What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swn58]

The weather was warmer in Birmingham today, so I did a full hive-check my partners allotments. They were all very busy, with loads of pollen going in. All was fine and everyone was very well behaved. They are all well behind what I'm seeing on here though. There was brood at every stage, from egg to emerging. There was hardly any drone cells though and not a QC in sight. I reckon they are at least two weeks away from full strength, or threatening any sort of swarming.

 

[elainemary]

I’ve spent the afternoon searching and have not seen any!
We‘ve got suet niblets and mealworms galore out, fat balls in feeders - lots of activity with blackbirds, robins, ****, dunnocks and sparrows a plenty, but no chicks as yet.
An extremely tame Robin met me at the back door the other day with a honeybee in its beak. The bees legs were still waving about....
We had words!

Our songthrush has just had chicks on her nest in a birch tree close to our house.
Our little cat is now grounded much to her disgust

 

[GlenJ]

Took an over wintered nuc up to a site near builth wells this morning. It warmed up so much in the afternoon I decided to go back and move them into their hive straight away. Glad I did as the nuc was rammed with bees and I won't be able to go back for a couple of weeks.

 

[Moobee]

Lovely warm afternoon, so my mentor came over to do the inspection with me and we finally found the elusive queen. So I successfully clipped and marked her. Brood in all stages across five frames, lots of stores and lovely calm bees. Removed a couple of packed frames & added drawn comb to give her a bit more space. A few drones & drone cells, no signs of wanting to swarm. Yet.

 

[Mand & Dave]

Did a few hives checks yesterday. Hive 1 had no signs of eggs / larvae /brood at all. Queen couldnt be seen, moved two eggs/larvae frames over to it from other hives, will check to see if queen cells are being produced in 5 days. Second hive was well balanced, queen working well, added another super as it was 5 frames empty only. Next hive same as hive 2 . Hive 4 has allot of bees queen laying Very well, but it filled quicker than expected so the empty frame count was down to 4 , and we found a few 1st stage ( starter ) queen cells . We put another super on. All hives was nector rich but not capped honey rich at all. Very small scatterings of capped, hardly any

 

[The Poot]

Took a look in one hive on brood and a half, which has been very busy of late with lots of willow pollen going in. The half brood above, was virtually all brood, mostly capped and there was only half of one side of a frame of stores. I had been adding fondant regularly and “slapped” some more on yesterday. My feeling was they had been storing the fondant but wrong again!
I live in a vale and the frosts and cold air has held back the trees and flowers this year. The willows are thick with pollen but there’s not sufficient humidity for nectar and the annual blackthorn massacre has caused very little flowers this year.
So, still feeding in mid April......
No drone brood, no signs of swarm preparations at all, which was my fear.

 

[GuyNir]

Took a look in one hive on brood and a half, which has been very busy of late with lots of willow pollen going in. The half brood above, was virtually all brood, mostly capped and there was only half of one side of a frame of stores. I had been adding fondant regularly and “slapped” some more on yesterday. My feeling was they had been storing the fondant but wrong again!
I live in a vale and the frosts and cold air has held back the trees and flowers this year. The willows are thick with pollen but there’s not sufficient humidity for nectar and the annual blackthorn massacre has caused very little flowers this year.
So, still feeding in mid April......
No drone brood, no signs of swarm preparations at all, which was my fear.

Same here Poot. I’ve been feeding most colonies fondant since Jan/Feb and (from what I can see) none of it was stored. Still stores in the hives and I’m stopping with the fondant now, as the sycamores are 1-2 weeks away.

 

[Ian123]

These bees are far to runny for my liking
View attachment 64043852413__D6D44D11-3C54-4F41-8139-4F9D253E93E0.MOV

 

[Erichalfbee]

These bees are far to runny for my liking

All I can see is this

 

[elainemary]

Lovely warm afternoon, so my mentor came over to do the inspection with me and we finally found the elusive queen. So I successfully clipped and marked her. Brood in all stages across five frames, lots of stores and lovely calm bees. Removed a couple of packed frames & added drawn comb to give her a bit more space. A few drones & drone cells, no signs of wanting to swarm. Yet.View attachment 25520

Nice looking queen!

 

[Murox]

Lovely warm afternoon, so my mentor came over to do the inspection with me and we finally found the elusive queen. So I successfully clipped and marked her. Brood in all stages across five frames, lots of stores and lovely calm bees. Removed a couple of packed frames & added drawn comb to give her a bit more space. A few drones & drone cells, no signs of wanting to swarm. Yet.View attachment 25520

Glad you found you queen, I have yet to find one of mine, even after a serious hunt on a warm day when most of the foragers were out - still didn't see her - I had hoped to mark her, next time maybe.

 

[Ian123]

All I can see is this

Fixed I think

 

[madasafish]

Marked two queens yesterday. With an aspiring lady beekeeper who found them! And goes gloveless as well!

