What did you do in the Apiary today?

[bpmurray]

CHecked the 2 hives in the garden - the heavy one hasn't even started into the fondant, and the other lighter hive is halfways through a block. Both were happily flying and bringing dark yellow/orange pollen (presumably gorse or crocus).

 

[Obee1]

Went to my new farm apiary. Only 8.5 degrees reading on car dashboard in yard - but as I walked into the bees field which is sheltered by trees and barns it was a sun trap. The bees were everywhere, with queues forming at the entrances. really loud buzzing noise filled the air. It was almost like a summers day. Plenty of yellow pollen and some orange being taken in - a fair few bees drinking water on the grass and many seemed to be sunnung themselves on the roof of their hive.
Checked all 4 - two needed fondant top up. As the weather was so warm I took the opportunity to swap my last two wooden crown boards for Perspex and slid the fondant onto top bars. Bees didn't react atall to being exposed to the air.

Well chuffed with my new apiary.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

Four out of five flying in the sunshine today.
Nothing at all from my only wood box. I can hear bees in there but suspect very few. I'm sure I'm going to lose these....what a bummer!!!!!!

I had the same worry . All polys flying but the wooden one . Nothing . They are in there though . Had a peak through the entrance and a large cluster of motionless bees are there . Give it a couple of weeks and no doubt they will wake up .

 

[Erichalfbee]

Give it a couple of weeks and no doubt they will wake up .

Thank you
Fingers crossed.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Bit early for glass crown boards have you seen the weather for next two weeks..... -4° tonight !! Beast from the east next week....

 

[Erichalfbee]

Bit early for glass crown boards

Not if you have insulation on top

 

[Poly Hive]

My experience in colder climes was the polys brooded a good 3 weeks later than the timber units.

Oh dear eh? Slow coaches...

6 weeks later the poly would be at least a couple of frames ahead of brood.

Go figure... water friends water... go read!


PH

 

[pargyle]

Bit early for glass crown boards have you seen the weather for next two weeks..... -4° tonight !! Beast from the east next week....

Not glass ... perspex (or polycarbonate)..it's a much better insulator than glass .. and any crownboard is better with a slab of kingspan on top of it.

 

[Obee1]

I do have a insulation above the Perspex crownboard - and the hives are poly.

 

[linoleum bonypart]

This is the worst part of winter.....leave well alone impatient b##tards

 

[Erichalfbee]

This is the worst part of winter.....leave well alone impatient b##tards

Absolutely true. I can understand beginners' itchy fingers but there is so much good advice availableto leave well alone. Somebody from the Flow forum has posted a video on youtube of a hive inspection they did on the 21st
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5k-aC0PRhw

 

[BrianO]

Up to check on them in Briliant bright sunshine, though 5 degrees. Interesting to see how some colonies are active whilst others have only the odd bee out.

Consistently like this showing the willingness of some to forage at lower temps. Some pollen coming in.

On another topic attended association lecture last night on diseases and Integrated Pest Management, given bu Ex UK Bee Inspector Ian Homer and his wife Ruth.

Was excellent !

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just come back from Rome, itching to get to the bees, so I just popped up to the home apiary and stood between the hives watching them, errr..................do nothing! it's February and d@mn cold!!!! i may go up to the carreg apiary tomorrow and watch the bees do nothing as well (and maybe do the same meself) perhaps I should get a friend to video me standing in the apiary doing nothing and put it on yootoob as an instructional video. maybe I'll include footage of me warming myself at a nice little bonfire made of an unwanted warre (plenty of those around) and a saniflo hive.

On a more positive note, just to keep Dusty happy, he'll be glad to know that to rake in even more cash old Pope Francis has declared it a Jubilee year so a pilgrimage to Rome and a nifty little confession with a dozen or so hail Mary's at one of the Papal Basilicas means I now have a 'Get out of purgatory free' card (the priest starts therapy next week I believe)

 

[linoleum bonypart]

Minus 7° tonight brrrrrrr

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

G@D I LOVE SELLING HONEY. Just saying. There was a thread somewhere several months ago where someone was talking about leaving it all on because it was a pain. BIG mistake, never mind the beekeeping implications.

 

[beeno]

G@D I LOVE SELLING HONEY. Just saying. There was a thread somewhere several months ago where someone was talking about leaving it all on because it was a pain. BIG mistake, never mind the beekeeping implications.

Yes, I have definitely missed my vocation in life too.

 

[shudderdun]

Hi Jenkins --- I was in Rome as well 19th to 23rd --- did I hear the Pope blessing your bees on Sunday !!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Hi Jenkins --- I was in Rome as well 19th to 23rd --- did I hear the Pope blessing your bees on Sunday !!!

he wasn't there last weekend - I think he was in Turin or somewhere. There was talk of a 'private' audience on Tuesday morning but even after numerous phonecalls and emails I had to tell him I was too busy in the end but I'll try to leave a time slot for him on my next visit

 

[Swarm]

After his 'walls and bridges' speach, I'd guess he's hiding from public view after the embarrassing aerial photo of the Vatican city, complete with walls, lol.

 

[Erichalfbee]

There was talk of a 'private' audience on Tuesday morning but even after numerous phonecalls and emails I had to tell him I was too busy in the end but I'll try to leave a time slot for him on my next visit

Sounds like you are eminently qualified to bless your own bees