What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Penninetrader]

Started to swap out the hive stands, scrubbing, painting and sorting out any repairs if needed, surprised to see very little debris on the floor just a small pile of dead bees. One of the hives given fondant, feeling very light and have consumed their last batch. Running low on our honey, hope it's a good spring or my porridge is going to be very boring!!!

I held plenty back, ignored all the hints for honey gifts, self preservation aside, what most do not appreciate is the effort my girls go to in order my porridge is exotified. My word not Collins.

 

[gwt_uk]

Checked in on two apiaries. Fed fondant to a couple of light colonies. Some colonies looking busy with lots of pollen going in, a couple others have much less activity. Will see what is going on once inspections start. Looking forward to another beekeeping season.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

dropped the annual honey 'rent' off at the castle (they get it in the spring not in the autumn as it will be nice and fresh on the shelf in the shop to greet the Easter grockles) and as the fields up there have dried up nicely drove up to the apiary for the first time since September, the loads of dead ash trees lining the crag the castle sits on have been trimmed a little by storm Eowyn with the largest ( and nearest) to the apiary being toppled and missing the hives by a yard or two (Plenty of smoker fuel lying there now!) although the gate post didn't get off scot free, most of the hives alive with bees but a few casualties loaded in the back for recycling - queen failures by the looks of it. Both oldish queens that hadn't really impressed last year brood wise and probably failed to produce decent successors as no sign of any brood in combs with still plenty of stores.

 

[Penninetrader]

Returned to replacing fondant with syrup on 2 hives as a tester. Opened the lazy hive, which has turned out to be anything but, when I say opened I mean the feeder box, the 2 slots for the bees to climb up into the feeder showed no signs of bees whatsoever not even curious ones. I placed the feeder tray then poured syrup in, within a second or 2 the bees were up and at the syrup. Hive 2, the circus colony, same thing not a bee in sight, placed tray poured syrup.........waited, nothing. Both of these colonies were busy foraging at the time but so so different in response to the syrup. Neither of these had shown much interest or need of the fondant up to this point.As can be seen I place stones in the feeder to prevent drowning

 

[Do224]

Returned to replacing fondant with syrup on 2 hives as a tester.

What’s the test?

Neither of these had shown much interest or need of the fondant up to this point

So why give them syrup…even if they take it…do they need it?