What did you do in the Apiary today?

[manek]

Performed my first Demaree today.

Swarm cells were evident, found the queen, pocketed her. Moved the BB to one side, swapped it for a new one with foundation and one or two drawn frames. Took a frame of half-full brood from the old BB, put it and the Q in the middle. QX on top, super on top of that, another QX, and then the old BB. Went through the old BB, knocked down all the queen cells, crown board and roof back on. Job done, go back in a week to check for queen cells in the old BB, which I shall knock down.

Fingers crossed I got it right and found all the queen cells....

 

[elainemary]

Still possibility these were swarm cells though? If not enough suitable young available at the time to make more numerous QCs.
Some colonies make only a few anyway, (compared to others which can make 40+ in short order!)

Possibly the Q has actually swarmed leaving the 2 sealed cells rather than popped her clogs?

Possibly but they made 2 classic supersedure cells early April and she’s not laid properly since. I removed these as there were not enough mature drones about. Then the colony made a couple more, as I expected but it bought a bit of time for drones to build up. Just patches of worker brood here and there since, so think she was running out of sperm. I clipped her in March but suspect they dispatched her once the virgin arrived on the scene. No idea why they’d attempt another supersedure cell, probably for insurance!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Performed my first Demaree today.

Swarm cells were evident, found the queen, pocketed her. Moved the BB to one side, swapped it for a new one with foundation and one or two drawn frames. Took a frame of half-full brood from the old BB, put it and the Q in the middle. QX on top, super on top of that, another QX, and then the old BB. Went through the old BB, knocked down all the queen cells, crown board and roof back on. Job done, go back in a week to check for queen cells in the old BB, which I shall knock down.

Fingers crossed I got it right and found all the queen cells....

Demaree is a proactive form of swarm avoidance if you've found loads of QC's, it's too late, especially if you've only given her a frame or two to lay in, good chance they'll go regardless

 

[elainemary]

Demaree is a proactive form of swarm avoidance if you've found loads of QC's, it's too late, especially if you've only given her a frame or two to lay in, good chance they'll go regardless

Yes I made this mistake last year. Didn’t have a split board with me so put a queen excluder in til next time. Swarmed in front of my very eyes, fortunately the queen was clipped and they all came back including her (crawled)
Now keep spare kit in a box in the apiary.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Performed my first Demaree today.

Swarm cells were evident, found the queen, pocketed her. Moved the BB to one side, swapped it for a new one with foundation and one or two drawn frames. Took a frame of half-full brood from the old BB, put it and the Q in the middle. QX on top, super on top of that, another QX, and then the old BB. Went through the old BB, knocked down all the queen cells, crown board and roof back on. Job done, go back in a week to check for queen cells in the old BB, which I shall knock down.

Fingers crossed I got it right and found all the queen cells....

Well that’s a vertical split but it’s not a Demaree and they are quite likely to swarm anyway

 

[manek]

Yes, a Demaree is a form of vertical split, is it not?

 

[Swn58]

No chance of visiting apiaries today. It's been pouring down! I've been under the awning that I set up in the garden, painting my new Abelo hives. There's a lot of them to do


I think I've just been thrown out of the BBKA. Is that a good thing? I forgot to renew my membership (of ten years) then had to re-apply. I opted for insurance for 20 + colonies, was asked to pay £19, due to another renewal happening in September. I then got an email saying that I had made a mistake and owed them another £1.47 using a BACS method. I actually thought it was a scam email.....as I saw almost the same trick on Watchdog a while back.
I pointed out how petty this was and it was they who had automatically calculated the sum I paid. The reply was an email, saying how they were a 'charity' and made no exceptions for underpayments! I told them what I thought of so called charities, making excuses for slack practise whilst raking in money for their directors salaries and how I wished I'd never re-joined. Last email from them said they were sending my money back! Oops
Anyone know a good bee colony insurer?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes, a Demaree is a form of vertical split, is it not?

but a vertical split after finding queen cells is not a Demarree

 

[Nige.Coll]

Had to fill 15 3 frame nucs today (no choice got to be done), weather was horrible bees were queenless and not happy about being messed around with in the rain.
I wasn't happy about being out in the rain either. Then had to put 15 queen cells in the nucs. All made easier by the the 5 miles between the sites involved.
Bee a bee farmer they said, it'll be fun they said.
Can't see the fun side today.
Then to top it all off I got home and took the bee suit off and a bee came out the pocket and stung the dog.
Suit is in the wash it stinks of alarm pheromones.

 

[hemo]

Manek the bees have got the swarming urge, you knocked the cells back/removed them in a split colony. Unless the urge has gone unlikely, you will find more Qc's if so you will have to AS properly or make up a nuc with her.

A Demeree is performed before QC's are formed, even eggs in cups is likely to late.

 

[manek]

Manek the bees have got the swarming urge, you knocked the cells back/removed them in a split colony. Unless the urge has gone unlikely, you will find more Qc's if so you will have to AS properly or make up a nuc with her.

A Demeree is performed before QC's are formed, even eggs in cups is likely to late.

Well, whatever it's called, I've done it now. I'll go back in a week and remove any QCs from the top BB and that will be all they can make from that batch of brood.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well, whatever it's called, I've done it now. I'll go back in a week and remove any QCs from the top BB and that will be all they can make from that batch of brood.

what makes you think they won't make any QC's in the bottom box - and be away in a few days?

 

[hemo]

A vertical split, stick a cb with an entrance under the UBB fit a bit of QX over a feed hole to allow WB's passage and feeding, let them raise a new Q and then when laying remove old Q and unite as one.

The LBB will make new cells and swarm.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Performed my first Demaree today.

Swarm cells were evident, found the queen, pocketed her. Moved the BB to one side, swapped it for a new one with foundation and one or two drawn frames. Took a frame of half-full brood from the old BB, put it and the Q in the middle. QX on top, super on top of that, another QX, and then the old BB. Went through the old BB, knocked down all the queen cells, crown board and roof back on. Job done, go back in a week to check for queen cells in the old BB, which I shall knock down.

Fingers crossed I got it right and found all the queen cells....

You need a top entrance to let the drones out

 

[Swn58]

Bee a bee farmer they said, it'll be fun they said.

LOL.....I know what you mean!

 

[Moobee]

And running her in at the entrance is a lot easier than disassembling the whole hive again

Doh! I didn’t think of that (rookie mistake), will know for next time (but hope there isn’t a next time).

 

[Moobee]

If she was as free as the image shows you would have been able to gently pick up without any queen catcher that might damage her as they are usually very reluctant indeed to sting unless mishandled.

Good point. I think I might have panicked a bit and just wanted to make sure she didn’t scurry off!

 

[Nannysbees]

Weather atrocious, new queen arriving today to replace the chalkbrood queen. Sweeping up piles of it under the hive every day. Brood pattern very sketchy

 

[Arfermo]

There are Buckfast and Buckfast. It depends where you get them

So where do you get your TRUEBRED Buckfasts? We all need to know.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So where do you get your TRUEBRED Buckfasts? We all need to know.

What does that mean?
I have had Buckies from Hivemaker and they have been good for two generations and better than the local mongrels