What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Fritillary]

Not come across those. Sounds like a similar system to making 'chequerberry beer' (more of a wine, great if you can find them) but using salt rather than sugar. I'll have to look into it. Thanks.

Ooh I couldn't imagine drinking it, I haven't heard of chequerberry beer before - ? Do tell!
But as a little pickled aside to go with cheese or meats, or rice dishes, I do like the salted plums.

If only there were the wherewithal outside to make chocolate....

 

[DaveG23]

Checked a few hives for stores/fed and removed apiguard trays from the last to get treated.

1 hive has an English feeder on but the central cup is missing, I had filled it with grass to stop them drowning, obviously have not put enough in as there was a cluster of bees on the side wall if the feeder, I assume that they had got a bit syrup sodden and clustered on the there trying to dry out. All bees tipped back in to the hive, just in case HM was in there.

My bodge of tape to cover holes in my veil has finally failed (not bad for 5 months) first proper sting of the season on the eyebrow. My eye now looks like I had a disagreement with Tyson Fury.

My wife has now suggested she buy me a quality bee suit and veil for Christmas, so thanks to that lone bee for the sacrifice.

 

[Wilco]

Ooh I couldn't imagine drinking it, I haven't heard of chequerberry beer before - ? Do tell!
But as a little pickled aside to go with cheese or meats, or rice dishes, I do like the salted plums.

If only there were the wherewithal outside to make chocolate....

Chequers (wild service tree berries, from which many pubs get their name) are one of the fruits which used to be used in beer making prior to the advent of hops. One simple recipe for them involves picking the berries and then plonking them in a jar and covering with sugar. The sugar draws out the juices which then ferments with the yeasts on the skin of the berries. Alternatively just pick a branch which is well laden and let it hang indoors while the berries blet, at which point you can eat them although watch out for the stone/pip. This is about the right time of year to pick them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is number two apiary. My garden. This Ash is coming down today. Two hives on the roof closed up.

 

[The Poot]

View attachment 28685This is number two apiary. My garden. This Ash View attachment 28683 is coming down today. Two hives on the roof closed up.

Is it because of die back? Several local ash now suffering with it here

 

[drex]

Just as well. I have had two ash come down in recent years, in gales. One came down onto the top of my hives. No damage as was just the ends of the branches.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Is it because of die back? Several local ash now suffering with it here

It is. I have a garden full of fit men
Stans keeping an eye on them

 

[Swn58]

Watched the bees returning a really good flow today. Noticed the odd drone still about returning to the hive and also the odd bee that’s been on the Himalayan balsam. I first saw them collecting Himalayan Balsam in mid August so surprised they are still finding it now in October. Does Himalayan balsam normally have a long season like this ?

Yes. It's all around the Sandwell Valley in North Birmingham. Some of my bees look like they have had icing sugar sprinkled on them.

 

[user 819]

Removed feeders no more from me now, all hefted and heavy. Each seam is filled with bees so all are nice and strong going into Autumn.

 

[Swn58]

Last Wednesday I managed to get to the farm. I took another eighteen super-frames of honey and gave the bees there first Api-Life Var varroa treatment. I'm a bit late, but it is warm enough. The Ivy is providing a bumper amount of autumn food this year. I also picked three kilos of sloes!
Yesterday I gave the South Brum bees their first treatment, after taking another nine frames of honey. The only Abelo I have there is bursting with bees still. My re-queened, originally double brood hive, is doing well, but had boxes removed, due to lack of interest! The others are good, but I did decide to feed two.
I am back to the farm tomorrow for round two of the varroa treatment there. That should sort them out!

 

[Swarm]

Did another round of hefting and nearly pulled my arm off by the end. Feeding is going to be light this year. I'm so glad that I went with my gut feeling and added second boxes to the late nucs, they now have nice new combs full of ripening nectar. One smaller nuc has come on in leaps and bounds; probably something to do with the 'combi kewl' type solid floor design, but I could hear them fanning at the entrance from yards away.
Sky still black with bees flying directly across the field to the trees, busy as any summer flow traffic. What a year.

 

[TomH]

Is the ivy having a good year this year?

Only my second year beekeeping, so not got much to compare to. Last night the two hives in the garden here were humming like AC units and there's a strong smell of ivy in the air, and bees piling in pollen through the day.

 

[Nannysbees]

Is the ivy having a good year this year?

Only my second year beekeeping, so not got much to compare to. Last night the two hives in the garden here were humming like AC units and there's a strong smell of ivy in the air, and bees piling in pollen through the day.

We can smell the ivy honey well before we are near the hives. Far stronger than last year so I think in our area the ivy is doing well. We have a tree next door that has been taken over by it and the pollinators are all over it including butterflies which is lovely to see.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes doing well here and weather so far has held up. I have never seen my colonies as strong at this time of year. I don’t know whether that’s a good thing. I’m trying one on a solid floor. The bees were lined up all along the UFE slot and I could hear them fanning metres away.
I looked in the top and they seemed ok but what do I know?
if it wasn’t autumn I’d have supered the lot!

 

[user 819]

This year my hives haven't a very strong aroma of ivy forage as in past years.

 

[Swarm]

Is the ivy having a good year this year?

Only my second year beekeeping, so not got much to compare to. Last night the two hives in the garden here were humming like AC units and there's a strong smell of ivy in the air, and bees piling in pollen through the day.

I don't remember a better year for Ivy, it piled in 2008 and 2015 but not to this extent, my hives have never been this heavy in mid October.

 

[North End Bees]

I don't remember a better year for Ivy, it piled in 2008 and 2015 but not to this extent, my hives have never been this heavy in mid October.

My garden hives have been piling it in but my out apiary ten miles away might as well be on another planet. A poor summer there and now no ivy. Never had to feed them so much.

 

[GuyNir]

Nothing here, ivy wise, which is normal. Very little sun/flying in the last 3-4 weeks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Busy on the potting shed roof today
View attachment IMG_7751.MOV

 

[Curly green finger's]

Moved 4 colonys of the top of one of the hills today there isn't any ivy flowering up there only gorse flowering.
Fed 112.50 kgs of fondant, ivy flow isnt good at some sites, working round to seeing what's happening elsewhere.
Made my first wax cake today ( first process) it weighs 3kg.
Jarred honey.
Im looking for a bucket of osr to make some soft set or enough to make up 90lbs, if anyone has any locally??