What did you do in the Apiary today?

Daffs, snowdrops and crocuses showing here, but they are good at hunkering down when the snow comes....just as well. The winter Mahonia is ablaze and there are quite a few Hellebores blooming. I still have pentstemons hanging on too.
Fondant went on one light hive yesterday.

I've been a naughty girl and opened one of my Christmas pressies early! I gave my shiney new varrox it's first outing this morning on one hive which appears to be heavily infested. I'd also seen a couple of bees with DWV on the landing board in recent days

I have had a real variation in mite drops this December, from 15/day through to zero on a few hives, measured over 8 days. I'll 'varrox' the others that had the higher counts after Christmas.

....and success, I've finally managed to produce a batch of candles from cappings wax that burn beautifully - just in time for Thursday

Happy days!

Jimmys Mum said:

I've finally managed to produce a batch of candles from cappings wax that burn beautifully - just in time for Thursday

Happy days!

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Got mine ready, trouble is I need nearly a hundred to light the whole chapel (no mains power) so the hoi polloi will have to do with paraffin wax candles while I'll have the beeswax ones up in the pulpit.

jenkinsbrynmair said:

.....trouble is I need nearly a hundred to light the whole chapel.

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100 pure beeswax candles lighting up a chapel. Bet that would look breath taking!

I asked one of the wardens from our village church (who is a friend of mine), what type they use in church - very sheepishly she told me they get them from ikea! And no they are not beeswax! But she did acknowledge that they do not have the same effect!

Quite a warm breeze up hear today light rain and 2 hives in my garden are flying

Just been for a walk and saw some prunus in flower. I don't like early springs too risky Mr. Frost will take the blooms.

Checked the hives to make sure they haven't blown away. Had some terrible wind lately. Still there.

Note to self- avoid beans.

Windy and mild here.
The winter honeysuckle is in full bloom. The japanese willow in the apiary is budding and it looks like catkins will be here in 4 - 6 weeks a full month before last year. With a bit of luck a cold snap will stop them...they are such a valuable early source of nectar and pollen.

Bees out for a poo from every hive this afternoon

Out this morning feeding the cattle and sheep. Looked at the willow on the field boundary and the buds are forming, hope they do not burst too early followed by frost. This must be 4 to 6 wks early. Also noticed a gorse bush in full flower, hebe in flower in the garden, bulbs well up and snowdrops look as though they may be in flower in January.

I can remember daffodils in flower on 1st Jan in Southampton some years ago but this is exceptionally early for the Brecklands of Norfolk, which with the very light sandy soil can be one of the coldest parts of England.

When talking on flowering.. Yesterday saw some apples in flower, some plums not just a flower, already new leaves. Last night was frost. One day 15C - next day 5C. Weather prognosis even for 3 days can't predict right. It is common to say it could be sunny with rain or vice versa, rainy with sun.. With or without some wind from who knows from where it blows..
Still have no snow..

This all seems like grim announcement for next season..

Ran my first trial of a 'downdraught' Oxalic Acid Vapouriser - to apply OA via a crown board feed hole by courtesy of a computer cpu fan. Worked better than expected.

LJ

Sprayed my garden 'cause the bees were looking or water.

Dishmop said:

Sprayed my garden 'cause the bees were looking or water.

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You can have some of ours if you want

REDWOOD said:

You can have some of ours if you want

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They usually help themselves anyway - what's the odd drowned village here and there

REDWOOD said:

You can have some of ours if you want

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We have had some rain but the wind has dried it off. No puddles in the garden, so probably much the same in the other gardens around here.
It was interesting watching them flying round and round seeking out the best place to land. They were drinking off the damp paving stones mostly.

jenkinsbrynmair said:

what's the odd drowned village here and there

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Did you see what that guy in Somerset just got done for. Amazing. (Sorry: OT)

Pollen

Watching my bees bringing pollen cream in colour
They were very busy for December 23

jmeilhan said:

Watching my bees bringing pollen cream in colour
They were very busy for December 23

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ditto

Today day temp were near 15C bees out gathering, full sun, no wind. These moments is "raining" ice rain, temp around 0C. Tomorrow will dive into minus.. I watched buds of fruit trees today, I must say worried - green, some almost opened. If this is announcement for next season, no good.

Saw mine out on cleansing flights today - not many but still given the low temperatures for Christmas day I hadn't expected any out and still flying today - had a quick heft and only one hive seemed a little light so some fondant going in that one on Sunday when the weather looks a bit calmer but still cold - if they don't need it happy days