What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Antipodes]

There not quite all heather honey there is ivy and fondant mixed in I should of been clearer some are only 9 frames reduced .
The colony’s I’ve left supers I’ve removed second supers of heather from they need the supers.

£20 a lb for pure heather honey
To date my colony’s have been ok wintering with heather mixed stores.

Looking good there.

 

[Erichalfbee]

£20 a lb for pure heather honey

struth!
Heather honey is going in the shops here for £7.50 a lb.
I would whizz down here if I were you, snap them all up and re label them.

 

[Erichalfbee]

how much is a super of heather honey

£600

 

[Curly green finger's]

struth!
Heather honey is going in the shops here for £7.50 a lb.
I would whizz down here if I were you, snap them all up and

…

 

[Erichalfbee]

No it’s welsh mountain honey. Northumberland honey retail theirs for £124 for 12kg

 

[rolande]

£600

Based on curleys £20 p/lb I assume (rather than your local £7.50 retail) so approx 30lb per super?

 

[rolande]

There not quite all heather honey there is ivy and fondant mixed in

Fair enough -although I'd have removed any honey in a super before adding feed, experience has taught me to take the wins when they come.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Based on curleys £20 p/lb I assume (rather than your local £7.50 retail) so approx 30lb per super?

optimistically, yes
My supers come in less quite often. Sometimes more
Cut into comb I can get £300 for a super, selling whole frames quite a bit more...though I don'r sell many
If Curly has all his hygiene certificates and inspections etc etc then he could approach the local posh hotels and he could get £20 per lb without extracting his honey

 

[philipm]

Checked my hives yesterday never known a year when the hives are so full of bees , Still taking down invert and bringing in ivy pollen.First sign of one or two wasps around the hives this year but they seem to be very small.

 

[Bluetractorman]

Volucella zonaria. The Hornet Mimic Hoverfly.

there's a really excellent film of it here... Volucella zonaria - Wikipedia

 

[Erichalfbee]

there's a really excellent film of it here... Volucella zonaria - Wikipedia

Lovely isn’t it. I didn’t know it buzz pollinated like bumblebees. Thanks for the link.

 

[Swarm]

Lots of activity today, wagon wheels of Ivy pollen and some darker stuff. My six frame nucs are heaving

 

[Goran]

This morning temp was 18C.. Little to say crazy, it is completely nuts.. A lot of green, like it is just start of autumn.. Some fruit trees flower, some grow new leaves, still aphids on the trees.. Weirdo.. Bees active but calm..
One colony I had fail with added qcell and LW started, and after giving 1+1 open brood frame, I added Q in cage ( it was Q which was for replacing anyway) but didn't smoke much, after some 2-3 days I came and they release the Q but chase her unfriendly.. Knowingly that she will be KO, I came when had more time in few days and after confirming they are Qless I took both boxes and flip aside and smoke them SOOO bad that in a moment I thought they forgot they are even bees.. later I returned the configuration and put promising Q in a cage.. Later other jobs with date to be done yesterday pushed me from checking how it has gone.. Today since I accidentaly grabbed some time for bees I peeped, q is in and on 3 frames palm size brood ( on one started to seal wb). As I become older i think I am meaner and making some own shortcuts, for now got results..
But hey, since they are replacing our real honey with mumbo jumbo in shops and pressing us to sell our honey for the price of that mumbo jumbo.. who cares if lose colony or two..
So far I am not letting them to force me to sell honey for misery, somehow looked surprised how I dare to decline.. Well, it seems after polite period, will come period when they all will have to consult with my new sale manager Biggus Dickus and to nicely bugger off..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Biggus Dickus and to nicely bugger off..

Yep. Seems so.
Hang on in there @Goran the only way is up….. I hope

 

[StephenT]

Had a good Thursday and Friday at the Honey show and then took feeders and Apivar off 4 hives and so all 6 hives are now hopefully set to get through winter. Only 4 and a bit months before the cherry/plum trees on the streets start to blossom and it all kicks off again.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nothing at the apiary : bee farmer's meeting with a special guest speaker - some cove called Michael Palmer.
Was lucky to be sat next to each other during lunch so had a nice long chat and, as we were all staying at the same hotel, a pleasant evening eating pudding, drinking Guinness, talking bees (Wales, USA and Africa) both Mellifera and Mellipona and generally chatting with the Palmers and the Walrus

 

[Erichalfbee]

@Michael Palmer
I’m surprised they are letting you go…back home.

 

[rolande]

@Michael Palmer
I’m surprised they are letting you go…back home.

I'm surprised he'd want to go after seeing the Forest of Dean.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I'm surprised he'd want to go after seeing the Forest of Dean.

No bears

 

[rolande]

No bears

Can't have visited Ruardean then!!