What did you do in the Apiary today?

[pargyle]

Landowner messaged me to ask if I'd like to help save a tree dwelling colony on his friend's farm that were left exposed after an Ash had been felled due to die back. While cutting the trunk into logs, the tree surgeon had cut the nest in half. Bill was rightly annoyed that the bees had been overlooked as there was a fairly large hole being used as an entrance and there must have been a lot of bee traffic yesterday as the weather was gorgeous. They were a nice, calm colony and are now tucked up in a nuc with a feed on top. Only one comb of brood which we secured in a frame and we made up the rest with spare frames containing a decent amount of stores.
Nice laid back, dark queen strolling over the comb, I marked her and let her toddle down a seam before closing up.

Amazing what they can put up with ! Good job Steve..

 

[Moobee]

Checked on the nuc that had a sealed QC four weeks ago and a new queen is wandering around and laid up a couple of frames of brood so looking ok.
One of the mini mating nucs has also produced a nice dark queen - eggs but no brood & a lack of space as the nuc is rammed with bees. Moved them to a BS 6 frame nuc with 3 frames (stuffed the other half with wool) & managed to cut out the eggs & stores and put them in a frame with elastic bands and added some drawn comb with a block of fondant on top. They’re fairly small & the wasps are still about so reluctant to give them syrup.

 

[Penninetrader]

Checked on the nuc that had a sealed QC four weeks ago and a new queen is wandering around and laid up a couple of frames of brood so looking ok.
One of the mini mating nucs has also produced a nice dark queen - eggs but no brood & a lack of space as the nuc is rammed with bees. Moved them to a BS 6 frame nuc with 3 frames (stuffed the other half with wool) & managed to cut out the eggs & stores and put them in a frame with elastic bands and added some drawn comb with a block of fondant on top. They’re fairly small & the wasps are still about so reluctant to give them syrup.View attachment 41376

That is a lovely looking Queen

 

[Moobee]

That is a lovely looking Queen

Can’t beat a local queen IMHO. Just hope she was mated properly so late in the season, although I still have drones in several hives so fingers crossed.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Checked on the nuc that had a sealed QC four weeks ago and a new queen is wandering around and laid up a couple of frames of brood so looking ok.
One of the mini mating nucs has also produced a nice dark queen - eggs but no brood & a lack of space as the nuc is rammed with bees. Moved them to a BS 6 frame nuc with 3 frames (stuffed the other half with wool) & managed to cut out the eggs & stores and put them in a frame with elastic bands and added some drawn comb with a block of fondant on top. They’re fairly small & the wasps are still about so reluctant to give them syrup.View attachment 41376

Nice queen, I’ve still got drones in colonies- I’ve had some late supersedures which look like they have mated ok but it’s a 50/50 chance I’d be interested to know how she starts next season keep us informed

 

[The Poot]

Checked on the nuc that had a sealed QC four weeks ago and a new queen is wandering around and laid up a couple of frames of brood so looking ok.
One of the mini mating nucs has also produced a nice dark queen - eggs but no brood & a lack of space as the nuc is rammed with bees. Moved them to a BS 6 frame nuc with 3 frames (stuffed the other half with wool) & managed to cut out the eggs & stores and put them in a frame with elastic bands and added some drawn comb with a block of fondant on top. They’re fairly small & the wasps are still about so reluctant to give them syrup.View attachment 41376

Nice queen - clearly a Coldplay fan……?

 

[The Poot]

Nice queen, I’ve still got drones in colonies- I’ve had some late supersedures which look like they have mated ok but it’s a 50/50 chance I’d be interested to know how she starts next season keep us informed

It’s odd how different things can be. I’ve not seen any drones since early September.

 

[pargyle]

It’s odd how different things can be. I’ve not seen any drones since early September.

Yes ... they were being kicked out of my colonies in that cold snap second week of September .. I can't decide whether it's weather or lack of forage that prompts them to dump the drones .. probably a bit of both.

