What did you do in the Apiary today?

[einsteinagogo]

I cannot get a break, I saw a swarm flying over my apiary this afternoon, I thought it was going to go into the bait hive at the Apiary, it was close, there have been some more interest in last few days in the bait hive on my bay window.

I was already in a bee suit, to do weekly inspections, and I watch with my neighbour as it flew over the gardens, and landed in a nearby neighbours barn/ outbuilding, where usually a swarm disappears into the building fabric! (regularly!).

As I walked down the road to ask him, if I could look he was walking up the road!

It was really unclear if the bees had just arrived, bees were always present, was there a previous bees nest which had died out, did he fix the building from before!

Answer - No, they all disappeared so I didn't fix it!

But I had clearly seen the swarm in the sky, moving in that direction.

Tried to find where they were entering the building, but very difficult with ivy climbing the entire wall, about 30 feet high from the ground.

Tried a lot of smoke, which could have been a hole they were goin in... and left a bait hive.......

But I think they'll be in the building somewhere!

Checked a couple of Apidea Mating Nucs, open queen cell - saw queen in one, but no eggs as yet, maybe too early and she's not mate yet, lots of comb being built.

The other Apidea, queen cell hatched, no sign of hatched queen, lots of bees, building comb.

 

[Do224]

A swarm moved into my garage roof bait hive sometime over the last couple of days - don't know how I missed it since it's outside the kitchen window! Anyway, they've been sorted out with a full box of frames today. Thought I had a brief glimpse of a very dark queen at one point but she quickly vanished. No eggs yet.

One hive is waiting for a queen to get mated, but their super was filling up so gave them another one.

Other hive got its fourth super today. Still no sign of swarm preps despite their size so very pleased with them so far.

Was there much scout activity before they moved in?

 

[Dorchop]

I can see two boxes but where are the bees that were swarming?
Or do you mean there were bees investigating but have now gone....or what?

Well the garage was full of bees but not a swarm as such
Centred around the stack of boxes that I’ve moved outside
Sorry probably not explaining very well

 

[GuyNir]

Just walked around the apiary. Nice humming sound coming out of all the colonies. All seems working hard in the supers. Amazing after 21:00 pollen and nectar still coming in and some foragers still fly out.

 

[Nannysbees]

Glorious day, bees very busy. Sycamore in the garden was buzzing with honeys and bumbles. Took the clip off the new queen's cage

 

[StephenT]

Brood pattern in hive 1 with a fairly new queen seems much improved on last week although there was one capped QC there. Would they be looking to swarm again after doing so on 13 April? Took a super off, extracted almost 10kg of honey and then put it back on again. Interesting on 10 frame castellations that they enlarged alternate frames in the super.
Took two supers off queenless hive 2 and united it back with the queen right hive 5 (first unite we've done). Will spin them tomorrow. These two hives were the parent and AS part of a Wally Shaw Snelgrove split we did on 18 April.

 

[GuyNir]

Brood pattern in hive 1 with a fairly new queen seems much improved on last week although there was one capped QC there. Would they be looking to swarm again after doing so on 13 April? Took a super off, extracted almost 10kg of honey and then put it back on again. Interesting on 10 frame castellations that they enlarged alternate frames in the super.
Took two supers off queenless hive 2 and united it back with the queen right hive 5 (first unite we've done). Will spin them tomorrow. These two hives were the parent and AS part of a Wally Shaw Snelgrove split we did on 18 April.

Nice looking frame. I wouldn’t think they’re preparing to swarm based on finding a single cell. Probably supersedure, I myself will leave it and let them decide what to do.

 

[StephenT]

Nice looking frame. I wouldn’t think they’re preparing to swarm based on finding a single cell. Probably supersedure, I myself will leave it and let them decide what to do.

That was my thinking and plan. She was a very early mated queen so may not be to their liking.

 

[Earthboy]

Trapped and then boxed the first swarm of this year:

 

[drdrday]

Was there much scout activity before they moved in?

There was scout activity for at least 4-5 days before they moved in on the garage roof, although I can't be exact since I don't know precisely when the swarm arrived.

My second swarm of the week is literally arriving in another bait hive as I type. This one was getting interest over the last few days too, but obviously I hadn't realised I was watching scouts from two different potential swarms. I thought the same scouts were checking out both bait boxes before they made up their minds.

I'll be seriously running out of equipment at this rate! Off to make up some more brood frames...

 

[drdrday]

Interesting on 10 frame castellations that they enlarged alternate frames in the super.

I've found that mine do the same, alternating a really fat frame with a skinny one. Means I have to be a bit careful to keep a similar order when I return them to the box. Glad it's not just my bees being weird, but seems normal

 

[madasafish]

Checked my grafts from yesterday, Despite it being the first of the year , 6 out of 13 have taken. That's an improvement on last year (my first) where near 50% was unachievable.

Regrafted another six.

Checked again: another three QCs- total 9..That will do nicely as I have only 9 mini nucs prepared.

Inspected two national hives I am temporarily hosting for someone whose bee landlord has objected to bees after a year! Both doing well,, added a super to one as first is nearly full. No QCs. Texted him to ask for more supers!

 

[BigAshW]

Three swarms collected in under 24 hours. Two medium sized and one very small one.

We're starting to run out of room and equipment.

 

[GuyNir]

Three swarms collected in under 24 hours. Two medium sized and one very small one.

We're starting to run out of room and equipment.

I thought this week will be ‘Swarm Central’…

 

[Nannysbees]

Checked the hive with the bought queen. Found her alive thank god. Next Sunday to check for the other bought queen then Saturday to see if the other two hives have raised their own queens. Hive of activity from all four hives

 

[John Twidle]

Yesterday afternoon I had a swarm call from friends at the local plant nursery. I popped round there and after I had managed to get most of the bees into my swarm box I left it nearby for the remnants to join their sisters in the box. I went back to collect the bees at dusk, only to find that all the bees had come out, were clustered on the front and had started to deposit wax on the outside. It took a couple of hours in the dark with a torch, smoker and brush to persuade the little darlings to go inside again. And there was me thinking that beekeeping was a daylight activity!!!

 

[LeaBees]

Quick check in apiary turned a bit frantic. What a difference weather has made - bees piling in nectar. Checkerboarded main hive 2nd super ( 1st time so hope it was right). Added 1st supers to two colonies; One overwintered nuc colony with bbox rammed with stores (hope I’m not too late), and a recently caught swarm that has built out quickly (hope I’m not too early!). Fingers crossed for a crop of honey this year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bit of strimming at various apiaries and took a nuc from a Demarre of a very prolific queen.
Then this evening at the home apiary I decided to compete with the massed barbecues of the weekend with a little bonefire to get rid of some old past their best frames and combs including some from deadouts.

 

[Moobee]

Fantastic to see the girls still out late last night as it was so warm. Piles of nectar and pollen coming in.
Bigger mite drop than expected last week so got up early to whip off the supers and do a second vape this morning before they were properly awake. They were a tad annoyed but settled down now and busy whizzing out for a day's collecting.

 

[Swarm]

Spent the morning running in another batch of virgins, all went well apart from one who went on a wander so had to make sure she was safely inside before closing. Checked the first batch and they are still present so hoping the weather keeps up now.
Checked through the upper box of the Demarree and found nicely polished cells but no eggs yet. On the next frame a group of bees parted, revealing a gorgeous queen, black as coal being royally fussed by a very attendant retinue. I enjoyed the moment for a while.
Made up another Demarree after finding an elusive green queen with very faded mark. Nice and visible now and in the bottom brood box.
Added a second tier to one of the nucs, queens have taken off with laying.