripped old felt from bee shed and replaced it with new.
Feeders topped up.

Then to pub for coffee and bee discussion: which was delayed by one member's car catching fire in the car park and burning out engine compartment and both front tyres. Eventually extinguished by pub landlord and helpers using a hose and buckets of water from canal.. Car a writeoff..

Who says beekeeping is boring?

 

[coatesg]

Made up a couple of floors, couple of roofs and a brood box.

Only another couple of boxes to make for the minute, and then a load of frames to knock together.

 

[manek]

Made up frames for a second colony, anticipating a swarm. And did my first inspection of 2017: plenty of stores, so removed fondant feeder (and a bunch of comb they'd built inside the packet). Only a brood box right now but I'd hope to see the three empty frames drawn enough to put a super on in a few weeks. Lovely docile temperament.

 

[Brigsy]

Association Apiary this am
Stripped old felt from bee shed and replaced it with new.
Feeders topped up.

Then to pub for coffee and bee discussion: which was delayed by one member's car catching fire in the car park and burning out engine compartment and both front tyres. Eventually extinguished by pub landlord and helpers using a hose and buckets of water from canal.. Car a writeoff..

Who says beekeeping is boring?

Smoker left burning?

 

[madasafish]

Smoker left burning?

Nope. Appears to have been under bonnet...

 

[Robbo8916]

Realised I have run out of brood foundation. Ordered some more.

Plans are all in place for the move to the new orchard but going to sit out this next week of miserable wet weather. Both colonies appear to be doing ok so far.

Shall be painting the new maisies poly this evening after work ready for the nuc to transfer into when they move.

I am feeling that little excitement building as the season begins again in earnest. I hope I never lose that!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Made up frames for a second colony, anticipating a swarm. And did my first inspection of 2017: plenty of stores, so removed fondant feeder (and a bunch of comb they'd built inside the packet). Only a brood box right now but I'd hope to see the three empty frames drawn enough to put a super on in a few weeks. Lovely docile temperament.

As always it requires a judgement call but keep ahead of the bees when deciding when to put the super on. Too late and you risk swarming, too early and it's a waste of heat/energy/food.

 

[nantmoel]

I released the bees from 3 hives I moved on Thursday, I only moved them a few hundred metres so I've left them 4 days, I also put 'magic' twigs in front of the hives as well. Its raining here as well so hopefully they will stay in a bit longer.

 

[Plenty of honey]

I released the bees from 3 hives I moved on Thursday, I only moved them a few hundred metres so I've left them 4 days, I also put 'magic' twigs in front of the hives as well. Its raining here as well so hopefully they will stay in a bit longer.

and you also sprinkled fairy dust in front of those hives i hope ??

 

[nantmoel]

and you also sprinkled fairy dust in front of those hives i hope ??

Bugger I knew I forgot something!

 

[pargyle]

Bugger I knew I forgot something!

If you haven't got any fairy dust then I sell it for a very reasonable price .. you can order on line and I can send it via an email attachment - great value at £5 a go ... please don't over order as it does not keep - orders limited to four per beekeeper per season as it's a very rare commodity that I collect personally from the fairies at the bottom of my garden.

 

[JWF]

Saw a big fat drone buzzing around earlier in the sunshine.

 

[birdsandbees]

not in my Apiary but about a mile away from one of them, spent the day performing a cut out.

weather forecast wasn't too bad and it was mild, but hell it was windy!

property had wooden slats on the outside and Bees were accessing along the gaps, removed some slats to see where they were, turns out there were three colonies within a ten foot stretch, two in the soffits at each end and a third which is within the timber wall cavity.
managed to get the soffit bees out and into Nucs okay but the third requires another visit at a later date with more equipment.

dirty sticky suit now in the wash with sticky tools yet to clean!

what did I agree too

 

[Goran]

We " jumped" into summer by day - over 20Celsius.. Next week return to cold.. Bees inspected, the most are on 4 frames of brood (2/3 of frame mostly). There are few on 2, which I intend to reduce on nuclei size and keep it that way until it suits me. There are also some on even 6 brood frames. Stores are melting with " light speed". For about 2 weeks I expect the colonies will double brood.. on time for selling ( I always feel unease when sell colonies)..
I found one with seemingly chalk brood - couple larva ( dried gray/white). This line has short " lineage" as in " testing" and will be no problem to remove it..

Sunny, warm and calm weather, but bees are grumpy.

 

[Tremyfro]

Pushed OH outside with the stapler gun.....and the Dartington roof...and a roll of roofing felt. Hopefully, I will soon have a waterproof roof again. If he finishes it ...I will get my kitchen table back in use...lol. 3 weeks of procrastination...weather too wet...weather too cold...weather too wet and cold...

 

[Somerford]

Can't believe the weather. Come on Spring. Sprung or whatever you do and don't go back into hibernation !

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hibernation or Diapause?

 

[Dadnlad]

Took the chance to look through our 3 overwintered nucs this afternoon
One ok, one poor, one bursting on 5 frames of brood so hived and fondanted it

Forecast warm all next week here

 

[VEG]

Nowt