What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Wilco]

On the way to work I made a split from one nuc with extension that had looked suspicious last week when I didn't have kit handy. They were festooning and had a few almost capped QCs so timed the check well. I've now got a very strong nuc to leave for a few weeks plus a full colony so a good day. Finished off by torching a few boxes this evening as I got behind over the winter.

 

[jeff33]

Inspected the home apiary, had to demaree 3 hives, another one is already on 16 frames of bias and will need to split and demaree this weekend.

I have also prepared a filthy hive on dble brood ready to kill the queen and use as my cell raiser. Planning to put the grafts in next Tuesday, cull all drone brood within and split it the following week into 4-5 nucs.

1 hive had a charged Qcell but had to tear it down to try to win a bit of time as the first drones have just started emerging and would like to ensure sufficient drones are about for any mating.

 

[Brown Beek]

Checked splits with intro’d Queen cages made up on Saturday. Knocked down QC’s and then released the Queens. Will be checking back again in 7 days in the hope to see eggs and that all is well with all 10 colonies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing in mine as Stan and I are away for a few days. Didn’t spot anybody else’s but found some honey in Grindley Brook

@Hedgerow Honey

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing in mine as Stan and I are away for a few days. Didn’t spot anybody else’s but found some honey in Grindley Brook

@Hedgerow Honey

View attachment 35944

another forumite

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes I know.
‘It’s what clinched the sale

 

[Newbeeneil]

Nothing in mine as Stan and I are away for a few days. Didn’t spot anybody else’s but found some honey in Grindley Brook

@Hedgerow Honey

View attachment 35944

Grindley Brook, now that rings a bell and reminds me of a great holiday on the Llangollen canal.

 

[OldFarm]

Last year I fiddIed around with all sorts of scraps and explored solar wax recovery. I used green house glass for the glazing, 2 sheets separated by wooden bars. It worked a treat. On a couple of days it got so hot that the glass broke. I've just made a sturdy, insulated box, and wondered if I'd be better off using clear acrylic sheets for glazing instead of the green house glass. Any thoughts?

 

[Garry R]

Last year I fiddIed around with all sorts of scraps and explored solar wax recovery. I used green house glass for the glazing, 2 sheets separated by wooden bars. It worked a treat. On a couple of days it got so hot that the glass broke. I've just made a sturdy, insulated box, and wondered if I'd be better off using clear acrylic sheets for glazing instead of the green house glass. Any thoughts?

I use a sheet of correx rescued from a conservatory - it's about 10mm I reckon. It 's a bit yellowed after all the years but works fine. The open channel ends I filled with roof and gutter sealant to stop the rain running down the inside of it. The box is mounted on an office chair set of wheels to ease rotating it to follow the sun when I am passing by!! My old double glazed units cracked or shattered too.

 

[user 20297]

I use a sheet of correx rescued from a conservatory - it's about 10mm I reckon. It 's a bit yellowed after all the years but works fine. The open channel ends I filled with roof and gutter sealant to stop the rain running down the inside of it. The box is mounted on an office chair set of wheels to ease rotating it to follow the sun when I am passing by!! My old double glazed units cracked or shattered too.

Great idea on the swivel chair.

 

[pargyle]

Last year I fiddIed around with all sorts of scraps and explored solar wax recovery. I used green house glass for the glazing, 2 sheets separated by wooden bars. It worked a treat. On a couple of days it got so hot that the glass broke. I've just made a sturdy, insulated box, and wondered if I'd be better off using clear acrylic sheets for glazing instead of the green house glass. Any thoughts?

I only use a single sheet of greenhouse glass ... it really does not need double glazing. The differential expansion of inner and outer sheets of glass in home made double glazing will inevitably cause one of the sheets of glass to shatter. Indeed, if you put a timber frame round the glass make sure it has some room for expansion as it will get very hot on a sunny day.

 

[Garry R]

Great idea on the swivel chair.

Here are a few photos. The main "pole" is straight so cut a notch and bend it to the correct angle and weld it. Use the plate that the seat of the chair is bolted to and that is then bolted to the main box of the wax extractor. Grease it well and it will swivel no problem. Also after sealing the correx I put a strip of the silver aluminium foil - the stuff for sealing kingspan insulation over the end for a great seal. Hope this helps.

 

[JamezF]

Hope this helps.

Don't you slide off it when you're sitting at your desk?

James

 

[gwt_uk]

Inspected 3 colonies. The Nuc that was struggling is now doing a lot better. A lot of nectar coming in.

Buckfast colony very low on stores so have them a couple frames of honey.

Put a QE into another colony with double brood with the the intention of splitting in a week. Had to do it this morning as I am away this weekend - they were not happy! Very prolific queen. Top BB added a fortnight ago has 9 frames of brood.

 

[joebeewhisperer]

Yesterday I prepared 20 EZ Nuc boxes with frames and foundations, grafted 25-30, fed, assessed some mating nucs, went through a populous hive and made a cell starter from it.

In total I spent 8.5 hours in bees. I’ve decided to keep some actual time totals. Tried to treat it like a job yesterday.

While you can make fairly decent income from a backyard operation, I jokingly say I work for 3-4USD an hour in bees. Trying to put a real figure on it to decide whether the work is worth doing next year. This backyard operation has overtaken all other pastimes. It is great exercise, but whether I want to continue to sell is in question.

 

[joebeewhisperer]

Inspected 3 colonies. The Nuc that was struggling is now doing a lot better. A lot of nectar coming in.

Buckfast colony very low on stores so have them a couple frames of honey.

Put a QE into another colony with double brood with the the intention of splitting in a week. Had to do it this morning as I am away this weekend - they were not happy! Very prolific queen. Top BB added a fortnight ago has 9 frames of brood.

Nine frames of brood in such a time is an amazing feeling.

 

[Moobee]

I am mentoring for the first time this year - a lovely lady from our BKA, so she popped over when I did an inspection this week to lend a hand (she doesn't have bees yet). Nice to have some company and make sure you can answer any questions posed.....

We saw lots of activity including some interesting green pollen (pear I think), some lovely brood patterns, saw Queen Elizabeth again - had to pop a second super on this hive as they are well on the way to filling the first one, inspected the varroa boards, chatted about bees over a cuppa and played with the puppy

 

[Curly green finger's]

Interesting day I’m checking some demareed colony’s I’ve done over the last 10 days and 8 colony’s have cells in the top boxes only two in each one cell capped in one colony all queens still present and laying In the bottom and I’ve had to exchange frames in some of them .
This didn’t happen last season so much

 

[drex]

Had a look at my 3 hives recently moved to Devon. Doing OK, but only building very slowly. Plenty of honey for them, and a bit of nectar coming in, but little pollen being stored. Due to bad weather or poor forage ? . Going to first open apiary meeting of local BKA on Sunday and hoping for some local feedback

 

[Dr. Abe]

I checked on a split I made several days ago and it is thriving! lots of freshly laid eggs. Pollen is coming in and things look great as a beginning.

Also, I installed a package to start a new hive and set them up with pollen substitute and 1 gallon syrup for feed. I did that because the weather is not the nicest and I thought they might as well get a safe start.

Finally, I treated 3 strong hives with terramycin to prevent brood disease/foulbrood.