What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Antipodes]

Surprisingly lot of plum flowers are still white, bees attend them. No frosts these days even night temps are some 2-5C. Wild cherry has slow budding what I really like. But with one nice frost all that turn down. I won't be lulled into good vibes.. Last two days wind was still cold and just staying in the open isn't option, have to be in constant move.. Yesterday temp was some12-14C, but bees went out at large and I smell the " flashy" scent of plum flowers..
Still didn't open the hives, some due to cold weather some due other work around hazels..

Looking beautiful there Goran...lovely with the bees flying against the sky background..

 

[Antipodes]

Yes I know our other queen is darker, when the bees are in the garden we know exactly which hive they come from

Looks a bit like an Italian queen?

 

[Nannysbees]

Looks a bit like an Italian queen?

She is a Buckfast bee

 

[gmonag]

Didn't do anything in the apiary - had a DAY OUT! The first in months.

 

[StephenT]

Just popped out into the garden and interesting to see condensation by the entrance of just one hive. They were busy fanning by the entrance last night so I assume it’s from drying out nectar. In the best tradition I tasted it and it seemed just slightly sweet or that could have been what I wanted to taste. Think I’m getting rather obsessed. Anyway, will have a proper look later.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I tasted it and it seemed just slightly sweet

Maybe your dog (or someone elses) is developing diabetes?

 

[StephenT]

Could have been a fox that had been eating some cake out of one of the food recycling bins.

 

[Brian Bush]

My Bee Buddy and I went on a queen hunt today.
I had lost 3 hives unexpectedly. They had seemed OK 3 weeks ago. I have another 5 hives in this apiary from queens bred last year.
I opened the first. Poly 14X12. It was brimming with bees and BIAS on both sides of 7 frames.
They were in a nasty mood and I picked up 4 stings, through the veil. on my face. I am going to claim SWMBO has thumped me in the eye.
WE opened Sylvia's large hive found the queen and marked her. We put the QE in and returned the super on top.
2 more of my 14X12 from last years queens are also doing well. Plenty of BIAS and one queen found and marked. Ive left 3 more for another day
We then went to another apiary where a roof was jammed on the hive. A tap with a mallet freed it . We put the QE on these 3 hives without any bother.

 

[Murox]

Had planned to do a first inspection today, forecast warm 15 degrees and not windy ~ cancelled ~ windy and colder than forecast, just 11 degrees in the sun with a strengthening SSW and cloudy again. Ho hum. Guess it will have to wait til after this next cold spell. Made up some frames instead, not quite the same though is it .

 

[BeeJam]

First inspection - mixed bag. The first colony the floor was absolutely spotless, getting low on stores but plenty of pollen. On the downside a lot of drone brood so looks like the queen is failing (despite only being from last year) although there was one supercedure queen cell so looks like they are doing something about it. Second colony the floor was covered with dead bees but plenty of nice sealed brood and pollen in there. What are people's thoughts? Should I unite now then split again in a few weeks once the weather should be better so more chance of getting a mated queen? Or leave them be and see what happens with the SC?

 

[Swn58]

Surprisingly lot of plum flowers are still white, bees attend them. No frosts these days even night temps are some 2-5C. Wild cherry has slow budding what I really like. But with one nice frost all that turn down. I won't be lulled into good vibes.. Last two days wind was still cold and just staying in the open isn't option, have to be in constant move.. Yesterday temp was some12-14C, but bees went out at large and I smell the " flashy" scent of plum flowers..
Still didn't open the hives, some due to cold weather some due other work around hazels..

I love Croatia and would live there if given the chance! We've been there many times, often island hopping by kayak. One day, we might get back there!

 

[Swn58]

I started 'proper' varroa treatment yesterday, beginning with the hives on my partners allotments. Still no full inspections just yet though. Once the next cold snap blows through I will be really sorting them out, providing the timing of the second treatment is right. I'm hoping that within the next seven days we will be back to warmer weather, so they will get their second treatment. I'm off to the farm tomorrow. Loads to do there!
Today I've just put up an awning in the back garden to protect me from inclement weather in the coming months. Simon the BK came through and I now have twenty poly nucs to paint. I have also bought a Ryobi One + sprayer. Hopefully it will speed things up a bit. Now the fun begins!

 

[StephenT]

Inspected two hives. First hive rammed with brood on 8 frames and even making drones up against the crown board. Moved them onto double brood with kingspan dummy boards to limit the space a bit. Second hive not far behind but will leave that one a couple of weeks. Not a huge amount of stores on each so will need to be careful when temps drop. About a frame of capped on each and some nectar. Will check the third hive tomorrow as it was heavy with stores still when I weighed it a week or so ago and may need some taking out.

