What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Sutty]

Was hoping to finish off the vaping but my instantvap gave up the ghost with 2 colonies to go.
This is the third time I’ve had to send it back. It’s obviously a dodgy example but Duncan refuses to replace it. I’m getting extremely p****d off as every time it stops working I have to wait a week or so before he returns it “repaired”

Are you forwarding these posts to him?
Not the best publicity, I'd have thought it was worth his while to replace it!

 

[Sutty]

S

I have Einhell batteries. When it stops working I immediately think I’ve run out of power so replace with a fully charged battery but it still remains blank!
Yesterday I managed to get it to light up for a few mins then it went blank again and when I banged it in frustration it lit up but wouldn’t heat up!
I’m not convince Duncan does a full check on them as I get the feeling he only imports them and sticks his label on them. I’m not convinced he’s a technical guy. The problem is it’s intermittent!

Sounds like a loose connection or a dry solder joint

 

[Bluetractorman]

Removed comb from retired frames. So much easier on a frosty morning.

 

[Moobee]

FYI I have the compact version with Dewalt batteries. All good so far…

 

[Curly green finger's]

Vaped 7 mini nucs, plan to vape bigger colony’s, the one mini nuc which is in the garden up against the poly tunnel is brood less.

 

[Newbeeneil]

FYI I have the compact version with Dewalt batteries. All good so far…

Even tho I’ve had a bad experience with this machine I’m considering buying a compact as a back up as I’m using OA as my only treatment for almost 100 hives.

 

[masterBK]

The air temperature was 11 C and the windy weather not due for several hours so I went down to the out-apiary and triggled 26 colonies, checked them for weight of stores and made sure all hive still weather proof and able to withstand the wind when it comes later in the day. All colonies bar two still heavy with stores and those two had enough to last for a couple of months. Most were really strong and in good nick. One had several dead drones in the roof space and another had an enormous spider in the roof space(Most don't have roof space as filled with celotex insulation). All bar one were well behaved and just "sat there". The "one" erupted explosively as the crown board removed and attacked in force going particularly for the front of my veil making it difficult to see through it. This was a swarm that came into a bait hive last summer and filled two supers. They are big, black bees and extremely defensive. Note made to requeen in spring by uniting with another hive with better behaviour .

 

[Newbeeneil]

I sold my 1000th jar of honey of the year from my shelves today, it still amazes me that people take jars in such quantity!

 

[gregior]

A balmy 12c at 9am this morning so took the oppertunity to vape all colonies, lots of cleansing flights and all colonies heavy and still alive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wandered up to feed the chickens and noticed quite a bit of bee activity around the stored wet supers where the honey is now leaching out at the bases, I saw a flash of yellow and observed a worker wasp helping itself as well!

 

[JamezF]

Pretty much the same story here -- warm enough for the bees to be flying and I'm still seeing wasps quite regularly.

James

 

[Penninetrader]

Heavy overcast, light rain, but the girls are on the move. One colony having had quite the clear out of dead. They usually dispose of a few feet from hive but there must have been too many as I counted about 10 on the landing board. Aquick check inside a weak nuc suggests they are lost.

 

[madasafish]

It's not raining. It is not windy. It is not frosty.
It's vaping time as a Xmas present for the bees.
Ingrates don't appreciate what I do for them!

 

[Penninetrader]

It's not raining. It is not windy. It is not frosty.
It's vaping time as a Xmas present for the bees.
Ingrates don't appreciate what I do for them!

Those ingrates will make you pay for that remark

 

[E&MBees]

Jarred up some more honey. Had such a run on sales yesterday, I ran out.

 

[Garry R]

Put 80% acetic acid into silicone loaf tins in the freezer- one "tin" per freezer full of super frames. Hopefully knocking back nosema and dealing with optimistic wax moth larva.

 

[Sutty]

Put 80% acetic acid into silicone loaf tins in the freezer- one "tin" per freezer full of super frames. Hopefully knocking back nosema and dealing with optimistic wax moth larva.

Worth doing a search on here for how much acetic acid is actually needed - much less than recommended by tradition/vendors!

Edit: found it here
Post in thread 'Acetic Acid Treatment' https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/acetic-acid-treatment.50248/post-766048

 

[robmort]

Worth doing a search on here for how much acetic acid is actually needed - much less than recommended by tradition/vendors!

Edit: found it here
Post in thread 'Acetic Acid Treatment' https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/acetic-acid-treatment.50248/post-766048

Yes some people use far too much; a small shallow half-filled plastic plantpot saucer is enough for a stack of boxes.

 

[Sutty]

Yes some people use far too much; a small shallow half-filled plastic plantpot saucer is enough for a stack of boxes.

I put about 0.5-1cm in a plastic takeaway container on top of a stack of supers (8+) and wrap them all in plastic bags and wrap. It's gone when I open in spring.
Still smells a bit acetic usually.