What did you do in the Apiary today?

[masterBK]

11 C today Helped a friend trickle OA into 36 Mod Commercial hives. All done within an hour, Also hefted them most still quite heavy and most colonies occupying 7 or 8 seams although a few on just 3 or 4 and a couple on 9 seams.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I often have OA condensing onto the OMF and I make sure I brush it off when next vaping. Again not sure why it does this.

A strange penomenon with no ryme nor reason; I've observed on the same hive having four vapes, sometimes there's not a speck left on the metal tray and sometimes there is - today's round and four out of five hives, nothing deposited on the tray, one had loads - I know that plenty of vapour went into the hive as it was coming out of the underfloor entrance and higher up - I was wondering whether it's linked to the bees' reaction, the bees were still low down at the bottom of the brood box and there was a lot more fanning in that hive which may be causing a pressure buffer pushing some of the sublimate back down on to the tray?
All my floors are identical - three inches between the steel plate and mesh floor

 

[Etton]

A strange penomenon with no ryme nor reason; I've observed on the same hive having four vapes, sometimes there's not a speck left on the metal tray and sometimes there is -....
I sometimes wonder if it’s how the OA is placed on the metal spoon of the wand. Could it be when the OA is pressed in slightly too hard on the metal spoon, so it’s compressed rather than loose....or vice versa ie the OA is all too loose.

 

[Erichalfbee]

A strange penomenon with no ryme nor reason; I've observed on the same hive having four vapes, sometimes there's not a speck left on the metal tray and sometimes there is -....
I sometimes wonder if it’s how the OA is placed on the metal spoon of the wand. Could it be when the OA is pressed in slightly too hard on the metal spoon, so it’s compressed rather than loose....or vice versa ie the OA is all too loose.

Anybody use tablets under the omf?
How do they perform?

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Strapped the hives down as the next storm approaches. Very strong winds expected through the night and into tomorrow.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

With bottom bee space it should fine. That’s how most people did it when the varrox first came out.
I must admit I singed a few bottom bars but I have top space.
You could buy a sublimox and vape from the top or above the omf

I'll give it a try through the entrance and see if the same thing happens. I am bbs. Might try tablets as well - hadn't thought of that.
Thanks for your thoughts Dani - appreciated.

 

[Helen]

In my Maisemore poly nucs, I used their feeder to provide syrup to them during autumn. Went to pop on a little fondant, and found I couldn't get the removable divider out of the feeder. Stuck solid. Was actually damaging the base of the divider trying to shift it. So had to pop a little fondant into the bit where the bees come up and access the syrup. Kinda defeats the object of a removable divider in the feeder if it can't be removed.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In my Maisemore poly nucs, I used their feeder to provide syrup to them during autumn. Went to pop on a little fondant, and found I couldn't get the removable divider out of the feeder. Stuck solid. Was actually damaging the base of the divider trying to shift it. So had to pop a little fondant into the bit where the bees come up and access the syrup. Kinda defeats the object of a removable divider in the feeder if it can't be removed.

they can be removed on all mine, but to be realistic, they are not really meant to be removable, it's just the only way to manufacture them with the gap at the bottom for the syrup to flow is to mould them without the two partitions and add them afterwards

 

[Angry_Mob]

Better with the BS Honey Bees poly nuc, they have the removable plug among other benefits.

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Watched bees flying from all four hives and taking in yellow pollen - mahonia from one I planted last year and a huge one next door.
9c top temp and a strong gusting wind.

 

[drex]

Cold but dry. Ideal for chipping off wax and propolis, so scraped down all the boxes in store. All comb in good condition. The cheaper alternative to certan certainly works.
Next job will be to bring all the old frames back for boiling in the burko.
I do not scorch boxes as I see no point in burning off the propolis the bees have carefully coated them in ( no disease has been evident)

 

[Newbeeneil]

Spent the day with a mate trickling Apibioxal on 40 hives over 13 sites. Nice day with a hint of sun, chilly (8 deg) and windy.
Most hives clustered with between 4 and 10 frames on single brood. The one exception re clustering was the long hive in my garden with 2" PIR insulation in the walls and 4" above the crown board. They were all over the top of the frames and straight up as soon as we took the crown board off!

 

[Antipodes]

Spend the day chasing leatherwood in the rainforest wilderness. Not a road or house for 60 miles and then the ocean. Summer max of just 10c there today.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Spend the day chasing leatherwood in the rainforest wilderness. Not a road or house for 60 miles and then the ocean. Summer max of just 10c there today.

Is that like our Eucryphia ? I have one in the garden. It was absolutely smothered in blossom and bees this year. It must be wonderful to have a whole forest of it.

 

[madasafish]

£c
Waent to vape Association hives with ApiBioxal.
Rained some of the time - as if we need it!

That's most of my beekeeping finished for this year.. with very cold fingers...

 

[Heather]

Topped up some fondant on lighter hives and checked all entrances were clear..All looking good.

 

[Swinton apiaries]

When around all sites checking hives still
Up right and all roofs still on and mouse guards still on all good and safe and sound

 

[Angry_Mob]

Did winter sublimation treatment, was putting it off because of the cold weather but forgot how quick and easy it is with the Sublimox.

 

[deemann1]

Added fondant to a couple of hives today one was very light

 

[Antipodes]

Is that like our Eucryphia ? I have one in the garden. It was absolutely smothered in blossom and bees this year. It must be wonderful to have a whole forest of it.

Yes Dani, that's the one. A beautiful cool temperate rainforest tree which would grow fine in the UK as long as they are kept well watered in summer, (centre of photo shows young leatherwood. Myrtle lower right). I got in early but very excited to get some bees in there. The trees are a couple of weeks away from flowering. The long trip on bumpy roads worked the bees up and they hammered me when I released them. Second photo shows the forest recovering slowly from the fires.