What did you do in the Apiary today?

[beeno]

After smelling the ivy nectar going into my hives, I was very pleased to see large yoke yellow pollen going in this afternoon.

 

[BigAshW]

Checked colonies today. Have taken the decision to put the weakest colony I have into a 5 frame nuc box.
I gave them a frame of capped brood and some nurse bees from my strongest colony as well. Have a 6 frame nuc on order so will be able to give them an extra frame of stores that ive just chucked into the freezer.

The rest all look good. Queenright, treated and feeding up for winter.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

If we are posting pictures of our best friends, then here is Heidi, my year old mini schnauzer. She has kept me sane through lockdown. It’s just a shame that the bees don’t like her! They get caught in her whiskers.

I love snozzle dogs - we’ve had two standards in our time. Now we’ve two Tibetans, Boris is my avatar currently.

 

[Swarm]

Boris!!!!??????
Not after......?

 

[Swarm]

What a wonderful day at the apiary, unripe frames nadired, treatments applied and feeders in place for a swift 4 pints. A mixed bag, twenty colonies and three nucs with some colonies light and others fine. A couple on double brood will need no feeding, very heavy to lift.
It was supposed to be assessment day today, which ones to raise queens from, which ones to pinch. Very difficult to decide, how do you choose when they all sit in the sunshine and look at you?
Wished them all well for the coming Winter.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Boris!!!!??????
Not after......?

No. It’s the only name we could agree on and he’s got more sense than.........
(Might give him a blonde makeover though, just for a giggle)

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

What a wonderful day at the apiary, unripe frames nadired, treatments applied and feeders in place for a swift 4 pints. A mixed bag, twenty colonies and three nucs with some colonies light and others fine. A couple on double brood will need no feeding, very heavy to lift.
It was supposed to be assessment day today, which ones to raise queens from, which ones to pinch. Very difficult to decide, how do you choose when they all sit in the sunshine and look at you?
Wished them all well for the coming Winter.

Love it! Isn’t it great when when they line up at the tops of the frames and just look at you?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If we are posting pictures of our best friends, then here is Heidi, my year old mini schnauzer. She has kept me sane through lockdown. It’s just a shame that the bees don’t like her! They get caught in her whiskers.

I love snozzle dogs - we’ve had two standards in our time. Now we’ve two Tibetans, Boris is my avatar currently.

After having spaniels in my life since birth, SWMBO decided a few years ago it was her turn so we have had miniature dachshunds ever since, all rescues, we're down to two now as old George (15ish) died of cancer at the beginning of lockdown - Libby, a 13 (ish) year old small standard Black and Tan and Twts a tiny seven year old mini mini ginger bullet (although she does look the biggest in the photos) They've loved lockdown with their people around all day.

 

[fullframe45]

I just thought id post this of our twnly small but huge characters.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bracken and Ice
I’ve was my familiar. Sadly passed away.
Swarm did a wonderful pastel of him for me.

 

[beeno]

Very nice pastel Swarm. My husband is an artist too.

 

[Murox]

Our two tearaways and the old springer (13yrs).

 

[Swarm]

Love it! Isn’t it great when when they line up at the tops of the frames and just look at you?

It was one of those perfect days (Lou Reed in my head) one of those days where you wouldn't be anywhere else. Seems we have a return of Sticky Vicky, one colony has propolis running everywhere. Heady hive smells and the bees were so busy! Mucked them about a bit too, amid plenty of apologies when moving boxes around but they were good as gold.
Even my landlord's 'will they, won't they' colony were on their best behaviour. This lot had five combs of honey tucked away in the brood box.
Drones finally evicted.

 

[pargyle]

Bracken and Ice
I’ve was my familiar. Sadly passed away.
Swarm did a wonderful pastel of him for me. View attachment 22241

 

[pargyle]

I can add to that ... Swarm's watercolour of Leo, now framed and hanging in the hall with the other dog portraits - So much talent ....

 

[Antipodes]

Had a peek in the top of a hive that is getting heavier. Nice flow coming in.

 

[GuyNir]

Steve, I take my hat off. Brilliant artwork

 

[pargyle]

Schoolboy error yesterday ... I had too many supers to take off to put them all in the kitchen - in the past I'd stored them temporarily in the workshop next door to the apiary but Son No 2 was working in there and he really doesn't like the bees .. so, I figured they would be OK in my Keter store .. it's not bee proof but it's a fair way from the apiary and the clearers had done a good job of emptying them. It was all going fine ... take a super from the store .. crown board back on the stack .. empty one back to the store, crownboard on top ... take another super ...

There were a few bees sniffing around but nothing to get excited about .... until I forgot to replace the crown board on the pile of extracted supers - by the time I had uncapped the next super and returned the next batch of spun frames to the Keter store, only about 15 miutes .... Mayhem. Hundreds of bees - they were everywhere. I isolated one spun super but left it accessible to them in the hope that I could carry on extracting ... No chance, as soon as tried to take another super off the stack for uncapping they were all over it..

Had to give up until it got dark and they went home (even then there were a few stragglers). It makes you apprceciate just how good bees are at communicating where there is a source of food. There's a lot still milling around this morning but there's nothing that they can get at so I'm hopeful they will lose interest.

Like I said ... schoolboy error.

 

[Fritillary]

Love all the pictures of people's dogs. I just had to skive off in order to see the sea on Friday, and one of the best things about being on the beach was seeing all the happy dogs enjoying themselves.

 

[T.Cookson]

Is there enough space in the middle for a nucleus hive? I need to make some stands for my new out apiary.

Enough space in the middle for another national if needed. Although that's not the intention. But yes a nucleus hive would fit easily, the main frame rails are wide enough for brood frames to rest between during inspections.