What did you do in the Apiary today?

[enrico]

Went into two out of three hives both with super under bb for winter. What a mess with brood comb all underneath super frames.

First time dealing with post winter so wasn’t really sure what to do so moved super back up above bb in the hope that Q will start laying down in the bb then I can put in QE.

Made an awful job of it though, floor came away from the stand bees mad (no stings tho) brood burr comb all crushed and had to be cut out.

Gave up after two hives, luckily the third already had bb underneath.

Any advise welcome.


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Make this a separate thread and you will get good advice!
E

 

[Podilia]

I have watched a couple of documentaries about Pripyat, i think his name is Vasyl Sokirenko.
Scroll down the page in this link.

https://www.rferl.org/a/chernobyl-land-of-milk-and-honey/27686610.html

Intresting report. Thanks. It was another story, but no matter. That man I mentioned about had mostly log hives and he didn't respect conventional hives.

 

[Podilia]

My landscape is not so bright. Apricots showed first white teeth. Colonies are not growing yet. My strongest hives (not many) have 8-9 dadant frames. I don't now haw many brood, maybe on 3-4 frames. The weather is warm and pleasant but from Thursday it's going to be colder and wet.

 

[enrico]

Nice sunny day, warm enough for a quick check, took a super off each of two hives, not because they were full but because I put them on too early. These cold nights are meaning they are just having to heat an empty space. Live and learn. Warm early spring can deceive us into believing the bees are busier than they are. apart from that all healthy and nice laying queens.
E

 

[simonforeman]

Nice sunny day, warm enough for a quick check, took a super off each of two hives, not because they were full but because I put them on too early. These cold nights are meaning they are just having to heat an empty space. Live and learn. Warm early spring can deceive us into believing the bees are busier than they are. apart from that all healthy and nice laying queens.
E

Wish it was warm here..... 8 degrees and the same until Sunday......

 

[colinc]

My hives had set off well a couple of weeks ago and since then weather and work had stopped me even opening the hives. They are in a very sheltered suntrap and they are very active today. so cracked one hive to find it jammed. No queen cells but little space, the rape is out and the forecast over the next 2 weeks is gradually increasing temps and settled weather.....we will see.

As a result checked all 5 hives. All short on laying space and frames crammed with brood. The single broods got another brood box of foundation under them. One double from a split last year that was requeened is ok, one got a super for space and some stores got bruised, it is on 12 frames of brood the 2 bought in queens are looking really good for this year. my biggest colony now has 14 frames of brood across 2 brood boxes, the remainder full of stores and the nadired super which I was waiting to move up over an excluder is now 75% full of brood. This queen is in her 4th year now and continues to outperform all my other colonies. Love her!

Moved her into the brood box and lifted the nadir over a queen excluder to revert it to a honey super, gave them another drawn super and hoping we get a good flow soon.....everything is set to go.


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[masterBK]

Very cold here last night and this morning several drones ejected in front of one of my garden hives. This colony has a history going back several years of ejecting drones during cold spells of weather in spring.

 

[Angularity]

Watched a colony eject the dead body of a queen wasp. Well done girls!

 

[JazzJPH]

My Abelo poly national with 2 supers arrived today and I'm very impressed!

I also set up a swarm trap nuc at my parents' house. A little 5 framer with starter strips and lemongrass oil on the cotton bud.

Not keeping my hopes up but it keeps me busy

 

[simonforeman]

Bees have found the fully open OSR field 1/2 mile away, only trouble is it's 8 degrees and some bees dead and some alive and chilled on the floor outside the hive with full pollen sacks. Just too far for them in these temps..

 

[Podilia]

I sold ONE colony, what a success.. The losses around are heavy, but no one is buying. Not just from me, from others who sell..

What are the reasons of big losses around?

In my opinion your market is relatively small. For example, here people sell and purchase bees nevertheless the endless economic depression, pesticides etc. Of course, our market has also fallen significantly. We are in really hard conditions now. People buy rather packages than colonies either to replace winter losses or establish an apiary (if they are too optimistic). A package is less expensive and can effectively work on a late flow.

 

[Goran]

What are the reasons of big losses around?

In my opinion your market is relatively small. For example, here people sell and purchase bees nevertheless the endless economic depression, pesticides etc. Of course, our market has also fallen significantly. We are in really hard conditions now. People buy rather packages than colonies either to replace winter losses or establish an apiary (if they are too optimistic). A package is less expensive and can effectively work on a late flow.

Enthusiasm is off, so willingness to apply additional effort is non existent. So then come varoosis and nosemosis ( N. Cerana), along with other beekeeper's mistakes. Nothing misterious..
Buying and selling... Have no desire or will to explain much, no use, the system is dead. Not much more optimistic for EU either..

 

[Goran]

Forgot.. To be happier, the snow is falling on all fruit in bloom today..

 

[Antipodes]

Feeding sugar syrup today (Saturday). Still very dry and not much feed about.

 

[Helen]

Nothing. Snow falling quite heavily here. Staying put indoors.

 

[wightbees]

Snow.. Really? Its got slight chill too the air here but still bright and sunny. Most likely leave things to Monday though.

 

[Helen]

Yup, loads of snow here in Suffolk this morning. However, it's now stopped, melted and lovely and sunny. Mad April weather.

 

[Ian123]

Just inspected a flow hive......lol what a load of carp!!!!!Now have a cut out to do in old wbc that bees are living in gap between boxes, internal boxes are solid as was a garden ornament, both at my boys school. Came home and checked some nucs that queens had been introduced to and all accepted.

 

[george]

A coat of sadolin on a few rooves and a dozen tired looking supers .
Made a start on some super frames but snow/sleet and hail drove me indoors . Cold as hell in the wind .
Still waiting for sensible temps for first inspection .

 

[thedozzer]

Bugger all, was going to do inspection but after 3rd sleet/snow shower decided to pot up tomato seedling in greenhouse instead.