What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swarm]

Took the last few feeders off and spent a bit of time watching the entrances.

 

[Antipodes]

it's to discourage the odd inquisitive cow walking past... you know - nudge nudge !
These young dairy heifers get a

Yes the cone or one way valve usually gets the work force pretty fast... But as you say, the Queen is usually very reluctant to leave. I actually have 3 trapped out colonies at the moment with laying workers that im trying to sort out... These were problem swarms/colonies were we could not tear down ceilings or brick walls... It happens - we always try our best and successful more often than not... This "Passive Trap Out" is something different im trying. Bees can move freely into original cave but now have to use the 5 frame nuc entrance. (Hole drilled in floor of Nuc) Nuc has drawn out comb and i'm hoping the queen will come up voluntarily and start laying here.... Worst case scenario, they fill the top with honey.
Unable to dig out as entire are was land filled with large rocks and building rubble - Big Rocks..
Also a very large quatity of black bees that I really dont want to risk loosing..
Will it work??? No Idea.... Time will tell
See below - hopefully makes sense...
View attachment 22854

They are onto some pollen for sure.....
Do you know what it is from?

 

[Somerford]

A good day - now the physio on the broken hand has paid off I was clearing boxes from a couple of sites and jarring honey - orders have gone mad again with lockdown 2.0
Same tomorrow and Sunday

 

[Michael ECB's]

They are onto some pollen for sure.....
Do you know what it is from?

Yep, - Cape Weed.... I believe dandilion of sorts ?
Grows thick on lawned / grassed areas until our first cut. small yellow flower just above the high cut on a lawn mower..
Gum coming in fast here know... (In other areas of farm...

 

[Michael ECB's]

Help spread the word today...
Great picture doing the rounds in my part of the world....

 

[Antipodes]

Yep, - Cape Weed.... I believe dandilion of sorts ?
Grows thick on lawned / grassed areas until our first cut. small yellow flower just above the high cut on a lawn mower..
Gum coming in fast here know... (In other areas of farm...

Yep...got it everywhere here at the moment. Does particularly well on previously stressed ground after drought.

 

[Michael ECB's]

Beginning of new Apiary. Far away from most humans.
Apis Mellifera Scuttelata - Dark / black variant - Very aggressive / protective.
Akasia & Aloe ahead in mountains with small Gum plantation behind.
Excuse distance of pic, I had no suite on.....

 

[Antipodes]

Beginning of new Apiary. Far away from most humans.
Apis Mellifera Scuttelata - Dark / black variant - Very aggressive / protective.
Akasia & Aloe ahead in mountains with small Gum plantation behind.
Excuse distance of pic, I had no suite on.....
View attachment 22882

Amazing looking area.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Amazing looking area.

who would care if the bee's were agressive, I would take a few stings for an apiary there.
I bet its so quiet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Apis Mellifera Scuttelata - Dark / black variant - Very aggressive / protective.

Did they come from the highlands by any chance? found most of the Adansoni bees in Lesotho were pretty laid back but some at higher altitudes certainly had attitude.

 

[Michael ECB's]

Did they come from the highlands by any chance? found most of the Adansoni bees in Lesotho were pretty laid back but some at higher altitudes certainly had attitude.

Altitude here is 1075 M above sea level.... Not so high...
It would seam as soon as you see the black gene show,,,, colony is far more agro....
Perhaps survival of the fittest,,,, closer you get to the mountains the more issues you pick up with Baboons raiding...
I admire these black little devils,,,,, im going to make all efforts to keep this strain alive...

 

[Michael ECB's]

who would care if the bee's were agressive, I would take a few stings for an apiary there.
I bet its so quiet.

You say that now,,,, but when you try and hold your breath because they congregating on you veil, thats something else,,,, blowing smoke in your own face is not always as fun as it sounds.. Note: they are not always like that,,, but when one or two take a run at you and sting... All hell breaks loose...
A bit too quite I think......
We already have issues with Baboons on the other side raiding the maize under centre pivots. but hoping they wont risk coming this side of the dam as we have more traffic with staff and vehicles etc etc...
Baboons = 4 wheel drive thieves !
Break things just for ***** and giggles.....
Grrrrrr !

 

[pargyle]

Raked up the sycamore leaves covering everything (I wouldn't mind but they are from a sycamore in next door's garden !). Watched a lot of pollen going in to all the hives ... it was 18 degrees in the sun this afternoon ... Lovely day, Had a bonfire this evening ... I like a bonfire.

 

[GuyNir]

Sunny for most of the day here today, 7c. Most colonies flying and some pollen coming in still. Weighed all hives and looked through the crown board, all looking good.

 

[beeno]

Sunny for most of the day here today, 7c. Most colonies flying and some pollen coming in still. Weighed all hives and looked through the crown board, all looking good.

Lots of Ivy pollen coming in. Bit of a scramble to get in through the mouseguards!

 

[Brian Bush]

Yesterday I collected 2 hives from my friend who has given up beekeeping due to a really nasty reaction to a sting.
They were at her mother-in-laws and she had said they were at the bottom of the slope by the garden sheds. What she really meant was that they were at the bottom of the field entered via a gate by the garden shed. They were 300 yards away at the bottom of a field of sheep!.
Fortunately I had persuaded a friend who has a 4 wheel drive pick up to help me collect. We were concerned about having to drive this vehicle up-hill over lush wet grass but managed it. I was so relieved not to have to try my front wheel drive CRV. It would not have managed it. The alternative was a sack-barrow and walking and pushing up and down the slope 5 or 6 times.!!!!
The hives have plenty of bees and stores and Monday I will remove the QEs

 

[Michael Palmer]

Wrapping up the hives and getting ready for winter. After last week's snow storms, and temperature in the teensF, the temps have gone up. Worked all week in 60s and 70s. snow gone. Awesome to see this in November. Seeing a bit of pollen coming in...surprising as everything has gone by and there are no flowers, of any kind visible. 25 apiaries to go and there's no snow in the immediate future. Go, go, go.....

 

[Hachi]

Took a trip to my out apiary and replaced my cobbled together stand with a proper stand. Noticed the hive had taken a glancing blow on one corner. Hive seemed intact and so a more detailed inspection will wait for either fondant being put on or, next spring.

Repaired the stand with new legs and will paint shortly along with the other stand in the workshop needing new legs. Bee's flying well again

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bees have hardly had a day when they haven’t been out. A little ivy about but not much. All hives are light and for the first time ever I’m putting fondant on them before February !!! It’s 4.30 in the second week of November and it’s still 14 degrees!

 

[StephenT]

Put more fondant on the two lighter hives. T-shirt weather today - 16 degrees and all hives busy. Less pollen than there has been as I assume the local ivy is over the hill now. Getting a loft conversion done from tomorrow and was hoping for colder weather and so the bees wouldn't be flying as much. Looks like we've got daytime temps in double digits for the next couple of weeks at least.