What did you do in the Apiary today?

Moved two nucs, 2013 over wintered marked queens onto Apiary No.2

A tip for people that end up with bumbles in bird boxes. If you clear out your bird boxes of last year's nesting materials by March then the bumbles won't nest in them.

Good tip, thanks.

Not in the apairy but the spare bedroom.

I got ear-ache from SWMBO when she was doing the ironing this am. about beepoo all over the washing.

She didn't appreciate my suggestion that she only hangs the washing out when it's raining as the bees won't be flying. I'm back to the dog kennel again.

The washing line is on the flight path to a lot of brassicas that we let go to flower, pre. bees they would have been in the chickens or compost heap by now.

Tim

Visited Apirary No.1 too early, some bees flying as it was shady and cold.

Visited Apiary No.2, some bees were flying doing orientation flights.

Over the past 2 days inspected 3xTBH, 1 x Warre and 2 x TBH nucs.

Apart from 1 nuc which is tiny (but with queen and brood) , all the others are doing well with nectar, some drone cells in the larger TBHs and no QCs- too early for swarming here till early May...


Minimal varroa drop as well..(thymol in autumn per HM and then no further treatment )

Temperatures reached 15C yesterday!

Just retired indoors for a restorative cup of tea.
Spent too long looking for queenie in double national brood and removing unwanted QC's as I went.. Just started second sweep of the top chamber which I had left divided into 2 frames together with gaps to make finding her easier and there she was. Marking has gone.
Now AS'd.
And relax......
Same again tomorrow........
Cazza

beeno said:

I can't believe it, I have marked all my queens. I am sure it is only a temporary state of play though as I also found an egg in a play cup. Mine usually kick off in August! This does not bode well for the season.

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"Usually" makes it sound as if this has been going on for years and years? If it has, can I have some of your queens, late swarming would be great.
Cazza

Cazza said:

"Usually" makes it sound as if this has been going on for years and years? If it has, can I have some of your queens, late swarming would be great.
Cazza

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For the last few years mine have wanted to swarm late July and August also. I thought it was due to slow build up either because of poor weather or my poor skills. This year ~I have a huge colony on 14x12 and two supers and I felt quite proud. They are quite pingy but seem to be filling the supers so I don't mind too much for now

Ely said:

For the last few years mine have wanted to swarm late July and August also. I thought it was due to slow build up either because of poor weather or my poor skills. This year ~I have a huge colony on 14x12 and two supers and I felt quite proud. They are quite pingy but seem to be filling the supers so I don't mind too much for now

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Be interesting to see when that colony decide to go. Mine are definitely in the mood now.
Cazza

Hi Cazza,
Well done you for persevering. You finally got your queen. Sorry, timeline to do with that's all I know rather than in soo many years. Well, three actually with no swarms at all second year. That's why I think I might be in for it this year. My luck will run out eventually or is it my management skills - well now it certainly will!

Found out i am 100% not allergic to stings

Bees are very angry today even followed me to the car that has never happened before.
All i was going to do was check the super .
Ended up fighting with them so i could check the weren't Q- . Didn't see the queen but eggs were close enough then i made a dignified retreat.
Got stung through my suit on the shoulder .
Blame the OSR that seems to be the normal cause.

Woohoo! Found my queen bee and filmed her laying an egg! Have only had my colony for about 4 weeks, so am most excited about it!

Fruitless check for queen in "queen less" colony.
No brood.Test frame capped.

Two demarees. One in the only colony in which I cannot find the queen, that took some time, brushing all the bees off into the bottom box, but done. The bees were remarkably well behaved throughout

Loubee7 said:

Woohoo! Found my queen bee and filmed her laying an egg! Have only had my colony for about 4 weeks, so am most excited about it!

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Well done you ... finding the queen is hard enough and then managing to film her actually laying - very exciting !

We had fruit trees blooming, started to make small fruits recently, bees brooded awesome, black locust flowers were growing nicely, temps were around 20 celsius...
And today we have some snow...
I can't describe my " happiness".

Goran said:

We had fruit trees blooming, started to make small fruits recently, bees brooded awesome, black locust flowers were growing nicely, temps were around 20 celsius...
And today we have some snow...
I can't describe my " happiness".

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That is so disappointing, especially when the trees have lots of blossom. My orchard pears and cherries are in flower now but we have had sharp frosts overnight so I have to wait and see.
Cazza

Colonies absolutely exploding atm. Nearly got caught out by 2 of my polyhives that needed demareeing.
One had filled a double brood and had lots of almost capped QC's!
Partly my own fault as I hadn't inspected for 11 days.
Both have 2 supers half full and I added a 3rd super.

Not enough time for a full inspection, but a cursory look at each hives one super led to a hasty time with foundation, frames, hammer and nails. Each hive now has two supers, and with local farmers expecting the OSR to last for quite a while yet its looking like a bumper crop with two harvests to stop the early gatherings setting.