What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

Last of the supers off. One uncapped one put over another colony. Looked balefully at a unite done a little while ago that still has a 14x12 on top filling with honey. What to do with it? I tried separating the two boxes with a bee space but instead of taking it down they have continued to fill it!

 

[Anduril]

Last of the supers off. One uncapped one put over another colony. Looked balefully at a unite done a little while ago that still has a 14x12 on top filling with honey. What to do with it? I tried separating the two boxes with a bee space but instead of taking it down they have continued to fill it!

Do any of your hives need feeding? You say bee space, but a crownboard in between with the feeder hole open, they regard it as outside the hive and rob it, if they have space to take it down. Otherwise extract or scrape the honey out. I had one like that back in July, I extracted it.

 

[Eyeman]

Last of the supers off. One uncapped one put over another colony. Looked balefully at a unite done a little while ago that still has a 14x12 on top filling with honey. What to do with it? I tried separating the two boxes with a bee space but instead of taking it down they have continued to fill it!

I can just fit a 14x12 frame tangentially in my 9 frame radial extractor- needs repositioning occasionally during the spin if it bangs against the side of the drum. Much slower than radial extracting but deals with those capped 14x12 stores, no need to worry about keeping the stores till spring and a quick and easy way of getting drawn comb when even its needed.

 

[piggy]

Just finished extracting, had it tipped up to drain, some how knocked it over and broke the plastic lid!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can just fit a 14x12 frame tangentially in my 9 frame radial extractor- needs repositioning occasionally during the spin if it bangs against the side of the drum. Much slower than radial extracting but deals with those capped 14x12 stores, no need to worry about keeping the stores till spring and a quick and easy way of getting drawn comb when even its needed.

Yes....I'll have to get the motorised Giordan out and spin off the frames I can't reposition in the bottom box. Lots of brood there at present

 

[Angularity]

When you're kicked out and lie on the apiary plains
And the cruel wasps come out to cut up what remains
Then pray for a stinger to switch off your brains
And go to your God like a...drone.

 

[Polyanwood]

Took supers off Berkshire bees today. Looks like they are on the balsam. Put some sugar blocks in the roofs just in case.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

spent all yesterday with the film cameras - what started as a request for a short interview about the history of the old chapel I care for turned into a full blown apiary inspection, talk on bees, wax and candle making then the ancient law of my ancestor King Hywel Dda and his decree that bees were a sacred animal then up to the chapel to place the candles and and chat about the chapel's long history.

 

[Jimmy]

, but a crownboard in between with the feeder hole open, they regard it as outside the hive and rob it, if they have space to take it it.

Wish my bees would read that book.............

 

[nantmoel]

Topped up a few feeders on some Nucs that were made up a few weeks ago.

 

[Anduril]

Wish my bees would read that book.............

If I don't do it that way they refill the frames.

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

 

[madasafish]

United two Kieler into an expanded one using air freshener..Happy as lambs in 30 minutes..

 

[alldigging]

Wish my bees would read that book.............

Was there a flow on?
They just fill them up if there is.

 

[Beelzebub]

Caught another Asian Hornet. Tried releasing it to monitor its route but it appeared to be rather dozy and I suppose its wings were wet too.

I'll keep it overnight and see about letting it go tomorrow.

 

[Jimmy]

If I don't do it that way they refill the frames.

Sent from my F3311 using Tapatalk

Was there a flow on?
They just fill them up if there is.

No flow, most of them seem to just enjoy the extra space. One Ged Marshall Buckfast colony did do it beautifully but that was the exception.
I have set up some colonies today to condense some uncapped supers and return some merged colonies back to single brood. Judging by their mood and the dry frames there is no nectar so I am optimistically anticipating success at last.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Putting stores underneath always works

 

[Barbarian]

Tried to check a colony of BB and 3 supers. Loads of bees but started getting defensive. I added a prepared drawn super and closed up.
As I was leaving the apiary, I noticed another hive of BB and 3 supers was bearding. I will have to prepare a super to go on it.

 

[beekake]

Went to take off 4 supers from my strongest hive. The clearer board (rhombus, split into two with half at each of two corners) had been on for 24h...my usual method, works a dream normally. The air above the hive was full of bees, the sound was incredible, and there were hundreds of bees trying to get in under the roof. As I took the supers off (full of bees) a swarm cluster started to form up on on of the fence posts at the apiary. When I got to the clearer board, I found the holes leading to the rhombus (around 50mm diameter) completely clogged with dead bees.

It took about an hour to clear all the supers manually and put the hive back together again. As I left, the swarm cluster was still there but the hive was back to normal and the air was no longer thick with bees. All of my colonies had been checked with no signs of swarming or swarm preps. Been trying to work out what was going on...yet another mystery (to me at least!). I might have a gander later today to see if the cluster is still there.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Having given two emergency feeds last week I'm feeding a super of crystallised stores (above, a clear super in between and limited access through a partially closed feed hole in a crown board)

 

[Barbarian]

Beekake ..... I like the off hive system of clearing bees.

At a convenient place in the apiary, I set up a stand. On the stand goes a knock-up floor which is open front and back. Above this goes a clearer board for the bees to go DOWN. Now comes 4 or 5 supers of honey and bees. Topping this is another clearer board for the bees to go UP. Finally a reversed double exit floor. This stack is left for 24 hours then the supers taken away for extracting.

With this system you can have supers in the stack from different hives without a problem. It also means that you only have to disturb the production hive once.