What did you do in the Apiary today?

[ericbeaumont]

Are you sure it’s supercedure?

No, it's supersedure.

 

[ericbeaumont]

might not take too long

Had a similar job one year in Epping; after the box had been up for six weeks they showed no sign of reducing, so I took up the floorboards and cut it out from the bedroom. The wood framing (decorative) was ancient and I had to block up multiple entrances; a few were metres away from the main entrance.

Visually satisfying combination of materials in that building, Neil.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Had a similar job one year in Epping; after the box had been up for six weeks they showed no sign of reducing, so I took up the floorboards and cut it out from the bedroom. The wood framing (decorative) was ancient and I had to block up multiple entrances; a few were metres away from the main entrance.

Visually satisfying combination of materials in that building, Neil.

The reason I was called in was because when the bees swarmed the exit was too small so they went into the en-suite bathroom via some pipe work. That option has now been closed down so their only exit SHOULD be via the cone!
Whether that is the case is yet to be seen but they certainly can’t gain access via the bathroom as the windows are being kept firmly closed.

 

[Beth]

Struggling here, 7C last night. Today's the first day without rain and wind since I can remember. Weeks. We're wearing 2 layers and fleeces most days. Splitting firewood again. I refuse to dig out the hats and gloves.

Hive 1 is still going strong as they got an early start mid May when we had a few days of heat and built up stores and numbers. The other two are limping along. I had put honey supers on in hopes of good weather when the lime blooms next week. I'm going to take them off tomorrow and put feeders on. They both still have odd patches of capped stores but not enough and there's nothing significant coming in. Anything with nectar is choked with rain.
The nucs are sucking up syrup as fast as I give it to them and using it, they're certainly not honey bound. I put half of a pollen patty on each today.
It's desperate.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

". . . . not worth a fly." Apparently.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Set up my latest trap out. The bees are behind the triangular section and emerging on the junction between the chimney and the wall. I didn’t want to fix the box to the wall as I couldn’t inspect it. So it’s hung from a length of angle screwed to the rafters on a rope via pulleys so if can be lowered to inspect.
Box with a mesh cone screwed to the chimney to work as a one way valve. View attachment 40565

Photo could be subject of an essay for an architectural historian.

 

[BugsInABox]

Set up my latest trap out. The bees are behind the triangular section and emerging on the junction between the chimney and the wall. I didn’t want to fix the box to the wall as I couldn’t inspect it. So it’s hung from a length of angle screwed to the rafters on a rope via pulleys so if can be lowered to inspect.
Box with a mesh cone screwed to the chimney to work as a one way valve. View attachment 40565

What happens to the gubbins - wax etc left behind? Does it matter? Just curious.

 

[Newbeeneil]

What happens to the gubbins - wax etc left behind? Does it matter? Just curious.

In theory the queen will keep laying until she runs out of food so at least there won’t be honey in the nest. Once the bees are out we will seal the entrance and the wax will be entombed.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Photo could be subject of an essay for an architectural historian.

The house used to belong to architect Antony Salvin as his residence.
Hence my reluctance to screw a box directly on to the facade.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthony_Salvin

 

[Garry R]

". . . . not worth a fly." Apparently.

View attachment 40572

At the price of bees it's a good investment for next year to get the colony well established now with plenty of stores and well founded in winter bees. It's also fun

 

[Erichalfbee]

At the price of bees it's a good investment for next year to get the colony well established now with plenty of stores and well founded in winter bees. It's also fun

Not worth a fly means they won’t give you honey that year.
I have a cast that landed in an 8 frame Paynes 14x12 bait hive. The queen has got mated and so far they haven’t needed any help. They will be happy enough in that box for the winter but should take off next year.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We're wearing 2 layers and fleeces most days.

looks like summer has finally arrived in the Highlands

 

[BugsInABox]

In theory the queen will keep laying until she runs out of food so at least there won’t be honey in the nest. Once the bees are out we will seal the entrance and the wax will be entombed.

Ah, are they in the cavity not the chimney.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

At the price of bees it's a good investment for next year to get the colony well established now with plenty of stores and well founded in winter bees. It's also fun

I will hopefully have enough colonies from the splits I've made and plan to make plus the swarm that has already arrived in one of my bait boxes. By the look of the weather I'd have to feed this lot to get them to draw out a brood box for winter so I'm happy to let them go.

Put the message out to assoc. beginners, local swarm collectors and friends and have got a couple of people interested. But noone was falling over themselves to take them.
Have to go out in the rain now, shut them in and move them to a stand.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Ah, are they in the cavity not the chimney.

Yes my FLIR 1 says they are in the triangular section behind the box.

 

[JamezF]

It's been raining here this afternoon. First proper rain we've had for ages (which doesn't mean it's been sunny, either). To my surprise bees were still flying in reasonable numbers despite the rain.

James

 

[Newbeeneil]

It's been raining here this afternoon. First proper rain we've had for ages (which doesn't mean it's been sunny, either). To my surprise bees were still flying in reasonable numbers despite the rain.

James

I put some supers on in the rain today, the bees were really pissy and I can only assume it’s because they were all at home!!

 

[pargyle]

I put some supers on in the rain today, the bees were really pissy and I can only assume it’s because they were all at home!!

Chucking it down over here tonight ...the gardens need it .. hopefully a bit of moisture in the ground will push the nectar levels up - things were looking very dry over the last couple of days but there's plenty in bloom. Lavender looking very strong and bees all over it - same with the loostrife round the pond - or at least they were until the rain started !

 

[The Poot]

Rain in the forecast here, each day through to Thursday next week. The Met office bods clearly don’t understand that I’ve a queen needing to go on mating flights. It’s just not good enough!

 

[Erichalfbee]

I put some supers on in the rain today, the bees were really pissy and I can only assume it’s because they were all at home!!

A lot of my inspections have been when the bees were al at home this year. Shaking frames to remove queen cells is a challenge