What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Anduril]

Had help removing supers from one apiary, because I'm out of breath after 2 hours at the apiaries plus I'm not allowed to lift that kind of weight at the moment. Will have to change my routine and phase out Manley frames and use SN1 with castellations, otherwise SN4's.

 

[Moobee]

I've been thinking about this idea that bees get feisty when there may be thunderstorms. It doesn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility that in such weather conditions bees are less inclined to fly, perhaps because they struggle to navigate under heavily overcast skies, but I wonder if the "feistiness" is actually just a consequence of far more foragers being "at home" than might normally be the case?

James

I read somewhere that it’s something to do with the air pressure and their rigid exoskeleton. I can get horrible headaches when the air pressure drops.

 

[Moobee]

Took the last supers off the out apiary. One really big colony and the bees came boiling out and whizzing around as soon as I took the first one off. I thought it was going to be a stingy day but they quickly settled down after a few puffs of smoke.
Interestingly, I’ve removed more supers from my 3 home hives than the 5 in the out apiary.

 

[Antipodes]

I've been thinking about this idea that bees get feisty when there may be thunderstorms. It doesn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility that in such weather conditions bees are less inclined to fly, perhaps because they struggle to navigate under heavily overcast skies, but I wonder if the "feistiness" is actually just a consequence of far more foragers being "at home" than might normally be the case?

James

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02188929

 

[Penninetrader]

I've been thinking about this idea that bees get feisty when there may be thunderstorms. It doesn't seem beyond the bounds of possibility that in such weather conditions bees are less inclined to fly, perhaps because they struggle to navigate under heavily overcast skies, but I wonder if the "feistiness" is actually just a consequence of far more foragers being "at home" than might normally be the case?

James

I have come to realise that bees are excellent barometers. The foragers all at home, they are the tough guys of the colony, so yes I would go with that theory

 

[JamezF]

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02188929

Looks like a potentially interesting link. I'll have to see if my son's university access gets past the paywall.

James

 

[TonyC]

I jarred 75 8oz jars of light yellow runny summer honey this evening. Looks like a summer day in a jar. The flavour has a floral start and a caramel finish.

 

[Cerdic]

A week is enough...they won't uncap though and I won't score capped frames at this time of year. I don't like leaving mine over winter because running 14x12 The brood nest is far from the outermost shallow frames and I lose them to mould; sometimes the whole box.
This year most of the colonies are pretty big and it's been a faff. Lot of bees trying their luck under the OMF when I finished. I think it may be back to trying to get the frames robbed out up top.

Why don’t you score the capped frames now?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why don’t you score the capped frames now?

Because the honey drips down through the OMF and attracts wasps and robbing bees

 

[Niv]

Removed all supers and extracted over the weekend.

Found that I have three brood boxes full of honey (had used them to demaree and didn't remove them (doh!) - my extractor cant take brood frames... any ideas what to do with it? I thought swap out with any empty in the active BB's and maybe freeze the rest until spring??

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Removed all supers and extracted over the weekend.

Found that I have three brood boxes full of honey (had used them to demaree and didn't remove them (doh!) - my extractor cant take brood frames... any ideas what to do with it? I thought swap out with any empty in the active BB's and maybe freeze the rest until spring??

no need to freeze them - just store them in a brood box cinched up between two boards same as wet supers, or in a spare closed up nuc. I've had some frames stored in a nuc for two years (tucked, forgotten in a quiet corner), these had absorbed some water and maybe started to ferment, but they wre fine for emergency feeding and setting up nucs.

 

[Niv]

no need to freeze them - just store them in a brood box cinched up between two boards same as wet supers, or in a spare closed up nuc. I've had some frames stored in a nuc for two years (tucked, forgotten in a quiet corner), these had absorbed some water and maybe started to ferment, but they wre fine for emergency feeding and setting up nucs.

Fantastic advise. Wasn't sure how they would fare but if its good enough for you its good enough for me - thank you.

 

[Peter Murless]

I jarred 75 8oz jars of light yellow runny summer honey this evening. Looks like a summer day in a jar. The flavour has a floral start and a caramel finish.

 

[Peter Murless]

What plants did the bees collect the nectar from?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Balsam?

 

[Peter Murless]

Why don’t you score the capped frames now?

What's an OMF?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What's an OMF?

A mesh floor

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Open Mesh Floor

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why don’t you score the capped frames now?

And you have to remember that nadired supers are not as well defended as a brood box stuffed with bees.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Checked 5 of 6 hives.
Nuc would be vulnerably weak with queen that's only been laying for 5 days if there were more wasps about.
Supercedure may or may not have happened, no old queen, no eggs yet.
Others don't have much area to lay with honey in brood box. Seem to be coasting already. ?