What did you do in the Apiary today?

jenkinsbrynmair said:

Try Andrews liver salts

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Assisted topping up fondant at Association apiary.

Checked mite drop after last weeks OA dribbling.
One hive which dropped 40 in a week prior to treatment dropped 400+ after treatment.
One hive which dropped 2/week pre treatment dropped c 200 post treatment.

Which all goes to prove natural mite drop is often meaningless.

It was sunny but 3C.. Cold fingers.

Checked hives...no bees flying today...not surprised as we had a heavy hail storm at about 3pm. Made up a brood box and applied oil to it...2 more coats to do.

Made up one of the Thornes supers we bought in the winter sale, not a knot in sight and went together like a dream. So glad we bought 20 of them, some do contain knots but I am really pleased with them at £12.50 each.

nantmoel said:

Made up one of the Thornes supers we bought in the winter sale, not a knot in sight and went together like a dream. So glad we bought 20 of them, some do contain knots but I am really pleased with them at £12.50 each.

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A friend and I worked it out a long while ago - even with the array of machinery we had available then and getting plywood at a discounted price, it was barely worth the hassle.
This year, if you're going to the conventions Maisie's pickup prices are even cheaper!!

Today made fondants, tomorrow distributing. After some time again with bees, as in talks with other beeks cluster is loosen, bees stretched all over the frames, brood as some checked on 2 frames palm size.

Cold with hail and sleet.

Didn't disturb the bees. Took a box of cleaned up frames and comb to the apiary. Returned with a box to be cleaned.

Noticed a few winter aconites ..... encouraging.

At last, no rain so vaped and feed all hives.

Gave first round of fondants. Three more colonies off duty.. One more will soon. Solely me guilty. My "pay job" has negative impact on my beekeeping.. These days will place advertisement for selling " some" colonies.
I never had robbing till 2015. season ( I believe first mine robbed neighbouring apiaries and bring new load of varroa).. I just hope they didn't brought something much worse.. Will be clearer in spring..
The rest of colonies seems OK.

tidied up after some fly tipper dumped car battery near the gate (thanks Redwood - should have called in for a cuppa!)
had a quick mooch around the hives after the last of the vaping yesterday, quite a few bees out and about even though the weather is dull and damp here

Topped up the bee-sting acclimatization, closing a big nuc that I have decided to vape. Got one a couple of weeks ago too. Barely felt either; encouraging.

Up to allotment Apiary, great to see council had moved fences tripling size of Apiary meaning hives will get sun. Have only 1 hive here double brood, vaped.

Up to main Apiary, checked drop after vaping last Sunday. On 5 Nucs good drop, on main hives negligible . Some pollen coming in.... Spring is nearing !!

BrianO said:

Spring is nearing !!

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So's Christmas - getting nearer by the day - have to get through winter first, the worst is yet to come

jenkinsbrynmair said:

So's Christmas - getting nearer by the day - have to get through winter first, the worst is yet to come

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Indeed, well aware at what can come down the tracks, and when Christmas falls

Though beginning March can bring a substantial change. No matter what you might say winter is nearing an end.

1 hour extra daylight today from winter solstice in evening. Sun at 19 degrees up from 13 on WS. Regardless of our musings and opinions. ,

Took willow cuttings today and planted in my Apiary, buds swelling , crocus and snowdrops up and light levels well up.

Just stood and watched for about 20 minutes this afternoon ... bees flying Some collecting water (my wife saw them picking it up from the pools on the garden table cover) and some greyish coloured pollen coming in. All colonies flying so they seem to be OK. Had a quick look through the clear crown board of the one hive that I thought was a little light but could see some capped honey at the top of the frames so happy that they are not starving. Very little varroa drop on the boards - certainly not enough to worry about.

So ... looking good at this stage. Fingers crossed.

Bees flying in 11C and 25mph winds..bringing in grey pollen. No brood yet judging by crownboard temperatures (11-12C).

Beautiful sunny day - 8C. Decided to vape my 3 Caerphilly hives. As I drove up the hill to apiary it felt like a wind tunnel. Sealed the bottom of the first hive with foam strips and 3 blankets to contain fumes. Started vaping. Unfortunately wind was so strong al the fumes blew straight off down the hill. Then huge icy rain drops started falling. Gave up after first hive. Went to vape a hive nearer home but the padlock to the entrance was jammed so no way in there without big muscles and some pliers - neither of which I had with me. Came home and managed to successfully vape my 2 hives here.
Thankfully the hives will be moving to the farm - which is not up a mountain and not behind a padlocked gate - in the next few weeks.

How big was the gate, could you not have done a triple somersault over it,

Millet said:

How big was the gate, could you not have done a triple somersault over it,

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Quite a few years ago in school I recall learning to gate-vault by leaning over the top bar, one hand on the top, other hand on a lower bar and swing legs and torso over the top. Can't do it nowadays

Gilberdyke John said:

Quite a few years ago in school I recall learning to gate-vault by leaning over the top bar, one hand on the top, other hand on a lower bar and swing legs and torso over the top. Can't do it nowadays

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One of these may come in handy, mind you i don't know what will happen when you land on the other side,