What did you do in the Apiary today?

WelshPaul said:

I'm after some advice, went out to the hive this morning, all of a sudden I heard a roar and it looked like the hive had emptied, flew as a cloud around for a few min then disappeared into the hive, would this be a mating flight? The amount of bees have stayed constant over the last few weeks, so I don't think I've lost a swarm so could this have been a mating flight following supercedure?

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You can tell mating flights by the drones tumbling in and out of the entrance.

Watching it persist down
First time this year I've seen more than one wasp at the same time!
They along with bumblebees are foraging on a cotoneaster out side my bay window in spite of the rain!
VM

madasafish said:

You can tell mating flights by the drones tumbling in and out of the entrance.

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Bit like the rugby club on a Saturday night

Sat in front of the hive and watched the girls for about half an hour going in and out. Buckets full of so many different colours of pollen and some really heavy landings ... watched one coming in on a wing and a prayer who completely missed the hive and landed on another bee also struggling to stay airborn ! Both crash landed together on one of the hive legs and walked the last two in feet bless them !!

Next inspection is due next Friday and I was itching to have a look today but I managed to resist ... I suspect they will have filled the two new frames I put in last week with comb already - that will be 7 foundationless frames built out in just four weeks.Hopefully they will all be full of brood and stores by next week. If HM is still laying at the same rate as last week they will be a really strong colony by the end of summer.

Was asked by a central London business to remove the hives on their roof tonight. They have had 3 swarms so far this year and the other local businesses are very unhappy with them.

Polyanwood said:

Was asked by a central London business to remove the hives on their roof tonight. They have had 3 swarms so far this year and the other local businesses are very unhappy with them.

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Shame , swarms are a thing of beauty

derekm said:

Shame , swarms are a thing of beauty

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And a thing of terror to many as well.

First time we've had swarm calls with a CAD number. Police officers were stung apparently.

First inspection for three weeks because of time and rain. When I left them they were weak. I had dummied down to 5 frames. One was a frame of brood donated to me and it had a small sealed QC on it. I fed with syrup and vitafeed in a frame feeder.

Today numbers are improving and there is 2frames of brood. Stores are coming in and all looks a lot healthier. The QC is still in the same place and sealed. Presume it is dead but wonder why it has not been torn down. Added t frames of foundation to give space and something for them to work on. Also topped up the feed and vitafeed.

The queen cell could well have hatched. They sometimes re-seal the cell with a bee inside. If the queen cell has been there for that long I would have opened it.

chaos today.

Swarm collected in may had sealed queen cells, so split. next hive along sealed queen cells so split.

colonies split 2 weeks ago 1 had loads of queen cells in all capped, while I started to pull them down virgins started to appear so added one to the second split done before and removed queen cells in that one, added another virgin into other hive that I had spilt 2 weeks ago that still had the 2 queen cells I had left sealed, and removed them, so that was 2 done. then did another split from the split to use up another virgin that had emerged. plus took 2 more home to give to another person that wanted some virgins for their apadia.

other site did a split and put a commercial bb ontop of a 14x12.

serves me right for not doing any inspections last weekend due to wind.

So in total now have 19 colonies. Need to make some more Bbox, Roofs and crown boards for more swarm calls im getting and some more supers ready for honey. So that's the job for tomorrow.

Checked on the Ceredigion girl, BIAS and there she was, laying away nicely.

Nice afternoon here. Prepared 4 supers ready to extract tomorrow. This will more than double last years pathetic Spring Honey harvest (70lbs) and there is a little more to come.

Cazza

A lot of activity today and forage today, so shot some more video, and retired after being warned off!

A quick inpsection under the cover board, and surprised to see more bees present, drawing comb.

cut the grass around the apiary in my bee smock, in fact the bees were rather calm, and did not bother me or the electric hover mower, and then I think I got a little close, and felt a mild twinge on my inner thigh, and then realised when I looked down, a few bees interested in my groin area. Time for a sharp exit, I think that was a hint, time to leave, and then one bee followed me back! I normally wear a all-in-one, and note to self, not to wear very thin jogging pants next time!

Did first inspection after doing split with the snelgrove board a few weeks ago. Delighted to spot a beautiful new queen in the top box but no eggs yet, so closed them back up sharpish.
The old queen is still laying well in the bottom box, they have drawn out most of the foundation I gave them and no new queen cells have been made.
There's a big field of peas just coming into flower over the road so I'm hoping the weather stays fine

Bought 3 mini queen mating nucs so reading up on how to use them.

I sat in the garden centre Cafe and watched the smoke rise from a local allotment as the Seasonal Bee Inspector and a Beekeeper burnt EFB infected Brood frames,

it is getting closer to my home apiary

How sad.

Sat on a stool about three feet away from the hive and watched for a new queen I thought I saw orientating earlier. Then saw her fly off with just a few attendants. Hope she does OK.

I collected and hived a swarm today, first time for me completely by myself. It's a very satisfying feeling.