What did you do in the Apiary today?

[citrus]

Shook out a colony with a duff queen at an out apiary this morning - almost all good new comb so brought the whole box home to sort out, left it at the top of the lawn whilst I had a cup of tea and sorted some emails - came back out - just as a swarm moved in to the now vacant hive.

that was a good cup of tea eh !

 

[madasafish]

Inspected all hives this pm in warmest and best weather for a week or so - 12C and no wind..

Message in middle - which I only read when I had finished -from wife of newbie I occasionally help: swarm in hedge..
Collected swarm in box, left until after 6pm to collect stragglers. took home and temporarily hived in my sole Nat nuc (complete with foundation!).. for him to decide what to do with..

Children ( 3 under 7s) in house with bees in hedge had a grandstand window view 2 meters away from swarm...I'm famous - on camera!

 

[mjt68]

Unexpected day at home with twins too ill for nursery. Managed to paint 2 supers and 2 nucs and jar a batch of honey while they slept.

 

[deemann1]

unexpected day at home with twins too ill for nursery. Managed to paint 2 supers and 2 nucs and jar a batch of honey while they slept.

hero !!!

 

[Millet]

Checked the top supers.. all light apart from one so that mental colony got a fourth one..this cold weather is sure slowing them down..hard frost this morning..

 

[coatesg]

Yesterday removed top super of Snelgrove split for extracting. The colder spell had slowed them down and despite only being 1/3 to 1/2 capped, the refractometer says 16% water so all good and there's some OSR locally so needs to come out - suspect much of it was collected before OSR came out in full bloom.

Not sure when I'll get chance to give the wet super back - forecast is pretty poor until Sat...

 

[philipm]

Been making kit up to sell at the Teifiside Beekeepers auction on Saturday.

 

[Goran]

These days watching horror weather destroying black locust forage and can't do nothing. This is my main and crucial forage - 0 points..
To be merrier, while the bees are stuck in the hives, they found a hobby in swarm preparation ( full hives of bees which have no job, just sitting in for days, week..).
Previous forage - spring honey, they almost eat it. I will have little for personal usage.
So this season so far is politely said catastrophe.
Only what later " can save a day" is honeydew, but it occur about each 7 years in abundance so it is also highly unlikely..
Bees still no one wants to buy - now no wonder why..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Been making kit up to sell at the Teifiside Beekeepers auction on Saturday.

see you there then

 

[Millet]

These days watching horror weather destroying black locust forage and can't do nothing. This is my main and crucial forage - 0 points..
To be merrier, while the bees are stuck in the hives, they found a hobby in swarm preparation ( full hives of bees which have no job, just sitting in for days, week..).
Previous forage - spring honey, they almost eat it. I will have little for personal usage.
So this season so far is politely said catastrophe.
Only what later " can save a day" is honeydew, but it occur about each 7 years in abundance so it is also highly unlikely..
Bees still no one wants to buy - now no wonder why..

I feel your pain..where my hives are the bees have not been out for days and all the forage they have access to has been battered by rain and wind for three days solid and to add to that it has been cold for around two weeks now..my only hope now is good weather soon and through the summer period..

 

[thibault]

Same here, frustrated to say the least.

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[Antipodes]

Inspected a bloke's hive and found these bumbles dead, dried and furless on the top of the frames between two supers. Bumbles haven't made in to mainland Australia yet and Tasmania is the only state to have them, brought in illegally from New Zealand.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Unexpected day at home with twins too ill for nursery. Managed to paint 2 supers and 2 nucs and jar a batch of honey while they slept.

Hope there better soon .
Double trouble!

 

[Goran]

If someone think never can be worse.. always can and in this case is going worse. Snow is coming in a few days. Hurrah!
Well better now than in August, when temps are ove 30C.. Who will shovel snow then when is such heat

Today I went through one apiary and it was intense and " ugly". But got it on track and even some small flow of black locust, even yesterday was all day raining and cold.. Of course this evening blowing and raining..

Lot of beeks told that this spring is unbelievable " swarmy".. I can't blame the bees, the most time in peak of their strength they sit in the hives..

 

[colinc]

Clearer boards under 5 supers of spring honey with rape in. One day of toil arranged for tomorrow. Weather looking up for the week ahead so better give them some space as blossom everywhere still.


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[Parsonage Bees]

Checked a cast swarm that I boxed 3 weeks ago. Not good. First time I've seen evidence of laying workers. Being a softy I'd like to try and save them by giving them open brood.

 

[Murox]

Finally got around to queen marking. Slow build up but looking healthy enough; weather set to improve and local flora just about ready to flower.

 

[simonforeman]

Day 9 since last inspection and mixed news....

Hive1 -Brood +1/2 last years carni queen was slow to build up but now has brood on 10 brood and 10 super frames mostly seald. Also now up in the super.

Hive2 - 14x12 requeened 2 weeks ago. She was laying but no sign today and 5 sealed QCs. So left 1 good one. Hive is rammed.

Hive3 - single brood and requeened 2 weeks ago. They are building up ok with new queen laying like a train.

Hive 4 - Nuc bought from Eyeman 2 weeks ago, Drawn out 3 more frames and queen hazel laid them up. Very calm and gentle bees.

Thd 2 old queens that went into nucs are doing ok so will use brood in time to boost the full colonies

 

[Podilia]

Hi, gentlemen. I have found the proper time between rains to open some hives. The process is slower than usually. These rains and cold weather are coming from Atlantic and blocked over Ukraine by the area of high pressure over Russia. The temp. in Siberia is up to 30 Celsius that is too much for that region at this time.
I have noticed some chalk drone mummies while the worker brood is in good patterns and looks healthy. Has anybody seen this? What do you think?

 

[Podilia]

Snow is coming in a few days. Hurrah!

Today I went through one apiary and it was intense and " ugly". But got it on track and even some small flow of black locust, even yesterday was all day raining and cold.. Of course this evening blowing and raining..

Lot of beeks told that this spring is unbelievable " swarmy".. I can't blame the bees, the most time in peak of their strength they sit in the hives..

The same here. Snow in Carpathian. Several days were really cold for May. Now the weather is improving but thunderstorms are expected as well.