What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Sutty]

That was one of the possible reasons that had occurred to me. Elder is just starting to flower here though, so I'd guess there should be plenty of it within a bee flight. The weather may not have been ideal though.

James

I'm not sure I've ever seen bees on elderflower, though it is popular with flies and wasps at times.

 

[pargyle]

That was one of the possible reasons that had occurred to me. Elder is just starting to flower here though, so I'd guess there should be plenty of it within a bee flight. The weather may not have been ideal though.

James

I don't think Elder is a particularly good nectar source for honey bees ...probably as a last resort they will find it but there are usually more attractive and productive sources of nectar available when the elders in flower. Never see honey bees on the elderflower around my garden - loads of flies of various types and little wasps.

 

[pargyle]

I'm not sure I've ever seen bees on elderflower, though it is popular with flies and wasps at times.

Snap ...beat me to it ...

 

[Erichalfbee]

But it looks as if they're going to be okay.

Phew....Archie!
I bet your heart hit your boots. I'm sure they will be fine. Give them some syrup to cheer them up.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

spun off our spring honey on sunday and returned wet supers to clean up

1/3rd of last years spring harvest!

 

[madasafish]

Well it's raining today/ and 13C.
Q refusing to lay in Nicot cage..gave them a lot more feed and another 24 hours and then give up.
Cannot switch Cloake Board hive around - no point as no bees flying..

And I get certain people telling us Q rearing is easy... not with current weather and temperatures

 

[rolande]

I'm not sure I've ever seen bees on elderflower, though it is popular with flies and wasps at times.

Lots of the foul tasting and smelling stuff around here but I've only ever seen one bee on it and I'm pretty sure she never returned for a second visit.

 

[Nannysbees]

spun off our spring honey on sunday and returned wet supers to clean up

1/3rd of last years spring harvest!

You are lucky to have that, our supers are dry!!

 

[Sutty]

I'm running out of supers!
I moved a double nuc to a hive a week ago and adder a super - the super is now crammed with bees! The other hives have 3 or 4 supers each. I'll have to extract soon or run out of space!

 

[Beth]

Is a bent QC viable? Can't photo with gloves on. It's on the bottom of a super frame (1.5 brood), sort of bent round a little, appears to be made that way. ***** here (me) accidentally squashed the other, straight one.

 

[Sutty]

Is a bent QC viable? Can't photo with gloves on. It's on the bottom of a super frame (1.5 brood), sort of bent round a little, appears to be made that way. ***** here (me) accidentally squashed the other, straight one.

If the bees have made it that way I expect it's fine! After all EQCs are very "bent".

 

[Moobee]

Vile weather today, squally rain and windy. Bees are still flying - the economically short distance from the hives to a big flowering cabbage palm (this is it in better weather - it smells amazing) over the fence next door - all of 30 feet. There's a steady stream of bees back and forth despite the conditions.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Vile weather today, squally rain and windy. Bees are still flying - the economically short distance from the hives to a big flowering cabbage palm (this is it in better weather - it smells amazing) over the fence next door - all of 30 feet. There's a steady stream of bees back and forth despite the conditions.
View attachment 40145

Bless your neighbours.

 

[Wilco]

I had some honey with an elderflower flavour the first summer I had honey but not since.

 

[Moobee]

Bless your neighbours.

We’ve got two palms in our garden as well but this one is closest!

 

[Erichalfbee]

We’ve got two palms in our garden as well but this one is closest!

Palm honey. You have to snaffle a frame at least.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I'm running out of supers!
I moved a double nuc to a hive a week ago and adder a super - the super is now crammed with bees! The other hives have 3 or 4 supers each. I'll have to extract soon or run out of space!

My hives are full of bees but what honey there was is fast being consumed. Most of the supers are now lighter than a week ago. No OSR near me.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Is this bad luck, or a learning experience? Or both?

I bought two queens and set them up in nucs 18 days ago. One was probably out of its cage in a couple of days and the other had to be released after 7 days. The first has now swarmed. Admittedly my checks last week were a bit skimpy in the heavy rain and it didn't occur to me to go through the frames in these nucs to check for queen cells. There wasn't even any capped brood. But if I had looked, I would have seen these two queen cells because the swarm left 4-5 days ago.

I guess the bees I used to make up the nuc were set on swarming.

I was already soaked. There was no point in trying to save time.

 

[Mint Bee]

Well it's raining today/ and 13C.
Q refusing to lay in Nicot cage..gave them a lot more feed and another 24 hours and then give up.
Cannot switch Cloake Board hive around - no point as no bees flying..

And I get certain people telling us Q rearing is easy... not with current weather and temperatures

Mad, I feel your pain, but am reassured that its not just me . grafts success was crap over 2 rounds, and queen like you, has refused to lay up the nicot cage. Gone for a few walk away splits, but for further queen rearing, will wait until weather gets better I think

 

[Anduril]

Mad, I feel your pain, but am reassured that its not just me . grafts success was crap over 2 rounds, and queen like you, has refused to lay up the nicot cage. Gone for a few walk away splits, but for further queen rearing, will wait until weather gets better I think

Just seen a forecast prediction of 50 days of rain for this year, last year was 40 days. C'est la vie!