Winter Work

One has to strike while the iron is hot. I was told about a garage needing clearing in the locality a couple of weeks ago - and the offer was free timber so I couldn't really turn it down.

I've been thinking about making a quad hive stand for a while to go on one of my better sites to both fit more hives in one space and also see whether having a North, South, East, West configuration would make any difference to the yield or performance of the hives.

I'm sure Bro Adam could probably answer that, and I have an inkling I know the answer but below is the first of a number of these stands to be made.

The timber is oak, or something very like oak - hard as nails. The legs 10x10 ex-railway posts I picked up a few years ago. They are probably a bit high but it saves my back.

The stand is now creocoated and drying nicely.

In other news, the trailer bed needs renewing and I'm keeping an eye on the wholesale jar prices as I suspect they are about to see a price hike (along with so much else) and I have mislaid one of my rechargeable Makita batteries - no idea where the little ****** has gone to. I think the pixies have been moving things over Christmas.

Speaking of which, I painted up a pallet load of poly nucs and dry stored them while still wet a few weeks ago. Having learned the hard way a few years ago, it seems masonry paint doesn't like to dry in damp conditions, and cold conditions, and especially the latter causes it to flake and peel when in use. So keeping the nucs indoors undercover while drying seems to have produced a far better finish to the paint.

Trouble is, like with so many things, I have space and then fill it. And then need more space...

Well lets hope the spring comes soon and the bees start their new season strongly !

KR

S

 

[Curly green finger's]

I'm interested in your inkling please?

 

[ericbeaumont]

an eye on the wholesale jar prices as I suspect they are about to see a price hike

I'm interested in your inkling please?

Had a text from Robin the other day to say that Freeman & Harding jars have gone from 34p to 41p. Assume competitors will do likewise.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Had a text from Robin the other day to say that Freeman & Harding jars have gone from 34p to 41p. Assume competitors will do likewise.

I did hear about the jar price Eric
By a friend he said his jars cost him an extra £280.
I need to order some round 1lbs I better get on and do it.
Happy New year mate by the way.

I was asking Steve about his inkling about BA.
I quote
"I'm sure Bro Adam could probably answer that, and I have an inkling I know the answer but below is the first of a number of these stands to be made".

 

[ericbeaumont]

Yes, I use that Br. Adam pallet layout, but I have no idea whether it reduces drifting significantly. Certainly better than a row of hives, I'd have thought.

PS: HNY to you, too, Mark. I spent the festive season in the company of Omicron...

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes, I use that Br. Adam pallet layout, but I have no idea whether it reduces drifting significantly. Certainly better than a row of hives, I'd have thought.

PS: HNY to you, too, Mark. I spent the festive season in the company of Omicron...

Me just before Christmas I had delta and I still can't smell or taste properly even now.

Somerford was talking about honey yealds, and if the Never eat shredded wheat had any relivents to honey production?.
I have two to a pallet, how do you find inspecting yours?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Four to a pallet NSEW may separate entrances effectively but two North and two South (or two East/two West) on a pallet would be more convenient for the beekeeper - less shifting round the pallet.

Don't notice yield differences that could be attributed to NSEW.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Me just before Christmas I had delta and I still can't smell or taste properly even now.

Do you get informed what variant you have?

 

[Curly green finger's]

Do you get informed what variant you have?

No but my teenage lad did, and it came from him.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No but my teenage lad did, and it came from him.

It was a generic question. I wondered simply whether if you had a positive PCR you got told what variant you have?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I wondered simply whether if you had a positive PCR you got told what variant you have?

you do.

 

[Mint Bee]

you do.

Not always. Family all had positive COVID PCRs before and over Christmas. Online formed asked if you were happy to have the the sample serotyped, yet none of use have been told which variant we had. Probably Omicron based on how it spread around house. Maybe different in Wales?

 

[pargyle]

I did hear about the jar price Eric
By a friend he said his jars cost him an extra £280.
I need to order some round 1lbs I better get on and do it.

You slipped up there then - you might have got a better deal by adding them on to the order you placed in December ?

 

[Curly green finger's]

It was a generic question. I wondered simply whether if you had a positive PCR you got told what variant you have?

I didn't do a pcr test, two of the children did and both had delta varient.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not always. Family all had positive COVID PCRs before and over Christmas. Online formed asked if you were happy to have the the sample serotyped, yet none of use have been told which variant we had. Probably Omicron based on how it spread around house. Maybe different in Wales?

All I know is, my sister is the lead for the Track and trace team for the area (the one that works not the Dildo Harding bargain basement version) she can tell from her reports at a glance whether the affected person is bog standard or Omicron variant

 

[Newbeeneil]

you do.

I Didn't

 

[Somerford]

I'm interested in your inkling please?

well my inkling is that it makes no difference to the yield, all things being equal ie same age queen, same amount of space to expand into etc

 

[Somerford]

All I know is, my sister is the lead for the Track and trace team for the area (the one that works not the Dildo Harding bargain basement version) she can tell from her reports at a glance whether the affected person is bog standard or Omicron variant

the feedback on whether you have Omicron or t'other depends on which Lab your PCR test is sent to as some have the ability to work out the variant and some don't

and from today PCRs aren't to be used if you don't have symptoms yet test +ve on a LFT ...

It's all tickety-boo until the next monster super variant appears.

I hate China

 

[oxnatbees]

...and also see whether having a North, South, East, West configuration would make any difference to the yield or performance of the hives

I rotated some hives 90 degrees a few years ago so the sun hit their entrances earlier. Immediately, the bees began flying half an hour earlier. But it made no difference to honey crop or anything else. I concluded the key factor was not the bees, but nectar availability: they don't work it until it's warm enough to smell, and some plants don't produce nectar until they reach a critical temperature. However, the results might be different in e.g. a field of OSR or a heather moor.

 

[Murox]

I rotated some hives 90 degrees a few years ago so the sun hit their entrances earlier. Immediately, the bees began flying half an hour earlier. But it made no difference to honey crop or anything else. I concluded the key factor was not the bees, but nectar availability: they don't work it until it's warm enough to smell, and some plants don't produce nectar until they reach a critical temperature. However, the results might be different in e.g. a field of OSR or a heather moor.

if forage and warmth are good the bees respond positively.