What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Bakerbee]

Here in dorset mine were flying. Two days of snow all gone now. Popped in two fully capped frames i froze last autumn to help them till the pollen is in more abundance.

 

[Popparand]

A few bees flying before the snows came but all quiet today even though the temperature is knocking 10 deg. Cleared a lot of dead bees out of the hive floor this morning. Still nibbling away at the block of fondant I put in early December. Fingers crossed that my first colony is going to make it through the winter. Nail biting times.

Off to buy some plywood to make a nuc before the warm weather comes.

 

[yeogi75]

think I've lost two noticed holes chewed in backs of floor looks like mice, going to leave till better weather before disturbing although might be able to save them opening them up to rid mice might be just as bad.

 

[thibault]

Today around 11.30am, 8°, bit of sun, snow all melted down, after a week of snow bees are now very active, the 2 hives are bringing loads of pollen in.

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[Swarm]

Lovely sight, Thibault.

 

[Millet]

Are they Queen Exluders i can see.. ?

 

[thibault]

Are they Queen Exluders i can see.. ?

No queen excluder on [emoji6]

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[thibault]

Lovely sight, Thibault.

Yes Swarm, really pleased to see that, especially the nuc on the right hand side which hasn't got that much beess, maybe 2 seams, we'll see if they survive March.

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[thibault]

Are they Queen Exluders i can see.. ?

No Millet, be reassured, no queen excluders on [emoji6]

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[thibault]

No Millet, be reassured, no queen excluders on [emoji6]

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Sorry, posted same answer twice

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[Millet]

No Millet, be reassured, no queen excluders on [emoji6]

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What are those boards you are using baultman in between the boxes, nice to see them all flying by the way..

 

[thibault]

What are those boards you are using baultman in between the boxes, nice to see them all flying by the way..

They are crownboards, the supers are empty, and I am using the 1st super as an eke for fondant and the 2nd one for insulation (celotex inside). I have just bought a table saw, and I have plenty of scrap wood, so I am gonna make proper ekes and maybe quilt boxes.

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[Swarm]

Those are your Amm, Thibault?
Popped to the apiary for a quick check as the sun peeped through for a while. Temps of seven degrees and colonies busy.
Really pleased to see my 2015 queen's colony enjoying the sun. They were knocked over by sheep end of October and moved about twenty yards a month ago.

 

[Stedic]

Checked hives today. The two with clear crown boards looked healthy but had taken a lot of fondant, might need topping up in the next week.

Nuc wasn't flying but roared after I accidentally knocked it, so I'll assume they are OK too!

 

[Goran]

Over here is raining.. It will be interesting next few days..
By the way if helps, I got today " stainless beekeeping knife" - hive tool by ebay. It cost 2,8 euros and in the beekeeping shops here same knife cost 4,67 euros ( what a rip off).. When I have options, I am for it..

 

[witchcraft]

Had loads of snow over here on the east. However, this morning, sun came out and melted most. The bees came out to stretch their wings from all hives/nucs.

Then the rain started. Still raining. Looks like I've now got a pond where my front garden was.

Did I mention, still raining.....

I have lost three out out of four this winter in Suffolk, one I thought might have been queenless going into the winter but the other two heavy and fed. Fingers crossed for my last one (and bait hives out early). First ever winter loses in seven winters. I had began to think I knew what I was doing...

 

[thibault]

Those are your Amm, Thibault?
Popped to the apiary for a quick check as the sun peeped through for a while. Temps of seven degrees and colonies busy.
Really pleased to see my 2015 queen's colony enjoying the sun. They were knocked over by sheep end of October and moved about twenty yards a month ago.

Yes Swarm, left nuc is f2 amm locally mated , left hive f1 amm from ireland, right hive a greek amm (I confess, I did import, wanted to try and was a bit of emergency measure as well) and right nuc another f2 amm locally mated. All 2017 queens. The greek one surprised me as she is a true machine. I'll probably breed from her and see how it goes. Nice for your 2015 queen, what breed is it?

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[pargyle]

I have lost three out out of four this winter in Suffolk, one I thought might have been queenless going into the winter but the other two heavy and fed. Fingers crossed for my last one (and bait hives out early). First ever winter loses in seven winters. I had began to think I knew what I was doing...

I think it's going to be a winter of losses from what I'm hearing generally ... I've got one colony that doesn't look good ...plenty of stores but they look like they are dwindling. New queen last year and I wonder whether she's a bit of a dud. It will be the first colony that I've lost over winter if they don't make it.

 

[Swarm]

Nice for your 2015 queen, what breed is it?

She is just one of my black locals, they've always been beautiful bees to handle, even when I found them knocked over. Very frugal too, they felt a bit light when I got the boxes back together so I gave them half a gallon of invert which they ignored and they haven't touched their fondant either. First inspection will find them on about three combs usually but they build up nicely.
I'll be sorry to see her go.

 

[maddydog]

Did the rounds hefting and feeding where necessary. Two dead - one q- and small, the other q+ and a decent size but isolation starved by the look of it. All others flying nicely when the sun came out. Such is life