What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Rock_Chick]

Found 6 sealed Qcells. queen still laying !!!!
also sealed cells other hives also queens still laying, whats going on. too many for supersede cells.
I've 2 that need shook swarming but its too cold here yet. my greenhouse give 4c on thermometer last night.
I took them all down, Sunday I'll take another look if more cells made I'll make up some nucs.

 

[Tremyfro]

Hmmm....I didn't think they were planning departures...but that might be a thought after the fact. Today we captured our first swarm from the hedge along our driveway. Could be one of ours...or could be from neighbouring colonies. Some were being kept at the end of our driveway...
Some being kept at the bottom of the road.
I have to say...most likely to be ours. It might become clearer when we inspect them.

 

[alldigging]

Me and my glamorous assistant Cath (She likes to be called that!) went and took the bee vac to someone's house to collect a swarm that was proving hard to catch the queen. She was hiding behind some very narrow gap behind fence posts.
Husband was pleased that the bee vac works in the field, as we didn't get to try it last year.

Have been down to the apiary to top the water feeder thing up (shower tray with hole filled and then bags of nice stones in) as the hot weather is drying it up a bit.
Herded some ducks out of the apiary!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Me and my glamorous assistant Cath (She likes to be called that!) went and took the bee vac to someone's house to collect a swarm that was proving hard to catch the queen. She was hiding behind some very narrow gap behind fence posts.
Husband was pleased that the bee vac works in the field, as we didn't get to try it last year.

Have been down to the apiary to top the water feeder thing up (shower tray with hole filled and then bags of nice stones in) as the hot weather is drying it up a bit.
Herded some ducks out of the apiary!

A suggestion to provide a reservoir. Get a 25 litre drum and drill a couple of holes in the top. Fill it with water and invert it in the tray. As the tray empties it will expose the holes to air which will enter and displace water until the level in the tray rises above the holes. Basically a giant bird drinker that costs peanuts.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I've 2 that need shook swarming.

Why? do you have EFB?

 

[Tremyfro]

Well this swarm did not read the manual before it left home!
All afternoon it has hung on the front of the nuc...some bees inside.
So we decided to give them a little help...we collected them up and tipped loads into the nuc...and they appeared to start going in the entrance. We went away and left them to it.
So this evening...remembering everyone said to wait for the stragglers to go in before moving the nuc....hmmmfph....there they all were ....hanging on the outside again.
So we have just shovelled them in again...there were some on the ground under the edge of the nuc...so we have upended a brood box over them...just in case the queen was amongst them...fairly likely as nothing is classic about this naughty swarm....they must have been truanting from school and missed the lesson on swarming!
Hoping that tomorrow sees them happy to stay inside...we locked them in for the night...the sky is clear...it is going to be chilly.
So advice is required...my lovelies.

 

[Rock_Chick]

Why? do you have EFB?

I need to change the frames 2year old, also control varroa.

 

[Tonyatcwfarm]

Caught first swarm of the year,not from mine.BRought them back to the home apiary tonight,will give them some frames of foundation in the morning
Made up another 50 super frames,had a loan of a powered stapler so used it with 15mm staples

 

[Eyeman]

First good size swarm of the season and at head height.

 

[JWF]

I need to change the frames 2year old, also control varroa.

There are less stressful ways to change the comb, and two years isn't hugely old anyway.

 

[drex]

recently posted about how sickened I was to find a poorly but marked queen on the ground after manipulation of two colonies. From which of the two I did not know. Looked in these two late yesterday. Saw marked queen in one. Opened the other expecting to find emergency queen cells, but there were none. Only a small patch of three day old eggs, which fitted the timing, so I requeened. Surprised that they had not started making their own.

 

[coatesg]

Inspected yesterday - Looks like swarm I recaptured has partially absconded, as no sign of any brood, and not much comb being drawn out, though still some foragers present. Gave them a test frame to see if they are definitely queenless, but will probably merge those back in with the parent hive once that new Q comes into lay and resplit them later.

Hive 2 that lost it's Q back in April looks to have a new replacement that's just come into lay with a couple of frames with eggs present. First super there now largely filling up, but not yet capped - suspect the flow has dried up with so little rain in last weeks, and not very warm for ripening the honey up... (near air frost again the other night...)

 

[Erichalfbee]

There are less stressful ways to change the comb, and two years isn't hugely old anyway.

Finman's adage of changing comb when you can't see through it?

 

[Lucky Bee]

I'm an idiot. Thought I would try to introduce a queen using a push in cage. Having removed her attendants indoors so that she was on her own I went to put her into the push in cage in the apiary and quick as a flash she found a gap and flew away. I wonder what will happen to her. I'm so rubbish!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I need to change the frames 2year old, also control varroa.

Properly treat for varroa, move older frames to the edge of the box to change the old ones, shook swarm if you have EFB - simples.
About time this BBKA obsession with shook swarming was put to bed methinks it does nothing but stress the colony unnecessarily and will cause problems further down the line.

 

[birdsandbees]

I'm an idiot. Thought I would try to introduce a queen using a push in cage. Having removed her attendants indoors so that she was on her own I went to put her into the push in cage in the apiary and quick as a flash she found a gap and flew away. I wonder what will happen to her. I'm so rubbish!

Oh bugger! that's not good!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm an idiot. Thought I would try to introduce a queen using a push in cage. Having removed her attendants indoors so that she was on her own I went to put her into the push in cage in the apiary and quick as a flash she found a gap and flew away. I wonder what will happen to her. I'm so rubbish!

Oh no!
Not rubbish. Bad luck. Next time the frame will be resting on your lap in the car or the kitchen.
She might walk in unmolested where you intended her to be or she might get killed at the entrance to another.

 

[PaulCarroll]

I am so glad that other people also have irritatingly frustrating accidents. I can sense your frustration at the loss of your Queen, not to mention seeing £30+ pounds flying out the window if she was a bought Queen. My commiserations!!


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[B+.]

Thought I would try to introduce a queen using a push in cage. Having removed her attendants indoors so that she was on her own I went to put her into the push in cage in the apiary and quick as a flash she found a gap and flew away. I wonder what will happen to her.

In all probability, she will fly straight up and, not knowing where to go, will become bird food. However, if there are queenless hives in need of a mated queen, it is possible that the field bees could guide her to their hive ...so check any queenless colonies before you give up on her.
I have done this too. It makes you feel bad. All you can do is learn from it and try never to do it again.

 

[alldigging]

A suggestion to provide a reservoir. Get a 25 litre drum and drill a couple of holes in the top. Fill it with water and invert it in the tray. As the tray empties it will expose the holes to air which will enter and displace water until the level in the tray rises above the holes. Basically a giant bird drinker that costs peanuts.

Thanks
We have been thinking of something along those lines!