What did you do in the Apiary today?

[REDWOOD]

Thats what I often do too

Feeling the love of the bees

And inhaling the scent of nectar being evaporated......

So many in the world will never experience what we experience

S

No bees there yet, just smiling how lucky I am to get such a wonderful apiary a one acre field on flat land to do what I like.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Thats what I often do too

Feeling the love of the bees

And inhaling the scent of nectar being evaporated......

So many in the world will never experience what we experience

S

Amen to that.

 

[Tom Bick]

Went and opened the little door on the hoarsely board after AS on this full double brood hive yesterday. The 14x12 is the AS from the TBH.

This year I have so far learnt two things. Dont assume they wont build queen cells in the lower brood box and even though the bees are not filling the super at any great rate better if you have even more room when the brood box is that full.


Also I think if things continue I think this year is going to be very interesting and hope I can keep up.

 

[rosco]

Just curiosity is your hive stand on a concrete slab or directly on the ground ?

Sorry to but in but does this affect things? I ask as I had a hive on a concrete surface (elevated above ground level) last year and it suffered with a bit of chalkbrood. Having moved the hive it now sits on a wooden pallet and the situation seems to have improved.

 

[dpearce4]

Went and opened the little door on the hoarsely board after AS on this full double brood hive yesterday. The 14x12 is the AS from the TBH.

This year I have so far learnt two things. Dont assume they wont build queen cells in the lower brood box and even though the bees are not filling the super at any great rate better if you have even more room when the brood box is that full.


Also I think if things continue I think this year is going to be very interesting and hope I can keep up.

I love the black and decker work bench hive stand, you wouldn't be able to do that with a new one that is made out of polycarb.

 

[BeeFarmer]

I love the black and decker work bench hive stand.

 

[Tom Bick]

I love the black and decker work bench hive stand, you wouldn't be able to do that with a new one that is made out of polycarb.

I have just worked out I have had the it 35 years and still going strong.

 

[REDWOOD]

Sorry to but in but does this affect things? I ask as I had a hive on a concrete surface (elevated above ground level) last year and it suffered with a bit of chalkbrood. Having moved the hive it now sits on a wooden pallet and the situation seems to have improved.

Yes, damp rises from grass which seems bring on chalk brood and Wales has it's fair share of damp lol

 

[pargyle]

I've still got one of those early cast aluminium workmates ... still in (occasional) use as it's almost antique. I've also got the next generation of pressed steel ones ... which weren't a patch on the original ... but both far superior to the current plastic and mdf garbage they sell ...

Brilliant idea originally marketed by the inventor, the late Ron Hickman, although he eventually sold the licence to produce them to Black & Decker .. I don't know what his royalties were but they must have sold millions of them ... I hope he made a fortune but I somehow doubt it !

 

[cjhart2]

Made an RTV foundation mould . Just because i wanted to give it a try .

 

[einsteinagogo]

As the weather has gone cold, and rough I thought I would put feeders back on hives, although last time they did not take any, so this time I spent more time trickling the syrup until they came up the syrup trails, but after waiting 45 minutes, still did not take any syrup. I leave on and be patient.

fed both hives at Apirary No.2 with rapid 4 pint feeders 1:1, new fresh brace comb being built in hive2, this is a larger colony.

 

[Cazza]

As the weather has gone cold, and rough I thought I would put feeders back on hives, although last time they did not take any, so this time I spent more time trickling the syrup until they came up the syrup trails, but after waiting 45 minutes, still did not take any syrup. I leave on and be patient.

fed both hives at Apirary No.2 with rapid 4 pint feeders 1:1, new fresh brace comb being built in hive2, this is a larger colony.

Are you sure they need feeding at this time of year? Maybe it's very different in Yorkshire but it's supers on all round here.
Cazza

 

[Erichalfbee]

Andy, when did you last look into the bees?

They need at most two frames of stores to get them through to next weekly inspection, even if they are confined for all that week.

Bees don't need feeding like pets....they are very good at making excess for the leaner days. Feed and swarm at this time of year .........

 

[einsteinagogo]

Are you sure they need feeding at this time of year? Maybe it's very different in Yorkshire but it's supers on all round here.
Cazza

on my other colony which may have swarmed! yes supers are on.

these are two small overwintered nucs, transferred into national hives, 7 days ago. 6 frames, frame of foundation either side, dummied down, and insulated. clear crownboard, and frame of foundations not drawn out yet. lots of forage OSR, field beans, but not much comb drawing.

tried original 1:1 syrup, and thrown at day 3. so put back on. (yesterday).

was going to inspect today, but weather is windy and raining.

 

[Tim.S]

Quick inspection this morning - they have not used the new supers I put on last week as the weather has been pants to the tune of 77mm of rain over 7 days. My small hive (one deep box) had a lovely Carnolian queen running around and then I spotted a huge supercedure cell in the middle of one of the frames. This hive has been well mannered but has not really expanded as quickly as I would have liked. Obviously the girls have decided to do something about it!

 

[einsteinagogo]

Andy, when did you last look into the bees?

They need at most two frames of stores to get them through to next weekly inspection, even if they are confined for all that week.

Bees don't need feeding like pets....they are very good at making excess for the leaner days. Feed and swarm at this time of year .........

7 days ago, when they were transferred from overwinter nucs to national hives.

other colony may have swarmed, didn't feed that, they are on two supers, and forage on OSR.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Installed my second Paynes Buckfast nuc, with a modified nuc box on top as double brood.

 

[einsteinagogo]

inspected colony at Apiary No.1, reduce to 1 sealed queen cell, and closed up.

inspected colonies at Apiary No.2, both no.1 and no.2 hive taking 1:1 syrup , so the trickling with syringe for 45 minutes has done the trick, will check on levels, and top up if required, hope they now start drawing out comb.

 

[Suzi Q]

Checked a colony to see if the one (ha ha!) Q cell had emerged. Heard piping so thought that's alright then, but then heard answering quacking from the still capped Q cell, the one that I had saved after culling the others. Must have missed a cell, how does that happen! So made up a mating nuc for the piping virgin, and let out the other virgin. The bees gave her a real scragging but she managed to break away, and scuttled off into the hive, heard her piping, so hope she is accepted. I was tempted to leave them to it and let them fight it out after pulling the virgin in the still capped cell, but thought why waste a queen.

 

[TOBY-3652]

checked the swarm that arrived on the 24th and seen eggs today. seen queen cells with grubs in in one of my hives so queen in new box then 2 supers then snelgrove board then roof.. thought I would try it.. don't want 2 many this year and I know I will end up with too many as it is