What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Ian123]

http://beekeepers.amazingbees.com.au/european-honeybees.html

 

[For want of a better word]

Off topic, does anyone know are there in Australia beside A.m.ligustica and A.m. Caucasica other bee strains. I mean are there buckfast, carnica or..?
If someone is familiar with..

A m mellifera in Tasmania..... massive crops of honey from leatherwood and the understory vegetation.

Chons da

 

[Goran]

Thanks both.

 

[Hebeegeebee]

I picked up the timber for my new apiary shed today. The sawmill was supposed to supply Hemlock but they had problems producing it so supplied it in cedar.
The timber for a 6x12 shed for £250 in cedar...... no bad eh?

Turn the timber into hives instead!

 

[Codford]

"Bit of a blow" (50mph +) incoming in the SW later this pm. Checked all hives strapped down to paving slabs and 3 bricks on each (poly 14x12s)

 

[Finman]

Off topic, does anyone know are there in Australia beside A.m.ligustica and A.m. Caucasica other bee strains. I mean are there buckfast, carnica or..?
If someone is familiar with..

Carniolan queens are sold there.
.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Turn the timber into hives instead!

This cedar was a cheap lot they had but it's full of knots so ok for a shed but not much good for hives. The cedar I buy for hives costs £17/cubic foot from them and this lot worked out at £11.

I spent the last couple of days building the shed but it will take a couple more to finish it!

 

[linoleum bonypart]

A m mellifera in Tasmania..... massive crops of honey from leatherwood and the understory vegetation.

Chons da

Leatherwood honey is gorgeous !!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Leatherwood honey is gorgeous !!

I reckon the only thing good about any honey is selling it

 

[For want of a better word]

I reckon the only thing good about any honey is selling it

AND for a price that gives a good price for all the bloody hard work in collecting and processing it!!

Chons da

 

[Into the lions den]

A m mellifera in Tasmania..... massive crops of honey from leatherwood and the understory vegetation.

Chons da

I think you need to check your sources better...........

The Amm reserve is tiny...and the number of colonies tiny.

The crops are not large, and they are plagued by foulbrood from time to time.

I had a guy work here (the term 'work' was applied rather loosely in his case! Only guy I ever had to fire twice) who had 'helped' there and we made an arrangement to re=import some of the stock for a trial.

Turned out there were only about 40 colonies there even when all full, and they had discovered AFB in them.

No queens were ever made available.

The big leatherwood producers use ligustica.

However....maybe of more significant scale is the Cape York peninsula. Never saw the bees in person but was supplied photos....the 'bush bees' up there are reportedly all old style Amm. Nippy and hard to manage, and working on a reversed season apparently, but could be stock worth looking at.

Several Australian breeders.......not in Western Australia which is the only place we can source from.....also have carnica available. Once bought carnica from NSW. Very nice too, but NZ stock was better.

 

[For want of a better word]

I think you need to check your sources better...........

The Amm reserve is tiny...and the number of colonies tiny.

The crops are not large, and they are plagued by foulbrood from time to time.

I had a guy work here (the term 'work' was applied rather loosely in his case! Only guy I ever had to fire twice) who had 'helped' there and we made an arrangement to re=import some of the stock for a trial.

Turned out there were only about 40 colonies there even when all full, and they had discovered AFB in them.

No queens were ever made available.

Seems foulbrood is a problem all over the world
.

The big leatherwood producers use ligustica.

Only around the coastal areas apparently.. as the Italian bees can not survive in the interior?

However....maybe of more significant scale is the Cape York peninsula. Never saw the bees in person but was supplied photos....the 'bush bees' up there are reportedly all old style Amm. Nippy and hard to manage, and working on a reversed season apparently, but could be stock worth looking at.

Several Australian breeders.......not in Western Australia which is the only place we can source from.....also have carnica available. Once bought carnica from NSW. Very nice too, but NZ stock was better.

Sincere apologies......

Information is probably from 10 years ago when I was in contact with a beekeeper in Tasmania and was attempting to get samples to evaluate with the (then) latest DNA technology.... believe the poor old chap passed away.... he was in confrontation and a legal battle to stop the leatherwood from being chopped down and clear felled in some areas.

I never have claimed to be the No1 all knowing beekeeper in the world... however nice to see the player being kicked firmly into touch as soon as Amm is mentioned!

Meur ras

 

[Goran]

Thanks to ITLD also.
I had no intention to start some bee vs bee debate, I was just curious.
Best to all and my gratitude for sharing.
Forgot.. Today sunny and I was in the field whole day in t shirt.. I must admit more and more I appreciate warmth and sun.. Once I was all snow and winter fan.. Bees were on black nightshade, mostly I noticed pale yellow pollen are gathering, bumble bees are at lilac sage.. But overall most of them remain in the hives..

 

[Wingy]

Made a new floor, under floor entrance with the ability to put in a reduced or tunnel entrance block if needed. This year I had a mixture of both with no issues so will see how the combined one works next season.

 

[foghornleghorn]

Sincere apologies......

Information is probably from 10 years ago when I was in contact with a beekeeper in Tasmania and was attempting to get samples to evaluate with the (then) latest DNA technology.... believe the poor old chap passed away.... he was in confrontation and a legal battle to stop the leatherwood from being chopped down and clear felled in some areas.

I never have claimed to be the No1 all knowing beekeeper in the world... however nice to see the player being kicked firmly into touch as soon as Amm is mentioned!

Meur ras

There's a lot of packages made there every march for export, might be pushing the bigger producers away from the amm types

 

[Wingy]

Sat and watched this afternoon lots of bees coming & going, still lots of pollen coming in

 

[Goran]

Losses keep piling even real winter didn't show its teeth yet.. Causes which I deducted, no preventive treatments against nosema ( cerana), ill antivarroa treatments, no queen change ( old, old and really don't know how old..), late or insufficient feeding.
On Sunday I digged through complete one apiary ( again I got fired up with stories about losses), all seems normal, bees are down deep where they should be. If they were above frames I would be definitely worry more cause nosema than stores..

How is old say: "Until dusk falls for one man, dawn cannot come for another".. Seems I will have chance in spring to sell colonies and not to play too much with Dzierzon.. I wish I have more time for queens and royal jelly to play with.. Or then will be easier for me to go away.. Will see..

 

[Goran]

I think I saw this one pierce a bee as juice tetra pak, now I manage to take a picture, also seen such one but red colored also same way " sucks" a bee..
It looks really nasty and doesn't seems native insect to our area..
This one was lurking at the edge of hive roof..

 

[Goran]

I think I saw this one pierce a bee as juice tetra pak, now I manage to take a picture, also seen such one but red colored also same way " sucks" a bee..
It looks really nasty and doesn't seems native insect to our area..
This one was lurking at the edge of hive roof..

If I understand well it is kissing bug... Another thing we were gifted from America..

What a joy for me

 

[SDM]

Behind with my reading.....Is it on his site or published in ABJ?

Both now. He still gets an occasional anomalous result, but has it pretty nailed down now. Results from either of the best recipes are excellent.