What did you do in the Apiary today?

Obee1 said:

When he complained yesterday just after the 'incident' he said she had two stings. Today he came round to say she was at doctors due to her 5 stings. By tomorrow I expect she will have be at a & e, stung from head to toe. He wants me to erect a sign warning the world that I have bees in my enclosed garden, behind a hedge 8 ft high. next time I won't run down the street in my bee suit advertising their presence.

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Not really a good idea to have bees right next to a public road/footpath, even if they are on the other side of a fence or hedge.
For exactly this reason.

Monsieur Abeille said:

Did second OSR harvest today, 50x12oz jars to go with the 54 from a fortnight ago. Went around to out apiary to check poly nuc living there hadn't disapeared up to Oz

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do you not find it will granulate in the jar, and turn to concrete ?

einsteinagogo said:

do you not find it will granulate in the jar, and turn to concrete ?

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Mine is busy turning itself into just the smoothest soft set honey ever!

Glenviewbee said:

Never having (knowingly!) seen a virgin queen, I'd never have spotted her as a queen as the abdomen is so much shorter than after she has been mated.

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You can often tell by their legs. Queen bees have longer legs which can also be reddish in colour

Tremyfro said:

Mine is busy turning itself into just the smoothest soft set honey ever!

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but that's not straight from the comb, extracted and put into jars!

Couple of needed inspections... not the best conditions today but were in sheltered spots, bees were NOT pleased to see me at all! Right old rabble.

einsteinagogo said:

but that's not straight from the comb, extracted and put into jars!

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Not quite ..no....extracted 28 pounds......made my own seed honey by grinding up some of last years granulated honey.....added seed honey to extracted honey. No setting like rock...well ...so far anyway. Putting into jars tomorrow. Smooth...creamy....melts on the tongue....

Only wish it was, what I did in the Apiary two weeks ago. I didn't and have OSR honey doing what it does best.........I'll post a separate thread!

Tremyfro said:

Not quite ..no....extracted 28 pounds......made my own seed honey by grinding up some of last years granulated honey.....added seed honey to extracted honey. No setting like rock...well ...so far anyway. Putting into jars tomorrow. Smooth...creamy....melts on the tongue....

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is it spreadable, like peanut butter or still runny ?

einsteinagogo said:

is it spreadable, like peanut butter or still runny ?

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The seed honey was spreadable....not as stiff as peanut butter.....waiting for the bucket of honey to crystallise overnight.....should still be very soft in the morning...ideal for putting into jars. Then store at a lower temperature to complete the soft set.
Have to say...my family are non- judgemental in regards to the honey....totally in awe of the bees!
Last years honey...a few jars left...has granulated with very large rough crystals. So I will be warming it back to runny.

Collected a swarm today from a scrap yard, they were on the low branch of a tree. Been there since they arrived on Saturday (a friend told us about them at 4.30pm today, we had them in the hive by 5.30 pm). Easily reached by standing in the back of the pick up. Quick shake and into the hive. Scrap yard owner said they sometime have swarm take up residence in some of the cars that are there to be scrapped. Took our number in case they get anymore swarms.
Headed back with the swarm on board.
Turned off the main road, about 2 miles from home spotted another pickup a little way in front with with what looked like brood and super boxes on it. Next thing one box flew off the side, sending frames flying. We beeped our horn, flashed our lights, but the vehicle kept going. Mr Shoot and myself pulled over, jumped out and picked up the brood box, and all the new frames, luckily none were damaged. Chucked it in the back of our pick up and went off after the other beekeeper. We managed to catch up with the other beekeeper at the next village and followed him to his premises (luckily in that village). We presented the beekeeper with his brood box and frames, he was chuffed and said it was nice to meet some other beekeepers. The beekeeper was called Tony, a full time beekeeper who produces honey and provides pollination to orchards etc. He was lovely and gave us a quick tour of his set up, was amazing.

Just gone in the Apiary to find this :-(

spread out like that could be a cast with a couple of virgin queens in there somewhere

jenkinsbrynmair said:

spread out like that could be a cast with a couple of virgin queens in there somewhere

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Yes it seemed to seperate into two, i have 5 hives each with one virgin queen either hatched or due to hatch, are they likely to go back to the hives? I have set up two boxes & they seem to be going in, i have to go to bloody work

My betting is you missed a few QC's

Ok, i put one box on top of the post & a smaller cast was going in, i put another box beside the main swarm & they werent going in. Ive just been to look, the top box is empty & i now have a proper swarm at the base of the post, i have put a box above it strapped to the fence & they are going in. Do you think the smaller one could have followed a virgin queen gone to mate& gone back in the hive?

jonnybeegood said:

Just gone in the Apiary to find this :-(View attachment 11884

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build a shed around them..they've already got the frames..

Tell him you need to know what number was on the ring around the bees leg to know if it's one of yours. No ring then it's probably a wild bee.

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very wild, and yours are domesticated...

jonnybeegood said:

Just gone in the Apiary to find this :-(View attachment 11884

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Guess how many queens taking all bets

I have had similar swarms in the past you will only end up with one queen living even if they are in to seprate hive anyway so probly best to get them in one anyway

Well i gotta go to work , i tried to coax them into a nuc by putting handfulls of bees in as they wouldnt go in the cardboard box, but now they are marching into the cardboard box so ive got to leave them like this in the pic, i will check tonight & let you know. Its a big swarm & the cardboard box is now humming!