What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Beefriendly]

Too much smoke and hot smoke seems to force bees to fly into the air, they get angry, and it makes them sting. If I need to use the smoker, I often don't but its alight and ready, I still tend to do what my grandfather did - blow several good puffs of cool white smoke directly into the entrance and then walk away for 2 minutes. A final small puff of smoke in the entrance, lift the crown board and let a puff of smoke drift across the bees on top of the frames and then begin inspection etc. Gentle handling and patience seem to work for me.
Oh yes, I talk to them most of the time as well.

Murox I'd quite like to know what too much smoke is in your opinion....LOL....the several puffs and a few more is several puffs and few more than I usually need.
Note the usually.....some hives occasionally need a real kippering

 

[Popparand]

Murox I'd quite like to know what too much smoke is in your opinion....LOL....the several puffs and a few more is several puffs and few more than I usually need.
Note the usually.....some hives occasionally need a real kippering

...if only to get your own back!

 

[Tim.S]

What did you see on the varroa tray to gain that impression? (See other thread - Reading the Varroa Board)

Darker uncappings toward the centre of the cluster, lighter to the edges (stores). Fairly consistent over 16 hives, although without pulling the hive apart which I am not going to do it is only an educated guess. Also the temps this year have been very warm, we have only had 2 frosts to speak of so far this year and the temp here tonight is 10c so it would hardly be a surprise if there were brood.

 

[Helen]

Oh yes, I talk to them most of the time as well.

I take my radio along when I check the bees. Either Radio 4 or Planet Rock depending on what I feel like. Not sure if they like it or not.

 

[drex]

Was miserable weather this morning so I scraped and then boiled all frames to be recycled. Will not put the foundation in for a while. Sun came out so went and had a walk round the apiary. Hefted hives , all, including the nucs were OK, but the Warre was very light so they had some fondant. I don't like feeding my top bar hives, but better that than dead bees.

 

[Millet]

Checked the weights and viewed through the clear crown board to see what what fondant we have left...lets just say i will be going into the new year with no worries from my little darling's in them crappy Abelo poly boxes..Haha..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Checked the weights and viewed through the clear crown board to see what what fondant we have left...

My job tomorrow.
Sunny and 10 degrees forecast

 

[Millet]

My job tomorrow.
Sunny and 10 degrees forecast

I only have Abelo Poly hives now..if you have similar and feed the same as me you will also have nothing to worry about...

 

[gregior]

Vaped all mine today,all still alive and heavy,looking at inspection trays clusters look to be averaging around 5 seams.

 

[Murox]

Murox I'd quite like to know what too much smoke is in your opinion....LOL....the several puffs and a few more is several puffs and few more than I usually need.
Note the usually.....some hives occasionally need a real kippering

:
Of course - it all depends. One squeeze of the bellows = 1 puff; and several usually suggests at least 3. The big clue is in the cool white smoke though, so it also depends on what fuel you use, how well you stuffed the smoker and your ability to light it and keep it alight . Too much is when you can't see the bees anymore and start coughing. On the other hand the merest whiff is usually plenty if I need to use it.

 

[Murox]

Had hoped to check things today but as its blowing a hooley straight off the Atlantic ocean today gusting over 65kmh with the usual rain of course, I thought I would give it a miss. Maybe tomorrow.......

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

And finally a day without rain - at least not until late afternoon...
Checked inspection boards and found very few varroa - at last.

It seems the difficulty getting on top of them has been because the queens haven't stopped laying - debris spread over the whole board on three out of four hives. No tight clusters yet.

Had a nice experience with a robin who came and cleared a few larvae from the board as I had placed it on top of the hive while vaping.

All good so far.

 

[Codford]

All hives checked for weight this afternoon, negligible reduction over the last 2 weeks. All were flying in the sunshine - 7C here in West Wilts. Also a single large drone seen on landing board.

 

[Goran]

OA done..
All alive, but one on 3 seams of bees, plenty of stores. Now I am curious how it will end.. There are few other suspicious but won't say yet that they are in trouble..

