What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Wilco]

However did you sort that out?

Shut the windows, moved the car 10m, let the bees get in the windows, opened doors and banged them out. Shut doors for a few min and repeated. When I drove off the majority left didn't take long to go. It's easy to get them out when driving off though.

 

[JamezF]

I've hardly seen any wasps at all so far this year. The few I have seen have also been very small.

James

 

[Moobee]

First sign of wasps in the Garden today. They are really small compared to last year!!! One cheeky wasp fancied his chances by going into the hive, he was soon dragged off the landing board and onto the grass, I did step in and save my bee of course

I’ve found a few dead wasps in one of the stronger hives.

 

[Moobee]

Hive number 2 finally requeened themselves…… the rest are filling the wet supers I gave them back although weather forecast is shocking from tomorrow

 

[plain_hunt]

Bees are great at their own thermoregulation, after all, bees are kept in much hotter countries.
What will you do to prevent a shed full of flying bees during inspections?
Why do you want to have them in the shed, it is not that you live " up north "?

More so I don’t have flying bees around when inspecting. The neighbours aren’t too keen on flying bees, but like the extra pollination in the veg garden!

 

[plain_hunt]

How would this work…how do you inspect the bees?

Presume you’d need some sort of entrance tunnel through the shed wall?

Inspect in the shed, and have a slightly open window for them to get out.
lyes, an entrance through the wall. It was seeing the old Bee sheds that gave me the idea.

 

[Do224]

Inspect in the shed, and have a slightly open window for them to get out.
lyes, an entrance through the wall. It was seeing the old Bee sheds that gave me the idea.

Sounds interesting…what’s your reason for doing it? I guess it’s a pretty stealthy way to keep bees if you have neighbours that might object

 

[Brenda]

I regularly forget to zip up my veil...

I introduce new Queens via the main entrance of the Hive and have not had a failure yet. The method was told to me by my mentor who had kept bees since 1921. Dunk the new cadged Queen in tepid water and then quickly show her the entrance removing the cage block, because she is wet and bedraggled they immediately escort her into their abode drying her and preening her as they go. This procedure has to be carried out at the hive Obviously!

 

[plain_hunt]

Sounds interesting…what’s your reason for doing it? I guess it’s a pretty stealthy way to keep bees if you have neighbours that might object

That’s it! And I want some back on the garden again.

 

[Do224]

That’s it! And I want some back on the garden again.

Excellent…let us know how it goes

 

[The Poot]

Thursday: Went through all five colonies - to check they are all queenright and doing.
Transferred a largely empty super from one hive, to a colony that needed space.
All colonies really calm and not at all defensive.
Friday: Took one super for extracting. (Only one) Spinner was wildly unbalanced and on investigation I found I had not uncapped one frame on one side! I was listening to TMS and was distracted by Johnny Bairstow’s 99 not out performance…..

 

[Erichalfbee]

I found I had not uncapped one frame on one side!

Yes. It’s usually the main reason I have to sit on the spinner

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Yes. It’s usually the main reason I have to sit in the spinner

In the spinner!!?

 

[Erichalfbee]

In the spinner!!?

corrected

 

[Newbeeneil]

In the spinner!!?

I think that may cause a slight wobble!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think that may cause a slight wobble!

and bits of tomato skin and carrot in the honey?

 

[Newbeeneil]

and bits of tomato skin and carrot in the honey?

Yeah, and possibly a redecotation of the kitchen walls!

 

[beeboybee]

Turned round my entrance Block to the smallest entrance - about 12mm wide…. In preparation for wasps.
lots of fallen fruit in gardens around here so always have plenty of wasps.
using a Under floor entrance on one hive this year - made a smaller entrance block for this also - every little helps

 

[Nannysbees]

Turned round my entrance Block to the smallest entrance - about 12mm wide…. In preparation for wasps.
lots of fallen fruit in gardens around here so always have plenty of wasps.
using a Under floor entrance on one hive this year - made a smaller entrance block for this also - every little helps

Going to reduce ours today when we have a spare hour

 

[Nannysbees]

Craft Market for us this weekend, my daughter has a little business, along with being a Welsh teacher in secondary, bringing up two children and a million other things on her plate. My retired husband is a Potter, so of we went with our honey and bee goodies in tow!!!! Weather dire but lots of lovely people came to chat about the bees. Flowers picked from my garden