What did you do in the Apiary today?

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There are various ways of doing it, pick up both frames at the same time and look inside as you open them up, like a book, or pick up one frame at a time, as you do so glance down and look at the other frame, to see if you can see the queen, then look at the frame you have just picked up.

My mentor showed me two season's ago how to do it I was just asking about the method/s
Thanks.
 
Well Hannah is still blowing. Had a double polynuc blow over. It was sat on and strapped to 2 paving slabs. Now back the right way up and has a scaffolding plank leaning against it to shore it up.
 
I'd strapped down the hive last night pre-strong winds today. Went out to take a look to make sure it's all OK - found a small cluster of worker and drone bees huddled and hanging on for dear life under the open mesh floor. Scooped them onto a board and directed them back inside the entrance and replaced the inspection board again...

I could do with inspecting to make sure all is OK in the bottom half of the Snelgrove split (and to remove any QCs in the top!), but far too windy to think about it.
 
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Placed half concrete block on each hive prior to arrival of winds last night. Welfare check at 3pm still fairly windy but despite wind they were bringing back loads of different colour pollen from bright orange to a dull grey colour. Just letting them get on with things in their own way.
 
Cant believe we had to take a super off of 2 hives and extract today. 3/4 capped ors and even though it felt really early to be doing it, im glad i did. We just caught it in time before not getting it out of cells. Ive decided to throw away the notion of what should be happening when, these strange new weather patterns from global warming mean i must go with whats happening when.
 
Ive decided to throw away the notion of what should be happening when, these strange new weather patterns from global warming mean i must go with whats happening when.

I discovered very early on that beekeeping by numbers seldom works.
 
Haha beekeeping by numbers thats funny but yes ive learnt this now also, just checked its water content and its ripe n ready to jar. I need to source jars now, as with everything bee related this year ive been caught on the back foot.
 
Cant believe we had to take a super off of 2 hives and extract today. 3/4 capped ors and even though it felt really early to be doing it, im glad i did. We just caught it in time before not getting it out of cells. Ive decided to throw away the notion of what should be happening when, these strange new weather patterns from global warming mean i must go with whats happening when.

The new buzz phrase is climate change. When the effects of the sun's cooling phase begin to bite it'll be claimed to be the result of the prayers and sacrifices of the elderly on the altar of green
 
Had my first charged Qcs today hive was spilling bees , 2 full supers on hive , took queen away in a nuc when I finally found her ...
Was 10 days since last inspection my bad
 
Came home and found a large swarm in my front hedge - in a very inaccessible position. Managed to shake the greater part into a box and put them into a prepared nuc hoping I had the queen.
A smallish ball of bees remained in the hedge and despite much secateur work, was unable to reach them. Resorted to a small vacuum cleaner which did the job quite well, but damaged a few bees.
Added a frame of brood into the nuc to encourage them to stay.
Now I need to discover if they were from my hives or elsewhere...
Will vape them mid week if they haven't absconded.
Happy daysbee-smillie
 
Re organised 2 hives, staggering amount of weight in supers and brood boxes, one of these hives went to a new home today, the other goes tomorrow. Back down to a more manageable 3 hives.


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Got a call about a swarm that had just disappeared under tiles of a garage at 5 last night, cut away the sarking and put the large swarm in a box by 7pm and set them up in my isolation apiary.
Checked on them this morning at 9 and they have already drawn the centre section of 4 frames of foundation and the queen is laying in two of them! Quick workers these girls!!!!
 
Checked out and cleaned my 20 Apideas today ready for use in a couple of weeks time. Unfortunately Greater wax moth had got into one. The Caterpillars not only destroyed the combs but also dug big holes in the polystyrene as they pupated.
 

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Got really confused. Last inspection 7 days ago and now...

Hive 1: 14x12 with one super, which they are not working. Found a single sealed QC, eggs and larvae but no queen (she isn’t marked so may have missed her). Presumed supercedure, cell left.

Hive 2: Single National after Bailey change, 3 supers. No signs of swarming, seemed happy enough and just drawing top super.

Hive 3: suspected queenless 14 days ago, added test frame of eggs. 7 days ago no QCs drawn, eggs found in other frames. Today, single cell on what was the test frame, brood in the hive but nothing capped. Knocked back the cell to see if a virgin is just getting going?

Hive 4: Drawing new box for Bailey and working the supers. 15+ capped QCs, no queen, eggs but none very upright, so maybe left yesterday? Knocked down all but one cell.

Hive 5: Doing well, drawing the new brood box for their Bailey change. But a bit evil, so queen needs to go!

Very odd today, don’t quite know what is going on with a number of the hives. Feel like seeing capped QCs means I missed something last time, but I’m pretty confident that I didn’t (and certainly not 15+!).
 
Checked out and cleaned my 20 Apideas today ready for use in a couple of weeks time. Unfortunately Greater wax moth had got into one. The Caterpillars not only destroyed the combs but also dug big holes in the polystyrene as they pupated.

Similar situation with one of my poly nucs - right old mess.
Now soaking in a wheely bin full of washing soda.
Will be spraying my hives with Certan this year!

Enough is enough
 
Came home and found a large swarm in my front hedge - in a very inaccessible position. Managed to shake the greater part into a box and put them into a prepared nuc hoping I had the queen.
A smallish ball of bees remained in the hedge and despite much secateur work, was unable to reach them. Resorted to a small vacuum cleaner which did the job quite well, but damaged a few bees.
Added a frame of brood into the nuc to encourage them to stay.
Now I need to discover if they were from my hives or elsewhere...
Will vape them mid week if they haven't absconded.
Happy daysbee-smillie

Recaptured your own bees?
 
Got really confused. Last inspection 7 days ago and now...

Hive 1: 14x12 with one super, which they are not working. Found a single sealed QC, eggs and larvae but no queen (she isn’t marked so may have missed her). Presumed supercedure, cell left.

Hive 2: Single National after Bailey change, 3 supers. No signs of swarming, seemed happy enough and just drawing top super.

Hive 3: suspected queenless 14 days ago, added test frame of eggs. 7 days ago no QCs drawn, eggs found in other frames. Today, single cell on what was the test frame, brood in the hive but nothing capped. Knocked back the cell to see if a virgin is just getting going?

Hive 4: Drawing new box for Bailey and working the supers. 15+ capped QCs, no queen, eggs but none very upright, so maybe left yesterday? Knocked down all but one cell.

Hive 5: Doing well, drawing the new brood box for their Bailey change. But a bit evil, so queen needs to go!

Very odd today, don’t quite know what is going on with a number of the hives. Feel like seeing capped QCs means I missed something last time, but I’m pretty confident that I didn’t (and certainly not 15+!).

Had the same in 3 of mine today, 7 days after last inspection when cells with only eggs were found today had multiple sealed cells, found the queens in 2 of them but think i've lost the other one.
 

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