What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drex]

To all those who wished me well earlier in this thread, I have just had my results from general husbandry exam and it was a pass. I wAs apprehensive as my bees were not in a good state, as I had had a very busy year, getting married etc. I only sat the exam for my own satisfaction and enjoyment, and the experience was actually very good and I did enjoy it. Thought I would flunk it as I got a few things wrong, I realised later and of course, for the first time ever in my queen rearing I got 0 takes out of 20! I usually get about 50% take.

 

[B+.]

To all those who wished me well earlier in this thread, I have just had my results from general husbandry exam and it was a pass. I wAs apprehensive as my bees were not in a good state, as I had had a very busy year, getting married etc. I only sat the exam for my own satisfaction and enjoyment, and the experience was actually very good and I did enjoy it. Thought I would flunk it as I got a few things wrong, I realised later and of course, for the first time ever in my queen rearing I got 0 takes out of 20! I usually get about 50% take.

Congratulations again. Two "wins" in one year...you're on a roll!

 

[thibault]

I have one from GM, very nice.

 

[Millet]

I have one from GM, very nice.

There is some just as good or maybe better from a forum member on here from Exmoor Bees..I was going to try something different this year but all my details for a easy bank transfer are set up so I went the same as last year.

 

[iann41]

Yesterday helped a friend hive a very large swarm. Needed two commercial brood chambers to house it and even then it was so packed a super was added to ease the congestion

That's not a swarm, It's an Apiary!

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Went to check a hive at a friend's place. It contained a swarm that arrived there a few weeks ago. Looks like a Virgin queen must have failed to return from a mating flight as they drew comb and have been busy bringing in forage but nary a single egg has been laid. It's a langstroth hive so I'm going to have to try screwing a couple of bridging plates on top of a national test frame and hang it between two of the Lang frames.
Necessity is the mother of invention

 

[Millet]

Three Green Queens arrived today special delivery so i know what i will be doing today..

Due to other issues I had to do them today..I was going to take one frame of brood from six colonies but the plan changed..the 2018 f3 colony that tried to swarm a few weeks ago had five Queen cells again so I took four frames of brood and bees from that colony and put four drawn frames into the middle..that was two nucs sorted the other was made up from one other strong colony..I'll check on them next week for Queen cells.

 

[Goran]

Qcells on the bars. Full. Coincidence, all usable qcells right on number to fill all places ( none less, none more), so I didn't have to think what to do with surplus.. I will put queen for another round, but when it lays eggs in jenter, will give to my mentor to take one batch of this queen for him to rear. Mother is really " classy". I was surprised with her performance. Granny wasn't such, was meh can pass. But this one is kicking for all the money..

 

[JohnRB]

Weird one today. Inspected my favourite hive , double brood, good laying Queen with eggs everywhere and very calm bees. Had a look in the first super....eggs and brood everywhere.... Went back down, checked the queen excluder and it looks fine. 3 frames into the brood box and there is the Queen. Searched the super and could not find a queen. Every spare bit of comb was laid up. Then I realised that the super, which is an Abelo poly box didn't have the blanking plug in the side, providing a second entrance direct into the super. I can only think that a newly mated queen has somehow wandered into the super by mistake, but what are the chances? Would the bees be happy with 2 queens separated only by a QE?

 

[coatesg]

Made up some boxes and then added a super of foundation each to two colonies. Not ideal, but they are drawing comb and looks like they need a bit of breathing room.

All had a lot of activity today yet quite overcast and humid.

 

[colinc]

Clearer boards under 4 heavy supers. I have run out of boxes. 2 colonies a bit too grumpy for my liking.


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[Erichalfbee]

Bait hive caught more bees today
I wish I’d taken the bloomin thing down of the roof!

 

[Swarm]

Took the last of my supers out this morning, bees happily filling them. Looking to do some uniting next week, good to see all new queens are producing black offspring again.

 

[Helen]

Checked my colony - an airwick combine btw very aggressive swarm & a buckfast nuc. Queen is ok and laying. But the bees (probably the swarm bees) don't like her, so are building queen cells.

So separated her out again into a nuc to keep her safe. Will let the main colony raise their own queen - which should be my bucky's daughter, and see what their temper is like then. Right now, they are right little aggressive so-and-so's.

 

[Beefriendly]

Called out to remove swarm...hate doing swarms these days...even more so when I found they were local black aggressive mongrel bees. Instead of being nice gentle swarm bees (they had literally arrived about an hour before I was called out...friends so couldn't refuse) several stings shaking them in, nasty lot. Gave them away to someone I know is a local black fee fanatic. He thinks the more aggressive they are the more honey they produce....no accounting for taste
He's welcome to them.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Association apiary this morning, dropped off a few nucs I've sold then an afternoon up in carreg apiary, not had time to take a harvest yet so the hives are getting rather tall

 

[Courty]

Killed a queen

My first attempt at a split resulted in a drone laying queen, sadly no amount of patience would make it right so I found her, eventually, and did the right thing for what is left of the colony. High mite count with all the drones so put a maq strip in their get rid of them. Will try my first unite with them and the left overs from the original colony which swarmed last week. I caught the swarm and that is in its own hive, so hopefully the end result will be two viable colonies.
Hope the supercedure is queen does better.

I get the impression that this year has not been good for mated queens in some places, or maybe times. Split end of April and put in two frames with eggs after that when nothing seemed to be happening.

Killing the queen was the right thing to do but I feel sad about it.

Courty

 

[Goran]

Got wet today.. This was so local shower, like it falls only on my hill. It was really sneaky from other side of hill from where rarely I get rain. I got my eyes on the opposite side where some black clouds were and this tiny one got me right. The hive was opened apart and couldn't just walk away.. Later some I change, some dried on myself.. But bees were also mean after the shower.. As I decided earlier not to extract, i started to remove QE and reshuffle boxes.. Some have brood from " plank to plank", aaand such reduced stores which I saw in the super earlier heavily..
The breeders are working nicely..
Had to split one hive in half, since there are 2 queens.. Even they are young, both will go out when qcells are ripe..

 

[Swarm]

Association apiary this morning, dropped off a few nucs I've sold then an afternoon up in carreg apiary, not had time to take a harvest yet so the hives are getting rather tall

How many times do you need to be told? Black bees can't make honey, lol.

 

[Swarm]

I was asked to sort a swarm on an Oak tree. Not really interested but OK, doing a farmer a favour, got there and flippin' orange bees!!
Got them into a box and left them collect stragglers. Best news was picking the box up today ....EMPTY.
All gone. Result!!