What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Parsonage Bees]

That may also be true but I’ve been researching the little blighters all week and as they are insectivorous and very partial to a bee, this time of year they can nip into a hive & take bees from the outside of the cluster at their leisure.
And I run 14 colonies currently as a beekeeper…..

No repeat of the pile of bees under the hive here in Lincolnshire. Maybe the local moggy has culled the culprit.

 

[Moobee]

Replaced the mesh around the home apiary in time for the incoming storm….

 

[Penninetrader]

Had my late breakfast/dinner sat amongst some very happy flying bees,. I had just lifted the roofs and boards covering my feeder trays to check fondant, cleared some dead and remixed the softer with the hard. They have been having a nibble but most still there and the boxes still heavy. They are still out now and seem to be having a good check around their area. Fingers crossed it stays this way, ps filmed a couple of the girls grooming on a landing board.

 

[Dr. Abe]

Hello! I went through my hives and found only 2 alive. Of those 2 live hives only 1 is likely to make it through this winter. I am not sure what cause the deaths as a lot of stored honey was still available.

Anyway, I am wondering how to store or what to do with the boxes, supers, and hive parts until needed in the spring. Especially because there is a lot of stored syrup honey and pollen/bee bread.

Any ideas?

 

[Penninetrader]

Hello! I went through my hives and found only 2 alive. Of those 2 live hives only 1 is likely to make it through this winter. I am not sure what cause the deaths as a lot of stored honey was still available.

Anyway, I am wondering how to store or what to do with the boxes, supers, and hive parts until needed in the spring. Especially because there is a lot of stored syrup honey and pollen/bee bread.

Any ideas?

I am sure you will get lots of advice on this one, my two penneth for what it is worth, seal the entrance immediately to prevent robbing and that will give you time to consider your options. I had a nuc which had predictably died, I left the cleaning until this last week when I removed all the dead bees and debris, within a day it was being visited by my other girls from adjacent hives, I had a similar situation when I removed a queen from a week nuc, it almost immediately got the attention of robbers. I suspect it is the lack of queen pheremone that triggers the reaction.

 

[Macbear]

Penninetrader's suggestion is my first thought - prevent robbing a.s.a.p..
Before you decide on what to do with stores and kit it is important to understand the reason for the deaths. If it is a health issue this presents a very different way forward to it being a weak colony, for example. Salvaging stores and kit can be left a while as you seem to have similar weather to mine - above 10 C dismantling hives is more pleasant than in lower temperatures!

 

[Moobee]

Checked on all the hives and nucs today. All looking good, topped up a couple with fondant and all were flying in the sunshine even though it was only 8 degrees. However one colony suddenly has drones! Late mated queen so it was touch & go whether she had mated properly or at all. So either a DLQ or laying workers. They’re a good size so undecided whether to leave them to dwindle or shake out on the first warm enough day?

 

[Dr. Abe]

I am sure you will get lots of advice on this one, my two penneth for what it is worth, seal the entrance immediately to prevent robbing and that will give you time to consider your options. I had a nuc which had predictably died, I left the cleaning until this last week when I removed all the dead bees and debris, within a day it was being visited by my other girls from adjacent hives, I had a similar situation when I removed a queen from a week nuc, it almost immediately got the attention of robbers. I suspect it is the lack of queen pheremone that triggers the reaction.

Thanks for the advice. So far it has been too cold to worry about that but I will get prepared for warmer weather when robbing will become an issue.

 

[Penninetrader]

Thanks for the advice. So far it has been too cold to worry about that but I will get prepared for warmer weather when robbing will become an issue.

Risky, very very risky

 

[Ely]

I had a wander down to the hives yesterday in the sun. All seems well with a few bees coming and going from most. I am really looking forward to spring. I seem to be struggling this winter without the bees more than any other winter I can remember.

 

[rossbyjove]

Had my late breakfast/dinner sat amongst some very happy flying bees,. I had just lifted the roofs and boards covering my feeder trays to check fondant, cleared some dead and remixed the softer with the hard. They have been having a nibble but most still there and the boxes still heavy. They are still out now and seem to be having a good check around their area. Fingers crossed it stays this way, ps filmed a couple of the girls grooming on a landing board.

Not kidding, mine were going crazy.
Good to see both hives have made it through this far.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Watched a buff tail bumble on the crocuses in the apiary. Bees still asleep.

 

[The Poot]

All five up and doing today - the first properly sunny day for a long time. The two Buckfasts (new queens last June/July) were very active, the locals not so much.

 

[Penninetrader]

All five up and doing today - the first properly sunny day for a long time. The two Buckfasts (new queens last June/July) were very active, the locals not so much.

Locals are not daft, they will be ready when the time comes :}