What did you do in the Apiary today?

[drex]

Lucky Alfie. I want one!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Lucky Alfie. I want one!

Isn't he just I bought it for my self really, Im putting a ball hitch on it as we have a small trailer for it to pull and move hives around, I do just drive our old disco and trailer(which can mess the fields up) or borrow one of the farms quads and trailer but it's handy having your own, it's only a 110cc but is very powerful for a small quad.. I don't know how it would stand up to bringing honey supers home. We will see.
Even if its used to just get boxes from the road out to the apiary sites.
Happy New year Mr drex and to murrox thankyou for the card.

 

[happyculteur]

A few days ago , minus 11° and snow forecast, so I filled some plastic bags with straw and put them around the lang that I'm overwintering a swarm in. I checked them out today and they seem fine (only minus 6° today).

 

[Swarm]

Helped a friend moving four hives to a new apiary, say helped but he had everything in hand, I observed
Nice to see a small crack appear, we had a few in the air but it was cold and wet, thankfully it was just a few. I was chuffed to feel the weight of the hives and hear the buzzing from within.

 

[Hachi]

Bi-monthly check of all my hives in my out apiaries. Fed fondant where necessary

 

[Goran]

Checked from above colonies. Since one colony about 7 days after OA trickling ( that one I already then thought has no future).. so far all live. Though there are couple candidates which don't look promising, but after varroa strikes the rest.. seem OK. Will see till spring. Seems natural selection took a toll on more susceptible, more resilient seem thrive.

 

[StephenT]

Weighed all 3 hives and was surprised that one had put on weight . Must improve my hive weighing technique. All 3 felt quite heavy and plenty of bees in them so not concerned right now. Took a couple of pictures from underneath the omf. Can clearly see the cluster on one of them. The other has a nadired super so the bees were more clearly visible through the polycarbonate crown board. When do people generally take the nadired super off, if not done at the end of autumn?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Weighed all 3 hives and was surprised that one had put on weight . Must improve my hive weighing technique. All 3 felt quite heavy and plenty of bees in them so not concerned right now. Took a couple of pictures from underneath the omf. Can clearly see the cluster on one of them. The other has a nadired super so the bees were more clearly visible through the polycarbonate crown board. When do people generally take the nadired super off, if not done at the end of autumn?

Usually in early spring nadired supers are removed when forage is available, and either used as a honey super above or for me a brood box or both..

But most will use as a honey super.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

When do people generally take the nadired super off, if not done at the end of autumn?

usually February/March time, when it's warm enough for bees to be flying freely so if there are any left in the nadir, it's no big deal shaking them out. Either then left on top of the crown board ot stacked nearby ready for when the bees need more space

 

[E&MBees]

Pruned the fruit trees and thornless blackberry in the apiary. Tried to listen for the bees through the wall of the brood box but as my hearing is poor, not a murmur. However, I stuck my phone under the omf and recorded the reassuring gentle buzz of the bees. . Looking forward to spring.

 

[StephenT]

Pruned the fruit trees and thornless blackberry in the apiary. Tried to listen for the bees through the wall of the brood box but as my hearing is poor, not a murmur. However, I stuck my phone under the omf and recorded the reassuring gentle buzz of the bees. . Looking forward to spring.

If I tried that I wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from the hum of the M4, North Circular etc.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Nothing much happening in the apiary so plated 20+ Salix Caprea which should help the bees in Spring in future years.

 

[beeno]

Tried to listen for the bees through the wall of the brood box but as my hearing is poor, not a murmur. However, I stuck my phone under the omf and recorded the reassuring gentle buzz of the bees. . Looking forward to spring.

That is good to know for the future as I can just about hear them at the moment. It does not help having them in poly hives though.

 

[beeno]

Weighed all 3 hives and was surprised that one had put on weight .

Diluted honey in readiness for brood rearing.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can hear mine easily if I press my ear to the box. Even through a cosy over a wooden hive

 

[Erichalfbee]

Diluted honey in readiness for brood rearing.

Can you explain please?

 

[beeno]

I can hear mine easily if I press my ear to the box. Even through a cosy over a wooden hive

I guess it is a combination of having gone from wooden to poly hives (better insulated) and hearing loss due to ageing.

 

[beeno]

Can you explain please?

The bees dilute the honey in readiness for brood rearing and place it close to or in the brood nest. The added water makes the hive heavier temporarily.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The bees dilute the honey in readiness for brood rearing and place it close to or in the brood nest. The added water makes the hive heavier temporarily.

I understand what you said but do bees really do that? I thought protein stores in the over wintering bees were used to feed new brood?

 

[beeno]

I understand what you said but do bees really do that? I thought protein stores in the over wintering bees were used to feed new brood?

Royal jelly is a complex compound, consisting of water (50%–60%), proteins (18%), carbohydrates (15%), lipids (3%–6%), trace minerals, water-soluble vitamins, free amino acids, and many other less well-characterized compounds (Nagai and Inoue, 2004).