What did you do in the Apiary today?

[The Poot]

I have 2 nucs which are in fact parking nucs with the queens laying well. They are both five frames and in about 10 days they will both be rammes with bees and brood. They are side by side. Is there anything to stop me using one of the queens to re-queen another hive and uniting the two nucs using airf reshener into a brood box. I guess there won't be problems with orientation as they will use the same common entrance of the united colony. Just concerned about fighting but will air freshenes overcome the differences in smell. Stupid question but feel I have to ask.

I would think that is absolutely fine.

 

[pargyle]

I have 2 nucs which are in fact parking nucs with the queens laying well. They are both five frames and in about 10 days they will both be rammes with bees and brood. They are side by side. Is there anything to stop me using one of the queens to re-queen another hive and uniting the two nucs using airf reshener into a brood box. I guess there won't be problems with orientation as they will use the same common entrance of the united colony. Just concerned about fighting but will air freshenes overcome the differences in smell. Stupid question but feel I have to ask.

Yes ....I've used Air freshener with success when uniting colonies. Don't go overboard with it you just need to waft it over the box after you have put rhe first lot of frames in...try and keep the frames with brood on them altogether in the middle. Don't spray it directly on to the bees... if you have a frame with empty cells you could also give that a good spray with syrup .. that will keep them occupied and forget they are not sisters.

 

[steve1958]

Took 2 supers of honey off today.
Lots of nectar coming in.

 

[Jengles]

Had a load of nonsense from the bees today which has left me feeling like a total beginner! I checked for QCs very carefully last weekend in one hive that was a nuc a few weeks ago. Found none, but went yesterday to find stubby little sealed ones on the face of the frame! What good is a weekly inspection if they can make QCs from older larvae and cap them in 3 days?

I tried an artificial swarm with a nuc and super, as the only spare boxes I had were unpainted. Turns out that was much too small as this morning I came out to roaring as they tried to swarm. Found the clipped queen a foot in front of the hive and the bees on a nearby tree... They're now all in the unpainted hive!

At the other apiary one queen has suddenly gone downhill after a great start and looks like she's getting superseded. Hardly any eggs, three frames of solid drone brood, and cells in the middle of the frames. Could putting them on double brood too early cause that or could it be poor mating? Or just getting ready to swarm?

The old queen and some nurse bees and brood went in a nuc with grass blocking the entrance and I left one qc in the original hive.

Finally, the swarm I caught last year either swarmed on unsealed QCs or I accidentally killed the queen last inspection. Dozens of QCs all over the place, no eggs, and very pissy bees. Squashed all but one QC and will leave them too it, but it's so disheartening that only half my hives are queenright because of my mistakes

 

[Erichalfbee]

Don't you just hate bees that do this?

View attachment IMG_0914.mov

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My Neurologist has told me to occasionally push myself to the limit just to see how much less I can do now compared to a few years ago
This morning, before going to the range apiary, I set off after breakfast met up with Jeff33 for a chat and a bit of trading, then off to the apiary, fifteen inspections, unloaded a stack of supers for future use then strimmed around the hives, I was knackered but still needed to check the castle bees - but feeling peckish I went home for a snack and a cup of tea then off again to the castle, I also needed to change the floors there as they need a tidy up and a lick of paint. The bees are really going great guns there in the sun and with newly opened hawthorn. All hives have filled the supers put on last week to the brim. the area in front of the hives seriously needed a strim before the hives disappeared so a quick half hour with the strimmer and also trashed away some of the brambles creeping down the bank behind the hives. all finished by 1830 although by this time I struggled to walk the ten yards back to the truck.
Still had to go home and sort out the chickens and plant out the greenhouse.
Not doing all that in one day again I can guarantee you.

 

[JamezF]

Went to an apiary this afternoon to put some clearer boards on hives. Normally I have to drive through a small pasture to get to the hives, but today it was full of sheep and I couldn't open the gate and get the car through without risking escapees. I had to carry stuff about 100 yards from outside the gate to the hives instead. This will not do. Especially tomorrow when I have to take off a load of full supers. I've asked the landowner if we can re-site the hives somewhere with easier access, but perhaps I've not been sufficiently forceful to focus his mind. Next time I see him, I certainly will be.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh the joys of playing 'chicken' with a gate and a field full of animals. today I had to got through a gate to drive up to the apiary - and run the gauntlet of a dozen sheep and a small herd of longhorn cattle, complete with bull! Although I prefer that to when they put a half dozen hunters in there to graze for a while.