 

[Brian Bush]

Checked all the hives for the TherapBee Project on Saturday along with 2 outlying apiaries. Today, Sunday checked the rest of my hives. All doing well. One hive absolutely bursting at the seams. I have never seen so many bees in a hive in April. They are in a 14x12 but I think I hade better go to double brood next week.
Got home and removed the kit and cleaned up. Then I remembered I have not checked my friend, Colin's big hive. I will do it tomorrow.

 

[Loxley]

These bees are far to runny for my liking
View attachment 25525

I don't know how you tolerate such behaviour!

 

[pargyle]

Went through all the hives for the first time this year ...all except one looking good ... well behaved (minor sting at the base of my thumb through the marigolds when i accidentally squashed one ...no noticeable effect) supers on all bar two as there was 6 or 7 frames of capped brood in them. Transferred the 8 frame nuc into a full hive... will need a super by next week I reckon. One problem colony...only drone brood evident - could not find the queen but it does not look like laying workers ... I've had queens leave it very late to start in the past so... added a frame of BIAS from another colony . I know ... big softie...probably waste of time but they are still a big colony so thought I would give them a chance...they are stuffed with honey and pollen) might kick her into action or encourage them to build a queen cell if she's a dud ...not something a proper beekeeper would do but I'll give them a week and see what transpires...really pleased so far ... or is that relieved ? Not a lot of difference between the two in beekeeping is there ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thought I'd go out the range to inspect the carreg apiary late morning, almost forgot how many colonies I have up there now so I ended up having my dinner at teatime as it was 1600 hours or so on me getting back.
My work with the chainsaw over the winter has done wonders to open up the area to the sun (as well as giving me more space for hive stands)and I reckon the colonies are way more advanced at this time than in the past. Most colonies now supered, one having three boxes. The ASBO hives have taken the hint (or a liking to the location) as they have calmed right down - apart from one whose queen is now on borrowed time.
A nice relaxing plod through hives, most of which are bursting with bees.
Whilst I was inspecting the first hive I heard a familiar almost ghostly rustle of feathers as something took off in the undergrowth behind me, instinctively the adrenalin kicked in and I looked up just as a woodcock jinked ahead of me into the wooded valley below (and well within range) it's not often you stumble upon one of our native '****, rather than the visitors from the North we see in the winter, ours having migrated further South to Mediterranean climes.
Made my day anyway.

 

[The Poot]

Did a first check on another hive today, with two grandchildren, all suited up, observing and having a good look at the frames. It was a double brood colony, really strong, with the upper brood box, bias on all but two frames. First frame, usually stores, was completely empty and as yesterday, I found very little food in the hive. There is some evidence of nectar, but not much at all. A tremendous amount of pollen going in, to the girls delight, giggling at the totally yellow bees finding walking difficult on the landing board.
A really pleasant experience with really nice bees - and really nice grandchildren

 

[elainemary]

Thought I'd go out the range to inspect the carreg apiary late morning, almost forgot how many colonies I have up there now so I ended up having my dinner at teatime as it was 1600 hours or so on me getting back.
My work with the chainsaw over the winter has done wonders to open up the area to the sun (as well as giving me more space for hive stands)and I reckon the colonies are way more advanced at this time than in the past. Most colonies now supered, one having three boxes. The ASBO hives have taken the hint (or a liking to the location) as they have calmed right down - apart from one whose queen is now on borrowed time.
A nice relaxing plod through hives, most of which are bursting with bees.
Whilst I was inspecting the first hive I heard a familiar almost ghostly rustle of feathers as something took off in the undergrowth behind me, instinctively the adrenalin kicked in and I looked up just as a woodcock jinked ahead of me into the wooded valley below (and well within range) it's not often you stumble upon one of our native '****, rather than the visitors from the North we see in the winter, ours having migrated further South to Mediterranean climes.
Made my day anyway.

Isn’t it interesting how temper can change...have often wondered if it’s environment as much as genetics. Had a similar colony re temper last year and when opened up this year, sooo gentle in comparison & coming on the best in that apiary. Early days but hoping they stay that way

 

[elainemary]

Inspected both colonies at home.

12 frames of brood in my only double brood colony, at home. Blimey, never known them to be so far advanced up here (1000 ft up in south Pennines). Bringing in lots of willow pollen and nectar. Neighbour reported he’d seen a swarm on a willow tree, transpired it was my bees humming away and def not swarming. I had been concerned whether they might be running out of food but fine. Put a super on. Had planned to change the floor but it was so clean, why make work for myself. Didn’t see the queen, gonna be tricky when all that brood emerges. Want to clip her. It’s a lovely gentle colony.

Other colony had 5 frames brood, 3rd season queen was planning to requeen her. This time last year was only 2 frames brood and a much warmer spring. Remarked her (green). Switched super so now on top with queen excluder now added

Am wondering if keeping varroa trays in all winter and still there now, is why they are doing so well vs this time last year? Was an experiment. Think I’ll be doing that again ....