What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Paulypaul]

Here in the Pennines, 20 miles north of Manchester, we had a generally bright warm and sunny day, my girls took full advantage. One colony bringing in lots of pollen and the rest a combination but all flying. Even though they have stores I am feeding 1-1 but at moderate levels. I make regular visits to keep an eye on their health. This has after all been a very strange year.

The few bees I've seen flying were also bringing in pollen.
I left 20kg in all my Colonies after honey harvesting, most of that is already gone. A couple of very light hives had to have big slabs of fondant put on them. Will check how much they've taken down, on Sunday.

 

[rolande]

So rewind to 2021 season, from 22 nucs 4 were selected out of 22 that through out the season showed low mite counts and really good hygienic behaviour.
Since then I’ve split the four colony’s using them to donate brood frames to make nucs headed by new season queens from either one of the four 2021 colony’s

I'd suggest that the splitting will have helped control mite levels, maybe making nucs from your other colonies and introducing your chosen queens to them would be a better all round measure.

I'm surprised that all four lines have remained good but it is still early days.

 

[Wilfredbuck]

I did an inspection today and all seems to be in order although I think they are light on stores (maybe down to robbing) - I will continue to feed them syrup at the moment. Saw the Queen and they were all quite chilled

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Up to the castle - repairs needed to the gate to the apiary - gatepost at the latch end totally rotted out at the base, and the only thing holding it together was the fact it was secured to the gate!! Bernard (the owner) had done a quick replacement as I have been without wheels for a few days but hadn't hung around too long to fully secure the rails etc, all done now, bees given another feed and a sniff of oxalic. On the way over, a large (6" diameter) rotten branch off an oak tree had snapped off in the last wind and landed across the narrow lane by me that I use as a shortcut to get to the mountain road, so on the way back it was chucked in the back of the truck and is now in the greenhouse drying out, that's next season's smoker fuel almost sorted!