 

[Antipodes]

Don't you just hate bees that do this?

View attachment 40010

Looks strong and sooooo much capped brood on that frame.

 

[Antipodes]

My Neurologist has told me to occasionally push myself to the limit just to see how much less I can do now compared to a few years ago
This morning, before going to the range apiary, I set off after breakfast met up with Jeff33 for a chat and a bit of trading, then off to the apiary, fifteen inspections, unloaded a stack of supers for future use then strimmed around the hives, I was knackered but still needed to check the castle bees - but feeling peckish I went home for a snack and a cup of tea then off again to the castle, I also needed to change the floors there as they need a tidy up and a lick of paint. The bees are really going great guns there in the sun and with newly opened hawthorn. All hives have filled the supers put on last week to the brim. the area in front of the hives seriously needed a strim before the hives disappeared so a quick half hour with the strimmer and also trashed away some of the brambles creeping down the bank behind the hives. all finished by 1830 although by this time I struggled to walk the ten yards back to the truck.
Still had to go home and sort out the chickens and plant out the greenhouse.
Not doing all that in one day again I can guarantee you.

Sounds brilliant! Not the work, but the busy scene you have painted.

 

[Antipodes]

Went to an apiary this afternoon to put some clearer boards on hives. Normally I have to drive through a small pasture to get to the hives, but today it was full of sheep and I couldn't open the gate and get the car through without risking escapees. I had to carry stuff about 100 yards from outside the gate to the hives instead. This will not do. Especially tomorrow when I have to take off a load of full supers. I've asked the landowner if we can re-site the hives somewhere with easier access, but perhaps I've not been sufficiently forceful to focus his mind. Next time I see him, I certainly will be.

James

Good for your fitness though. You get a fair sweat up in a bee suit too...

 

[Erichalfbee]

Looks strong and sooooo much capped brood on that frame.

This colony covers my hands when I open it. They don't sting but it's very disconcerting. I shall wait for Finman to tell me to requeen

 

[Anduril]

Went to an apiary this afternoon to put some clearer boards on hives. Normally I have to drive through a small pasture to get to the hives, but today it was full of sheep and I couldn't open the gate and get the car through without risking escapees. I had to carry stuff about 100 yards from outside the gate to the hives instead. This will not do. Especially tomorrow when I have to take off a load of full supers. I've asked the landowner if we can re-site the hives somewhere with easier access, but perhaps I've not been sufficiently forceful to focus his mind. Next time I see him, I certainly will be.

James

Open the gate and swing your arms, then when in the car, beep your horn as you enter the field. Oh the joys of rounding up stray sheep and going into fields and also being followed by a herd of cows on Dartmoor in my youth. Otherwise carry a klaxon in your apiary kit.

 

[Ely]

I checked an artificial swarm that I did two weeks ago to make sure she was laying and to my suprise, they filled up a super!

 

[philipm]

Did my first split of the year yesterday.The bees are filling up all the supers but nothing much capped. I've ordered some more foundation as per normal didn't prepare over winter.

 

[Antipodes]

This colony covers my hands when I open it. They don't sting but it's very disconcerting. I shall wait for Finman to tell me to requeen

Buckfasts?

 

[pargyle]

This colony covers my hands when I open it. They don't sting but it's very disconcerting. I shall wait for Finman to tell me to requeen

A few drops of Olbas Oil on your gloves will sort that out ...

 

[JamezF]

A few drops of Olbas Oil on your gloves will sort that out ...

Perhaps I should spray some on my veil when I'm working the more "lively" colonies

James

 

[Moobee]

Perhaps I should spray some on my veil when I'm working the more "lively" colonies

James

Might make your eyes sting a bit!

 

[Moobee]

Added a fourth super to two hives yesterday and put by grafting frame into the hive that's going to raise them (she added hopefully). Collected another cast swarm this morning at the local marina and that's gone off to one of the beginners. It must have been there since last night as I got the call at 8.25 this morning. Grafted the larvae from my favourite bees (lovely temperament but so productive) - forgotten how hard it was and had to cut down some cells to get the larva out without damaging them as the wax was so soft. Fingers crossed some take.