What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Watched it snow all day...
Tomorrow: will watch it snow all day.
Monday am: will watch the chaos on roads.

 

[Millet]

Fuming, some A hole has tried to push my best hive over with my first ever mated Queen in, it was pushed of the slab and like the leaning tower of Pisa i will from now on be putting trial cameras up because it can only be one of two people who have a lot more to loose than me..bad bad move on there behalf , luckily it was well strapped up and on a good stable stand so it did not topple over or fall apart..

After that palava i weighed them and only one had lost 1lb in weight since the 11th Nov, i also vaped them and left them to it.

Today's weights where.
Yellow Queen 109lb gained 3lb in one month.
White Queen 102lb lost 1lb in one month.
Blue Queen 105lb gained 4lb in one month.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Fuming, some A hole has tried to push my best hive over with my first ever mated Queen in, it was pushed of the slab and like the leaning tower of Pisa i will from now on be putting trial cameras up because it can only be one of two people who have a lot more to loose than me..bad bad move on there behalf , luckily it was well strapped up and on a good stable stand so it did not topple over or fall apart..

Sorry to hear that Millet.

 

[Bakerbee]

Gosh thats awful millet. What an idiot to try sometjing like that. Lets hope he got a few stings from some guards in his efforts.

 

[Erichalfbee]

That’s a bugger, Steve. It would be my constant worry with an out apiary

 

[Millet]

That’s a bugger, Steve. It would be my constant worry with an out apiary

The thing with this apiary is it is at the end of a 1/2 mile dead end private track that leads to the farm house and cottages, there is no public right of way, the hives are basically in my lady friends back garden fenced of to protect from live stock, only one person has daily access to that area to check on live stock, however some work was done by builders to a wall right near the hives last week so that narrows it down to two people, typically i have nice calm bees now but how i wish i had my bees from hell back for times like this.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

I want to know how millets are gaining weight in the last month !!

 

[Millet]

I want to know how millets are gaining weight in the last month !!

The same happened last year and i don't why, my only ideas on this is water being brought in and growing brood apart from that i am stumped.

 

[beeno]

I want to know how millets are gaining weight in the last month !!

Well, it could be robbing if there are nearby beeks. Much to my surprise, saw a prunus in full flower by the church. Some of my colonies have been active flying on some days, so maybe they know what they are doing?

 

[B+.]

The same happened last year and i don't why, my only ideas on this is water being brought in and growing brood apart from that i am stumped.

If they're wooden hives, perhaps they're absorbing moisture?

 

[Millet]

If they're wooden hives, perhaps they're absorbing moisture?

One wood and two poly, the wooden one has a celotex cosy over it so no rain can soak into the wood, i would love to know for certain how they can gain weight like this.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

I want to know how millets are gaining weight in the last month !!

On calm, vaguely mild days since the end of October, my bees (and horse flies, bumbles and wasps) have been feeding on the nectar of two False Castor Oil Plants (Fatsia japonica) down the road. Three or four days ago, I saw wasps still foraging there - they clearly don't know they should have died two months ago. I've seen and smelt Winter Heliotrope (Petasites hybridus) in flower in the last few days so there is stuff out there for them to feed on, if weather permits and they have the will/tradition/breeding to do it.

CVB

 

[Goran]

Nothing.. Snow will melt down in a few days..

 

[Codford]

Results from first OA vape on 5 Dec: Blue Hive drop of 11, Green Hive drop of 71. Second vape yesterday. Results (and possible third vape) due 15 Dec.

 

[fatshark]

How late in the season did the colonies get their first treatment? The later you treat, the larger the mite number in midwinter.

 

[Codford]

How late in the season did the colonies get their first treatment? The later you treat, the larger the mite number in midwinter.

Autumn treatment was mid Oct.

 

[beeno]

Nothing - but noticed Hazel catkins well developed!

 

[Stedic]

Checked the 3 hives again after the snow. Saw a woodpecker last time I went but no obvious evidence that they've started attacking the hives yet - big relief!

Sunny and 5 or 6 degrees at the hives. Two were very quiet but a handful of dead bees about. The other hive was very busy, stood and watched them clearing the dead and doing mini flights for a bit. These bees are from a swarm and have been the most aggressive so far but I'm hoping they calm down in the new season as I reckon they'll be pretty prolific.

Hives aren't getting much lighter and the two lightest havevyet to touch the fondant.

Fingers crossed my first winter is kind to me.

 

[Brian Bush]

Trickled OA in 10 of my hives, plus four for a colleague who has left them in my apiary then went to the next village and treated two Dartington Long Hives and 5 for my colleague who was assisting me.
2 weak and 1 large strong colonies were dead but importantly many appear to be low on stores. I have put fondant on them all but will be checking again in 10 days time.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Counted mites after yesterday’s vape. 8 mites between five hives