Bees didn't indulge my curiosity.. Unusual warm weather and other colonies robbed this one.. Interesting to see first they strip all around the cluster, there are still on outer frames honey. But bees are gone. So one hive less..
Sheesh, bees are so brutal, no mercy on the weak ones.. Survival of the fittest..
Bees are all over the field: hazels, dead nettle, common field-speedwell, chickweed.. It is too warm.. Even some plums are all in flowers.. No good at all..
These climate changes will make life interesting, adapt or die.. More and more insects which I never seen before, even some new birds, new diseases..
Now when someone is trumpeting there are not climate changes.. well if I am STUPID, I am not BLIND..

 

[XYZ]

Trickled today. Forgot to clean inspection boards beforehand. Aside from that it went well.
Colony with new queen is on about 4 seams. Corner colony of locals is on 6 or 7.
Nuc is strong as I expected.

They keep surprising me. I thought the two big colonies would be the opposite way round.

Also tested out my Sentinel Pro suit I forgot I bought... Haha it was a nice surprise. I like it, except from the cuffs. They suck.

 

[For want of a better word]

Bees didn't indulge my curiosity.. Unusual warm weather and other colonies robbed this one.. Interesting to see first they strip all around the cluster, there are still on outer frames honey. But bees are gone. So one hive less..
Sheesh, bees are so brutal, no mercy on the weak ones.. Survival of the fittest..
Bees are all over the field: hazels, dead nettle, common field-speedwell, chickweed.. It is too warm.. Even some plums are all in flowers.. No good at all..
These climate changes will make life interesting, adapt or die.. More and more insects which I never seen before, even some new birds, new diseases..
Now when someone is trumpeting there are not climate changes.. well if I am STUPID, I am not BLIND..

1999 on a flight from Singapore up the Malay peninsular and across Thailand all we could see were mile after mile of fields on fire and smoke rising 28,000ft +*, this was no natural catastrophe, but a deliberate action by farmers wishing to capitilise by bringing previously forested areas into crop production.

And some would say that there is no such thing as anthropomorphic causation climate change!

Happy New Year ?

*https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/c-130j-hercules/

 

[Millet]

1999 on a flight from Singapore up the Malay peninsular and across Thailand all we could see were mile after mile of fields on fire and smoke rising 28,000ft +*, this was no natural catastrophe, but a deliberate action by farmers wishing to capitilise by bringing previously forested areas into crop production.

And some would say that there is no such thing as anthropomorphic causation climate change!

Happy New Year ?

*https://www.raf.mod.uk/aircraft/c-130j-hercules/

I salute you guys..for giving me endless pleasure watching those Fighter jets and Apache Helicopters and Chinooks getting put through there limits around RAF Boulmer and another spot around 20 mile east of Otterburn..i remember one year when my lady friend waved to a huge low flying Chinook..the pilots reply was to do another fly by even lower and slower..it was that close she could see all the rivets holding it together..

 

[Millet]

Trickled today. Forgot to clean inspection boards beforehand. Aside from that it went well.
Colony with new queen is on about 4 seams. Corner colony of locals is on 6 or 7.
Nuc is strong as I expected.

They keep surprising me. I thought the two big colonies would be the opposite way round.

Also tested out my Sentinel Pro suit I forgot I bought... Haha it was a nice surprise. I like it, except from the cuffs. They suck.

Get used to them surprising you Jazz..it will happen every year with something different happening every year well every month when the weather warms up..good luck for the coming season with them..not that you will need it as i have been told you are a natural from a good source..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I salute you guys..for giving me endless pleasure watching those Fighter jets and Apache Helicopters and Chinooks getting put through there limits around RAF Boulmer and another spot around 20 mile east of Otterburn..i remember one year when my lady friend waved to a huge low flying Chinook..the pilots reply was to do another fly by even lower and slower..it was that close she could see all the rivets holding it together..

We get used to Hawks in pairs flying low over the Aeron Valley. Sometimes we get bigger stuff and I have to cover my ears. We get huge transport planes in pairs too. Amazing things. Prop driven and you can’t hear them till they are practically on top of you flying so slowly. Our collie chases them off, proudly.

 

[Millet]

We get used to Hawks in pairs flying low over the Aeron Valley. Sometimes we get bigger stuff and I have to cover my ears. We get huge transport planes in pairs too. Amazing things. Prop driven and you can’t hear them till they are practically on top of you flying so slowly. Our collie chases them off, proudly.