What did you do in the Apiary today?

[alancooper]

I recorded Hazel pollen loads on the landing board today. The first occasion here. Usually the weather is too wet, cold or windy for it to happen. Maybe climate change kicking in. Warmest Feb day at 13C. Unseasonably large numbers of bees in hives also.

 

[Nik Edser]

Checked my hives today 1 has not made it through the winter which is gutting but the other hive is very strong with lots of pollen coming in today. This hive has a super on it which had honey in it which I’m guessing is now empty.. a bit of advice is now needed, do I remove the super as the hive seems pretty active now so don’t really want the queen to start laying in it or just leave it all alone? Hive feels pretty heavy still and they have fondant which they have been tucking in to for a few weeks now.
Don’t want to mess around with them too much as although it’s 13 degrees here there is a chilly wind.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would leave them alone. No problem with rge queen laying up there. Just make sure she is down in the brood box and put a QX in when you do look in properly.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the honey in the super will be the last to be consumed - and is probably where you'll find the queen

 

[Nik Edser]

I would leave them alone. No problem with rge queen laying up there. Just make sure she is down in the brood box and put a QX in when you do look in properly.

Thankyou.. that was my feeling. Roll on spring!

 

[Nik Edser]

the honey in the super will be the last to be consumed - and is probably where you'll find the queen

Thankyou for coming back to me

 

[Sutty]

If they have been taking the fondant they are probably already brooding in the super. I wouldn't worry about it, though I do find brooded areas more awkward to uncap. Once it's "proper inspection weather" put the Q downstairs and put in a QE. You can shake all the bees into the brood box if needed.
Are there stores in the failed hive?

 

[Nik Edser]

If they have been taking the fondant they are probably already brooding in the super. I wouldn't worry about it, though I do find brooded areas more awkward to uncap. Once it's "proper inspection weather" put the Q downstairs and put in a QE. You can shake all the bees into the brood box if needed.
Are there stores in the failed hive?

Thanks for this.. no the failed hive has none left so I suspect they ran out of stores. They were a massive colony and had plenty of honey going in to winter. Didn’t touch the fondant at all.

 

[StephenT]

Weighed the two garden hives and checked the fondant level on the three at the allotment and all well. The strongest hive chucked out a shed load of dead bees when the cold spell finished a couple off weeks back and has continued to throw out a lot more than the others. Plenty of bees looking through the crownboard and busy at the entrance. Hopefully they just have loads more to chuck out because they are a bigger hive.

 

[Dutchman]

12 degrees here so I used the opportunity to put 2 oxalic sponges (Randy Oliver's recipe) on every hive. We had such a mild winter that there was no broodless period over the shortest day to do an oxalic acid dribble. So hopefully the sponges will gradually do the trick. All 13 hives strong and active, only one was a little bit light so put on some fondant as well, the others all have plenty of ivy left.

 

[madasafish]

I think I'd prefer -20C to +45C!!!

I most certainly would not..
In +45C all you need to survive is a little shade and some liquid. (amber preferably)
In -20C, you need warm clothes, heating, food, and shelter. And luck in being found quickly.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Added a few lumps of fondant to a couple of light nucs today and while removing the container some bees took exception and I received a few stings on my fingers. What was interesting was where as I normally have very little reaction I was itching for the best part of an hour.
Maybe it’s because i’ve not been stung for a few months?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Taking photos
Photo 3 : ) I live somewhere in the photo

 

[Angularity]

Added a few lumps of fondant to a couple of light nucs today and while removing the container some bees took exception and I received a few stings on my fingers. What was interesting was where as I normally have very little reaction I was itching for the best part of an hour.
Maybe it’s because i’ve not been stung for a few months?

We did a similar thing; my inspection partner was stung on the thigh ("I don't need to put my whole suit on, they'll be fine") and it swelled up pretty badly.

My Buckfast colony still has drones going in and out.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Diagnosing a few colony’s this one (6 frame)was a late supersedure one queen cell chewed open,no brood lots of stores and not to many bees left I can’t see any varroa on the dead bees or poop in the cells some bee poop on the top frames but not lots.
Mother and daughter sadly perished together is that a third queen in the photo?

 

[JohnRB]

Added a few lumps of fondant to a couple of light nucs today and while removing the container some bees took exception and I received a few stings on my fingers. What was interesting was where as I normally have very little reaction I was itching for the best part of an hour.
Maybe it’s because i’ve not been stung for a few months?

I always find the first sting of the season the worst. Better after that. (Although I also try my best to 'feel' the bees and not get stung at all)

 

[Dutchman]

I always find the first sting of the season the worst. Better after that. (Although I also try my best to 'feel' the bees and not get stung at all)

I have the opposite , first sting ok but if I get a few over time my reaction gets worse and worse so now I always dres up well.

 

[Nannysbees]

Taking photos View attachment 38874View attachment 38875View attachment 38876
Photo 3 : ) I live somewhere in the photo

Wow

 

[The Poot]

Taking photos View attachment 38874View attachment 38875View attachment 38876
Photo 3 : ) I live somewhere in the photo

I don’t think that nuc in picture two will go anywhere any time soon!
Stunning scene, Curly.

 

[The Poot]

Checked my lot today, warmish but blowing a three quarter hooley.
All alive and kicking and consuming a lot of fondant. On tipping the bees out of an empty fondant tub, one bee became more than a little adventurous, trying to crawl up from my trouser front, to get up inside my jacket. My blood pressure rose a little until I had extricated her!