What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Hivemaker.]

Just returned from feeding a few mini nucs, all okay, lots of flying activity in the apiaries, some returning with pollen. Had a pee in the corner of one apiary, then carried on feeding/checking a few more mini nucs, around 15 minutes later wondered what all the activity was in the corner of the apiary, bees love pee, must be warm and nutritious, there were hundreds of them sucking it up from the moss, and this apiary is in a corner where two rivers converge, they only need to fly fifteen ft for fresh water.
Another 60 minis to top up tomorrow.

 

[Tim1606]

Just returned from feeding a few mini nucs, all okay, lots of flying activity in the apiaries, some returning with pollen. Had a pee in the corner of one apiary, then carried on feeding/checking a few more mini nucs, around 15 minutes later wondered what all the activity was in the corner of the apiary, bees love pee, must be warm and nutritious, there were hundreds of them sucking it up from the moss, and this apiary is in a corner where two rivers converge, they only need to fly fifteen ft for fresh water.
Another 60 minis to top up tomorrow.

Make sure you got a full bladder before you leave home.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Had a pee in the corner of one apiary, then carried on feeding/checking a few more mini nucs, around 15 minutes later wondered what all the activity was in the corner of the apiary, bees love pee,

Bees also like sugar - Have a word with your doc in case it's age onset diabetes!

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bees also like sugar - Have a word with your doc in case it's age onset diabetes!

It could save on mixing syrup for them

Problem is i like eating nuts, would i need to put ....may contain nuts on the honey labels.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It could save on mixing syrup for them

Problem is i like eating nuts, would i need to put ....may contain nuts on the honey labels.

Then you'd have to put it on all food labels. Think how many kidneys that water has been through over the millennia?

 

[Michael Palmer]

Bees also like sugar -

And salt, and I think that's what they're after.

We had an outhouse for years. You don't pee in an outhouse. The "spot" in the corner of the yard looked like a swarm in the spring.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It could save on mixing syrup for them

Problem is i like eating nuts, would i need to put ....may contain nuts on the honey labels.

You could even put a spoonful of thymol on your rice crispies (or sugarpuffs) every morning - even more work saved

 

[REDWOOD]

Urine was used to get ride of head lice in medieval times, worth doing one in the hive and watch the varroa drop[

 

[Hivemaker.]

Urine was used to get ride of head lice in medieval times, worth doing one in the hive and watch the varroa drop[

Several articles on the net about using cow urine to kill varroa.

http://www.thebioscan.in/Journals_PDF/9412 RUCHIRA TIWARI_3146.pdf


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afo831EoSh0

 

[madasafish]

Urine was used to get ride of head lice in medieval times, worth doing one in the hive and watch the varroa drop[

It's also good for compost heaps : accelerates decomposition.. FREE..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Urine was used to get ride of head lice in medieval times, worth doing one in the hive and watch the varroa drop[

You carry on - I'm not waving mine around that close to 40 odd thousand
p!ssed off bees

 

[beehive1234]

Gave a hive a new coat of wood preserver,
Urine was also used by women to prepare wool. it was on Country File not so long ago. No wonder they call it Gold.
These days we have been made to believe it is unclean by adverts made by companies that sell it to us. LMAO!!!!!

 

[BrianO]

Just returned from feeding a few mini nucs, all okay, lots of flying activity in the apiaries, some returning with pollen. Had a pee in the corner of one apiary,

Also a great tomatoe fertiliser.... Though try to avoid it as twould be frowned upon to be seen with ones Thunderpants around ones ankles liberally sprinking up at the allotment

Some difference re temp ( not the Pee )

Freezing, literally here all day Minus 8 !!! Monday night and last night Minus 4 !!! Cannot wait for the first crocuses , and to see pollen coming in !

 

[Hivemaker.]

!!! Cannot wait for the first crocuses , and to see pollen coming in !

Lots of snowdrops out in flower now.

 

[Michael Palmer]

We've got snowdrops here too. A foot and a half deep.

 

[Tremyfro]

Bees flying

Lots of bees flying today from Hive1. The mouse guard is on and there was quite a traffic jam! Went to buy paint for the hives. I was able to buy some secondhand poly supers, a roof and a floor from MB.....so a repaint for them and I have some new brood boxes to paint too. Matchy, matchy...sky blue this time. So now I have cream, pale green and sky blue. Turned out the plastic garden tool shed.....recovered some bee stuff. 2 supers, 10 frames...some with wax built on them. Some clear crown boards. A pack of non wired wax sheets. A mouse guard. Oh it was like discovering gold. Sadly, a mouse had nibbled at the polystyrene Nuc but it is still servicable. Hope the mouse has indigestion.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Urine was also used by women to prepare wool. it was on Country File not so long ago.

It was used by fullers and dyers (not just women - trust countryfile to get something wrong again) to fix the dye in the wool - same as dog droppings were used in the leasther tanning process.
A few centuries urine was Newcastle's largest export next to coal (just show's it's traditional to take the p!ss out of geordies )

 

[Marton]

A few centuries urine was Newcastle's largest export next to coal (just show's it's traditional to take the p!ss out of geordies )

I am sure it was the largest import. Urine from London went to the NE in the Colliers as return cargo to be used in the Cleveland Alum industry.

See http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/yorkshire-coast/history/view-page/item634280/


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Brian Bush]

Hedge cutting

I foolishly promised my landlord I would cut the hedge on the road fronting the apiary. Managed to cut along part of one side last week before encountering a technical problem with the 2 stroke hedge-cutter. Went back yesterday and continues along the inside of the hedge. Nasty blackthorn and hawthorn. Various injuries from thorns. Managed to clear approx40 sq m where blackthorn is encroaching into field. Pleased with my work. Now need to borrow a long handled dung fork to remove debris to burn and get access to hedge to continue hedge trimming.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am sure it was the largest import. Urine from London went to the NE in the Colliers as return cargo to be used in the Cleveland Alum industry.

Could be then - just something I picked whilst researching something else