What did you do in the Apiary today?

[maddydog]

Found the remnants of a large swarm on one of my hives. Unlikely to be mine as the queen was unmarked. Obviously been there a while as they were on their last legs. Chucked them in a nuc and fed plenty of lolly water, checked an hour later and all was busy and dry - amazingly robust creatures.

 

[simonforeman]

I must of forgot to put the 1/2 paving slab on one of my paynes garden nucs a few days ago.... wind has blown off the lid and has been rained on. Looking in the side feeder it was 1/3 full of water so been off a while. Looks to be a cluster in middle frames do back on with lid and hope for the best. Not a happy chappy

 

[Murox]

Quick check this afternoon. Cloudy and cool (as usual). Girls eagerly chomping through the remains of a piece of fondant I left on the top bars. Gave 2.5ltrs thymol syrup as this is a chalk brood hive and am waiting for a new queen.

 

[Beefriendly]

Quick check this afternoon. Cloudy and cool (as usual). Girls eagerly chomping through the remains of a piece of fondant I left on the top bars. Gave 2.5ltrs thymol syrup as this is a chalk brood hive and am waiting for a new queen.

Can't quite make out if your bees are keeping you... or you are keeping the bees
Does a honey harvest ever appear in your wild climate?....
I might be tempted to give up and learn crochet...it sounds like very tough beekeeping conditions.

{plays devils advocate}.....perhaps you need some well adapted local bees instead of importing foreign queens .... (Very Big wry grin)...

 

[Murox]

Can't quite make out if your bees are keeping you... or you are keeping the bees
Does a honey harvest ever appear in your wild climate?....
I might be tempted to give up and learn crochet...it sounds like very tough beekeeping conditions.

{plays devils advocate}.....perhaps you need some well adapted local bees instead of importing foreign queens .... (Very Big wry grin)...

I think the answer is 'yes' 'probably', but not necessarily in that order. 'The physical where i am' is decidedly marginal for beekeeping. The local association say that they do not always get a honey harvest. Curiously the weather here is very influenced by the gulf stream and whilst most of uk has been enjoying floods it only rained properly for one day recently. But it is often damp and windy and not as warm as much of the uk. I think we did manage 18C earlier in May, mostly its 14/16C on a good day. The only other problem is the green desert of grassland for sheep and cattle. Although just today I think I spied a small field of OSR in the distance - need to drive to the farm to investigate further - looked like it was just coming into flower or maybe it was finishing. There is always hope

 

[Rosti]

Jesse's Hobbies

"This week I have mostly bin feedin shugar to bees" (for any of you old enough to remember 'the fast show'

 

[Newbeeneil]

Checked the last of my hives for stores. All checked and any light have been give syrup or fondant.
Weather brightening up here in the south and it's nice to see pollen being collected.

 

[coatesg]

"This week I have mostly bin feedin shugar to bees" (for any of you old enough to remember 'the fast show'

I was concerned that two of my colonies had been piling a lot of nectar into the brood chamber and I might need to do something. That was 2 weeks back. I'm less concerned now...

 

[Beefriendly]

I was concerned that two of my colonies had been piling a lot of nectar into the brood chamber and I might need to do something. That was 2 weeks back. I'm less concerned now...

I'm with you there. Most of my brood boxes where getting a little clogged with nectar....hopefully some more laying room now.

 

[thibault]

Same here

Sent from my SM-J710F using Tapatalk

 

[maddydog]

"This week I have mostly bin feedin shugar to bees" (for any of you old enough to remember 'the fast show'

Seriously? Most on here used to listen to the Goon Show with the grandkids sat on their knees!

 

[maddydog]

Queen cells in the incubator and a new round of grafts done.

Seeing rather more varroa than I'd like, that's tomorrow's job.

As for feeding, the ones that were on osr are all still heavy. Nucs and swarms are being fed. Colonies not on osr have had the wet supers put on them, 5+ high so will be fine. All very busy when the sun popped it's head out.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Come home tonight to find this in the apple tree, are these buckfasts ??
Hopefully the pictures clear enough .
Thanks.

Sent from my Nokia 1 using Tapatalk

 

[DaveG23]

Today I mostly watched the girls fly home in that lazy looking way they have when full with nectar. It's a great sight

 

[thibault]

Today and like the 9 last days, I have just been watching the rain.

Sent from my SM-J710F using Tapatalk

 

[For want of a better word]

the title says it all

I applied some fondant to one of my colonies

Me too.... Italians/ stripey /hybrids .. ate ALL of their stores... 3 supers full.. on brood + 1/2 and looked in bad shape... neighbours ... a bit on the darker side still had 2 supers on uncapped... flying in the drizzell!

Chons da

 

[For want of a better word]

Come home tonight to find this in the apple tree, are these buckfasts ??
Hopefully the pictures clear enough .
Thanks.View attachment 16979

Sent from my Nokia 1 using Tapatalk

If they are... they have flown a very long way!!!

( Brill photo BTW !)

Chons da

 

[Millet]

Come home tonight to find this in the apple tree, are these buckfasts ??
Hopefully the pictures clear enough .
Thanks.

I don't think you will ever know what bees they are unless you have a rough idea where the swarm come from.

 

[Curly green fingers]

I don't think you will ever know what bees they are unless you have a rough idea where the swarm come from.

The swarm was 30/40 metres away from my home apiary I put them in a nuc and 2 weeks later they have swarmed .
All local apiarys have local bee's so who now's...
When I put them in a nuc they demolished 1:1 syrup
Straight away , so I think they have travelled up the valley quite a distance.
There not local bee's for sure.
Any one want them??
I've got to many colony's now 6- 30+ in 6 months is enough.

 

[Murox]

Come home tonight to find this in the apple tree, are these buckfasts ??
Hopefully the pictures clear enough .
Thanks.View attachment 16979

Sent from my Nokia 1 using Tapatalk

Looks like a goodly bunch, you probably will never know as Millet said. Hope they are docile and not some mean hybrid.