What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Parsonage Bees]

Last inspection. Variable, only one BIAS and a couple just capped brood. Found 2 queens.
Removed ApiGuard #2. Wish them well.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

At my other apiary today. As expected, most of the colonies have only some sealed brood so I'll be doing the 'Christmas' vape at the end of this month. I think I keep on the safe side with feeding - not more than four or five L/ kg of syrup/fondant at a time. Even so, two hives had filled their brood boxes with stores. I take it they have plans to use the nadired shallow for brood!

I was keen to see what effect the general shut down on brood rearing would have on a couple of colonies that had nine frames of brood 3-4 weeks ago. Answer: none. No effect, that is. They are still full of brood and that includes as much open brood as sealed. I guess they are what is known as (hyper)prolific queens. I believe that is a death sentence in some beekeeping circles. Of course, they have little room for stores but I'm not going to feed them any more for now.

 

[Antipodes]

What I found was that all 25 have no eggs or larvae

By the time the queen starts laying again they will be well and truly devoid of nurse bees, and then further time until new "nurse" bees emerge. I guess it goes to show the plasticity of older bees to resume nursing duties.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

By the time the queen starts laying again they will be well and truly devoid of nurse bees, and then further time until new "nurse" bees emerge. I guess it goes to show the plasticity of older bees to resume nursing duties.

I don't know much about this but if these large populations (most of these colonies are still packed with bees) include winter bees, might it be that their extended youth means that they retain the attributes and roles of young bees?

 

[Antipodes]

I don't know much about this but if these large populations (most of these colonies are still packed with bees) include winter bees, might it be that their extended youth means that they retain the attributes and roles of young bees?

Could be. I reckon bees of any age can probably revert to raising brood, perhaps not as well as in their youth though. I noticed huge gaps in brood in some colonies in the drought down here earlier in the year....but not in every colony of course!

 

[Erichalfbee]

might it be that their extended youth means that they retain the attributes and roles of young bees?

Indeed. Their fat bodies are full and they have no brood to rear save the little that's laid over winter They are the ones that kick start the colony in spring.

 

[Nannysbees]

Out in droves this morning, sun shinning, rain expected this afternoon unfortunately

 

[Penninetrader]

Sunny here, all flying and some still bringing pollen, insulated last of hives and feeder boxes. Used smoke to get them out of the way for that job, one of the hives proper grumbled and in unison. I gave them a bit of syrup to appease them afterwards, they snubbed me.

 

[Macbear]

Yesterday, the car thermometer showed 17 degrees, but I suspect my apiary was more. Checked on the united hive and removed the surplus BB. Ladies happy and peaceable but no sign of anything other than stores. Some space for laying. Reluctant to delve too deeply. The other hive - just removed the now empty fondant bag: I had cut a hole which I left over the holes in the CB and inside an eke with a solid CB above. Covered the holes, but left the eke in case of any further feeding need. Bees happy, so I hope it will be a case of leaving them in peace until next year. Another pleasant, still day, today, so hopefully they will be foraging in the nearby ivy and/or sealing up interfaces of boxes etc.. Thankfully, very few wasps this year.
My roofs have built-in insulation, and being less than 500m from the coast with shelter from all winds we rarely get frost or lying snow.
Time for a bit of maintenance and dreaming for me.

 

[lindsay s]

Delivered honey this afternoon and the bottling took about an hour and a half after teatime.
The bubbles were still rising when the picture was taken and this batch of honey contains 17% water

 

[Sutty]

Delivered honey this afternoon and the bottling took about an hour and a half after teatime.
The bubbles were still rising when the picture was taken and this batch of honey contains 17% water
View attachment 41440

72 lovely jars!
I put the lids on as I fill them.
Labelling takes me a while with 4 labels per jar: anti-tamper, main label, granulation label, bbe/lot number.

 

[lindsay s]

72 lovely jars!
I put the lids on as I fill them.
Labelling takes me a while with 4 labels per jar: anti-tamper, main label, granulation label, bbe/lot number.

I work with 2 labels and I hate doing it, but I’m pretty good at placing them squint!

 

[Sutty]

I work with 2 labels and although I hate doing it I’m pretty good placing them squint!

I have 1 extra label so I can vary the lot number and still order bigger batches of main labels.
I could dispense with the granulation label, but like putting "unsuitable for children under 12 months.

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

I put the lids on as I fill them.
Labelling takes me a while with 4 labels per jar: anti-tamper, main label, granulation label, bbe/lot number.

Definitely lids on straight away.

If you use wide (85 or 90mm) labels, there's room at the sides for text such as granulation, ways to enjoy honey etc. You just have to find a way to apply the labels straight!

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

Inspired by a famous book - The Checklist, Atul Gawande - I've been trying to keep a checklist of what I learn (and preferably retain) about beekeeping. It has become quite unwieldy, and all about the writing, never the reading back.

So I was more than delighted yesterday to find this in a charity bookshop. Someone has already done the task, so elegantly and economically. Well done David Cramp!

 

[Murox]

Inspired by a famous book - The Checklist, Atul Gawande - I've been trying to keep a checklist of what I learn (and preferably retain) about beekeeping. It has become quite unwieldy, and all about the writing, never the reading back.

So I was more than delighted yesterday to find this in a charity bookshop. Someone has already done the task, so elegantly and economically. Well done David Cramp!

View attachment 41442

Well found. That particular ring bound version is a bit like gold-dust around here anyway. Ive been trying to find one for a long time.

 

[Moobee]

Bit of a mixed bag yesterday. Fondant gone on every single hive. It’s been so mild here, they’ve been out & flying virtually every day so have gone through everything. All hives topped up, most look good & still plenty of bees. No unnecessary inspections just observing from the top and entrances. Orange and pale yellow pollen.
One nuc has produced a DLQ sadly so shook them out in the apiary in front of a hive that looked suspiciously quiet this week - queen is present but not a huge amount of bees - about 3 seams. They were a big strong double brood over summer so wonder if the queen is failing or has stopped laying temporarily.
A hive in the out apiary also looks possibly queenless as haven’t seen her since she emerged in September & no BIAS but plenty of bees present.
On the plus side, two late mated queens are laying in nucs with good BIAS.

 

[Erichalfbee]

All hives topped up,

Have you actually looked in or are they hefting light?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

went up to the castle apiary this morning to remove the feeders and strap the hives down until the spring, last time I'll be driving the truck up to the hives until next spring, it was a bit sticky near the gate where all the animals had been congregating, the tyre tracks look worse than it seems and it's just the mud pushing through the grass as the weight goes on it, it will have washed away next rain and there will be no trace of me being there.

collected the feeders from all the other apiaries apart from the range (shooting day today, so I'll do it tomorrow) and spent an afternoon in the sun washing them down ready for storing.

 

[JamezF]

it will have washed away next rain

Doesn't sound like you'll be needing to wait long for the next rain, either.

James