 

[drex]

Did first inspection of year. Two hives very strong with six frames brood. One had a DLQ. I had noticed last week that it was weak, with fewer fliers, so was going to unite it. It has now been done. Rest of hives were all ok, moderate strength with 3-4 frames of brood. Four queens seen and took opportunity to mark them. All ok for pollen, two hives low on honey so were given fondant.
All bees well behaved.

 

[GuyNir]

Had planned to do a first inspection today, forecast warm 15 degrees and not windy ~ cancelled ~ windy and colder than forecast, just 11 degrees in the sun with a strengthening SSW and cloudy again. Ho hum. Guess it will have to wait til after this next cold spell. Made up some frames instead, not quite the same though is it .

Aye, rubbish. Max of 10c today, cloudy, windy

 

[Ian123]

This 1s packed 11 frames of brood. Plenty of drone between the boxes already some emerged in the hive. And that’s not a bad frame of brood for this time of the season.

 

[jeff33]

Season has well and truly started here with an early flow and brood booming. 1 Hive which overwintered on brood & 1/2 has a brood nest of 8 frames spreading over the 2 boxes. I also added supers on 4 hives and 5 nucs will need to go in full hive over the next week or so with the weather looking promising. Tomorrow I will be checking the other 2 out apiaries.

 

[masterBK]

23 C here is south yorkshire so did 1st proper check of 30 colonies. Apart from 5 they were all looking really good with nice slabs of brood and plenty of pollen stores.Supered 12 colonies that had 7 or more frames of brood to give them some room. Most of the rest had 5 or 6 frames of brood with a couple with just 4. Found (although not particularly looking for them) and marked 6 queens . Another year without needing to emergency feed any fondant. On average each colony had 15 kg sugar as syrup ( 3 more than in 2019/20 winter) last september.

The 5 problem colonies were
1) one weak queenless colony (had a 3 yr old Q but she didn't make it through winter). United another colony to it.
2) Drone laying queen found. My records show she was laying Ok in september but now 100% drone layer. Will sort this one out tomorrow by requeening it by uniting an overwintered Polynuk from home to it.
3) One queen laying on 6 frames but with a poor patchy pattern (no disease present as far as I could see). I will give her a few more weeks to see if she sorts herself out before replacing her with the queen from my other overwintered nuk
4) One very defensive colony got really stroppy today giving me my first stings of the season (didn't light/use a smoker today and all the other colonies handled really well in the warm calm weather and didn't need any subduing). She will go as soon as I line up a replacement. I don't react to stings ie no swelling or any kind of tissue reaction but still don't like the initial pain ! Also have to consider the workers on the farm where my bees are situated
5) Only one colony with chalk brood. I don't rear from queens that have even a hint of chalk or sacbrood in her brood nest so this one wil be replaced when I have a mated queen available from a resistant strain.

Also one colony had raised 3 supersedure cells each on different frame. They did the same this time last year. and having replaced the queen went the rest of the season without making any swarm preps. Always a worry whether they will get mated this early on in the season. Several colonies have sealed drone brood but not yet seen (or heard as they make a distinct sound) adult drones.

 

[Moobee]

Lovely warm day so first inspection of the season. Lots of comb built up in the eke so removed this and polycarbonate crown board and put the nadired super above the brood box. A lot of stores in both boxes which I suspect is mostly fondant. Should probably have removed earlier.....
Swapped out a couple of old frames in the brood box to give more space and added QX, a super & wood crown board above to hopefully relieve space below. No sign of her majesty but brood in all stages across 5 frames and no sign of disease. Very happy.

 

[Goran]

I love Croatia and would live there if given the chance! We've been there many times, often island hopping by kayak. One day, we might get back there!

We live in inland, not on coast. I am more for mountains and forests than sea.. Difference is huge, housing and land in inland is couple times cheaper, but the salaries as same smaller.. I have seen little of the world, I could adapt and live in different areas and styles ( either some rural areas with vast arable land or city with few millions of people).. but often was dreaming of our hills when was living " abroad".. Covid 19 slowed a bit emigration from Croatia but people are still leaving from here ( complete families) due to poor salaries and widespread corruption/system failure .. Won't write any deeper to it doesn't look that I have any political agenda - I am not member of any political party.. If we don't have bees and hazels.. I don't know how would we cope..