Winter evictions..............

[Murox]

Its begun, drones were being driven out of one hive yesterday afternoon and geese were clanking overhead at the same time.
Tad early for geese I thought..........

 

[E&MBees]

Swallows are mustering on the telegraph wires. Won’t be long before they are gone.

 

[JamezF]

Swallows are mustering on the telegraph wires. Won’t be long before they are gone.

Yes, I've noticed them feeding themselves up over the last week or so around here.

James

 

[W0otz]

Ivy's almost in flower and the sedums are turning pink. I really must get on with cutting up some insulation for my additional hives this year...

 

[rossbyjove]

Drones being refused entry back in here as well.
Quite pleased to see the Bees defending the hive against wasps and robbers very well indeed.
Had a Hornet Hoverfly (had to look it up) on the landing board but it didn't fancy it's chances and went elsewhere.

 

[rossbyjove]

Ivy's almost in flower and the sedums are turning pink. I really must get on with cutting up some insulation for my additional hives this year...

I have a few 8x4 sheets of 1 inch celotex to cut some up for my hive.

 

[Mabee]

I saw the geese over last two weeks around the same time the drones started being evicted, still a good heather and phacelia flow going on here but the mornings are colder and darker, the bees obviously sensing it too!

 

[Nick Lang]

Swallows gorging and gathering ready for migration here too in South Wales...I would guess another week and they'll be gone!

 

[blackcloud]

That's odd as my drones had all gone awol weeks ago- near enough the same latitude to London
It's always easy to minus a queen -not so easy now to plus one...

 

[Swarm]

First hive today, excluder full of dead drones trying to run to the hills.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Nothing here at the entrance but the drones are being corralled to the side frames and the one queen less colony in the apiary

 

[ldwgs]

Ivy's almost in flower and the sedums are turning pink. I really must get on with cutting up some insulation for my additional hives this year...

What do you use for insulation? please interested

 

[Erichalfbee]

What do you use for insulation? please interested

PIR. Foil backed house insulation
Recticel, Celotex are two common ones. 50mm is the usual thickness

 

[Ian123]

That's odd as my drones had all gone awol weeks ago- near enough the same latitude to London
It's always easy to minus a queen -not so easy now to plus one...

That was possibly due to drought/dearth that early, plenty still round me and I’ll be grafting this week.

 

[W0otz]

What do you use for insulation? please interested

PIR. Foil backed house insulation
Recticel, Celotex are two common ones. 50mm is the usual thickness

50mm Recticel in the roof, year round. Additional 50mm Recticel eke with takeaway tub sized hole in the centre (for fondant) overwinter.

 

[rossbyjove]

Swallows gorging and gathering ready for migration here too in South Wales...I would guess another week and they'll be gone!

Starlings gathering here.

 

[Swarm]

Swallows and House Martins still feeding young in Talgarth today.

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

found one hive today - drones, heads stuffed in the QX
Most of the others seemed to have drones happily mingling with the other bees.

 

[Erichalfbee]

found one hive today - drones, heads stuffed in the QX
Most of the others seemed to have drones happily mingling with the other bees.

I've seen them corralled to the outer frames for a while already