What did you do in the Apiary today?

[linoleum bonypart]

I hung a new external thermometer in the Apiary, and it read 8 degrees C !

Bees very quiet, an occasional flyer.

So as rain was forecast, and it didn't arrive, I got out a tin of green cuprinol (water based) then spent the rest of the afternoon painting 6 brood boxes, and 6 supers, roofs and floors.

Do other Beeks paint their hives, or just leave cedar to naturally weather ? I've started it now, they just look terrible when the cuprinol washes off!

and I learnt today that the first swarm was caught in East Riding, wet and cold !

Need to check for swarm preparations!

Hope it wasnt mine... 13c today hmmmm

 

[Goodwood]

Seeing a lot of regression in colony size here in Pembs
After a good start this cold weather seems to have knocked the laying right back in some colonies
Decent stores but small colonies

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not quite the apiary ( but we do have wild bees in the garden) The Beech at the back of the house is absolutely buzzing. Too early for aphids and honeydew. Took the binoculars and after a great deal of shaky hand exploration I could see honey bees and bumblebees rolling around in the flowers. Never seen that before

 

[drex]

Looked in the bees. A bit cold, but needs must as had been away. Only half have a super on and only one is doing anything with it. Queens ( all seen) obviously been off lay as no eggs and fewer larvae. One hive bees very tetchy, one open empty fully mature queen cell, few bees. Queen not seen on first look through, but was on second. Hopefully a supercedure but cold and windy for mating. Going to be a very poor harvest if any. **** is a mile away. Hope they have not collected much as am on holiday end of May ( wife booked it then), which is when I would normally harvest. Swings and roundabouts.

 

[GuyNir]

Another rubbish day. Started nice, but since 10:00 cloudy and a bit windy. 9c max. Bees not really flying

 

[StephenT]

Sat in the glorious sunshine this morning opposite one of the hives and watched them chuck a dead queen out . This is the parent hive from a Snelgrove 2 modified we did 2 weeks ago where we didn’t do stage 2 and transfer the queen to the AS. Yesterday when we inspected we saw a queen but there were also QC’s that hadn’t been torn down + one QC with the cap missing (See pic). Not sure if they are superseding or we accidentally killed the queen yesterday. Will check again next weekend to see what’s going on. Plenty of eggs and young larvae to make another if needed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Seeing a lot of regression in colony size here in Pembs
After a good start this cold weather seems to have knocked the laying right back in some colonies
Decent stores but small colonies

Noticed much the same here - colonies that were filling supers with bees last week as well as honey - opened a few today and hardly any action at all up there.

 

[Boston Bees]

Sat in the glorious sunshine this morning opposite one of the hives and watched them chuck a dead queen out . This is the parent hive from a Snelgrove 2 modified we did 2 weeks ago where we didn’t do stage 2 and transfer the queen to the AS. Yesterday when we inspected we saw a queen but there were also QC’s that hadn’t been torn down + one QC with the cap missing (See pic). Not sure if they are superseding or we accidentally killed the queen yesterday. Will check again next weekend to see what’s going on. Plenty of eggs and young larvae to make another if needed.

Sorry to hear that. In contrasting news, I inspected the parent colony that I had done the Apiarist/Snelgrove method on (because I couldn't find the queen) 7 days ago. Didn't see the queen but saw eggs and, pleasingly, all 25-odd queen cells that I had seen last week have been torn down. So, it worked for me so far, which is a nice surprise as this is the first time I have tried it.

The AS (which it turns out didn't have the queen in, obviously) has made queen cells, so will decide what to do with them next.

 

[Loxley]

It was warm here this morning so i went through the bees and did my first demaree. The colony was on a double brood and had 16 pretty full frames of brood and 4 frames of capped honey, plus a half full super over the QX. There's quite a few drones about now and also quite a few play cups (none charged though) I got the queen and the frame she was on into a new box with 5 other frames with the best available of laying space, stores and emerging brood then put in 5 frames of foundation. The top box got a full compliment of brood with some stores and went over a demaree board with entrance made up as per JBM's instructions. I added an extra super so there's 2 between the QX and demaree board. I also took 4 deep frames of capped honey out to make a bit of room for foundation in the bottom box, I'll use them in the Nuc's I'm planning for. They still have plenty of stores in the honey arcs and corners and seem to be bringing in nectar pretty well.

The bees were pretty calm but did get a bit fed up towards the end, I can't blame them. I hope I made the right call and it all works, got first timer nerves now!

 

[E&MBees]

Checked a nuc with brood box extension that I made up following a split last weekend. Queen has now laid up 6.5 frames and the colony is working hard to draw out the remaining foundation. They have some sealed brood and stores too. No sign of any queen cells thank goodness.

 

[BugsInABox]

Not quite the apiary ( but we do have wild bees in the garden) The Beech at the back of the house is absolutely buzzing. Too early for aphids and honeydew. Took the binoculars and after a great deal of shaky hand exploration I could see honey bees and bumblebees rolling around in the flowers. Never seen that before

I saw it 2 weeks ago. Forget-me-nots just opening. Quite anumber of honey bees - to me looked like they were gettign water. All peaceful co-existence with the larger bumble bees, then a smallish ginger bumble bee (it was surevrying the grass - I assumed for nest option) arrived. Just one honeybee covered about a meter and half striaght at her then they both tumbled to the ground for a few seconds before the ginger cleared off.

 

[einsteinagogo]

9 degrees C today and cold, so moved some empty nucs into the apiary, planning for swarm control later when it warms up.

I actually saw many drones today from hive 2, only saw 1 from hive 1.

 

[Angularity]

Killed another queen wasp at the home hives, this one was hunting bees.
The sparrows have cottoned on to the source of free food in front of the hives. Hard to begrudge them the extra protein.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Noticed much the same here - colonies that were filling supers with bees last week as well as honey - opened a few today and hardly any action at all up there.

Are you finding minimal drones to?
Frustrating really the crab apple is starting to bloom.
Three fields of osr have been mowed of .
Here's a video of a nuc I hived up on Saturday. I use a sheet on every nuc I'm acumilating quite a few know.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are you finding minimal drones to?

No, plenty of drones in all colonies.

 

[Murox]

Are you finding minimal drones to?
Frustrating really the crab apple is starting to bloom.
Three fields of osr have been mowed of .
Here's a video of a nuc I hived up on Saturday. I use a sheet on every nuc I'm acumilating quite a few know.

Cant get the mp4 file to open, is it working or just me ?

 

[GuyNir]

Cant get the mp4 file to open, is it working or just me ?

I can’t open it either.

 

[Curly green finger's]

It works for me.

 

[Murox]

It works for me.

nice for you.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Cant get the mp4 file to open, is it working or just me ?

Try a different browser. It doesn’t work on safari but does on chrome