 

[Mint Bee]

Checked on the nuc that had a sealed QC four weeks ago and a new queen is wandering around and laid up a couple of frames of brood so looking ok.
One of the mini mating nucs has also produced a nice dark queen - eggs but no brood & a lack of space as the nuc is rammed with bees. Moved them to a BS 6 frame nuc with 3 frames (stuffed the other half with wool) & managed to cut out the eggs & stores and put them in a frame with elastic bands and added some drawn comb with a block of fondant on top. They’re fairly small & the wasps are still about so reluctant to give them syrup.View attachment 41376

I have used wool but kept finding a significant number of dead bees entangled in it, even when bagged up - they kept eating away at the bags. Tend to use Kingspan off cuts to make dummy frames now instead. just have to tape up edges so they don't burrow into them instead

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes ... they were being kicked out of my colonies in that cold snap second week of September .. I can't decide whether it's weather or lack of forage that prompts them to dump the drones .. probably a bit of both.

I will admit the colony’s which have drones have lots of stores and are good sized colony’s - I would say it’s more to do with resources
There was drone brood in colony’s in September only small amounts, I was speaking to @mbc yesterday and he also was saying colony’s are looking good this autumn

 

[pargyle]

I will admit the colony’s which have drones have lots of stores and are good sized colony’s - I would say it’s more to do with resources

I hadn't taken my all honey off at that stage so there were lots of stores .. more likely to be the availabiity of forage than stores.

 

[Curly green finger's]

I hadn't taken my all honey off at that stage so there were lots of stores .. more likely to be the availabiity of forage than stores.

Probably more variables than that even
Colony strength, queen age just to name a few

 

[pargyle]

Probably more variables than that even
Colony strength, queen age just to name a few

Just curious ... why would queen age have anything to do with influencing the Drone Eviction Committee ?

I would think the bigger the colony the more chance of drones being evicted .. more mouths to feed and more workers to assist with the evictionn orders ..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

up early this morning - Last night,forecast didn't look too promising for the day, especially the afternoon and I had my large Sunday apiary to feed and vape.
Timed it just right, when I went up to let the chickens out it was a steady, miserable heavy drizzle, although the bees at the home apiary were ignoring it totally and there was a heavy traffic of foragers hammering the ivy, by the time I'd breakfasted and my brain had booted up it had dried up (with even the occasional glimpse of blue sky) and although dull, it was not cold at the range for me to unload all the syrup for that apiary, top up the feeders and crank up the varrox. Midday arrived and I had just packed up and caught the end of the archers as I drove home - and the rain arrived with a vengeance, it's been pissistently ever since

 

[The Poot]

up early this morning - Last night,forecast didn't look too promising for the day, especially the afternoon and I had my large Sunday apiary to feed and vape.
Timed it just right, when I went up to let the chickens out it was a steady, miserable heavy drizzle, although the bees at the home apiary were ignoring it totally and there was a heavy traffic of foragers hammering the ivy, by the time I'd breakfasted and my brain had booted up it had dried up (with even the occasional glimpse of blue sky) and although dull, it was not cold at the range for me to unload all the syrup for that apiary, top up the feeders and crank up the varrox. Midday arrived and I had just packed up and caught the end of the archers as I drove home - and the rain arrived with a vengeance, it's been pissistently ever since

You timed it right for the Archers too then….

 

[Penninetrader]

Can’t beat a local queen IMHO. Just hope she was mated properly so late in the season, although I still have drones in several hives so fingers crossed.

You are right I believe. I bought in 3 queens this last 6 weeks, none have worked out. I want to introduce new genes but mixed with local drones so I think Virginin queens will be my route next year. I have a bit of a theory.

 

[Penninetrader]

I have used wool but kept finding a significant number of dead bees entangled in it, even when bagged up - they kept eating away at the bags. Tend to use Kingspan off cuts to make dummy frames now instead. just have to tape up edges so they don't burrow into them instead

The foil backed foam and taped edges, I do the same. I make mine a good fit which enables me to expand or shrink the box by sliding across

 

[Moobee]

I have used wool but kept finding a significant number of dead bees entangled in it, even when bagged up - they kept eating away at the bags. Tend to use Kingspan off cuts to make dummy frames now instead. just have to tape up edges so they don't burrow into them instead

I’ve taped half a sheet of acetate over that side so they can’t fall in hopefully!

 

[Moobee]

You are right I believe. I bought in 3 queens this last 6 weeks, none have worked out. I want to introduce new genes but mixed with local drones so I think Virginin queens will be my route next year. I have a bit of a theory.

Interesting as I bought in 3 queens earlier in the season and I can’t say i am over impressed with them. My homies are much gentler and calmer and just as productive.

 

[Moobee]

Hive 7 chucking the last of the drones out...
View attachment IMG_9842.mov