What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Erichalfbee]

What lovely frames of brood

 

[denise washington]

tried to find a drone laying queen been through brood box 4 times and cant find her do you think she knows something

 

[Erichalfbee]

I wouldn't bother.
Shake them out after a really thorough smoking

 

[Tremyfro]

We did the last treatment for nosema for all the colonies...on the premise that if the slow colony had it the chances were that the others did too. Hopefully we have reduced the nosema load somewhat.
The slow colony has increased dramatically...lots more brood...so happy about that. We will take a sample next week to check the level of nosema.
The colony we swopped to give it more bees has a lot more brood too...so much that we decided to give it a second brood box. Although, now we have heard the weather forecast we rather wish we had delayed!
The supers on one beehaus significantly heavier...but that will probably change with this cold wet weather we are supposed to get.
The second beehaus which had queen cells last week, which we removed to nucs, has made a couple more...so I guess our queen did go awol.... anyone in Glamorgan picking up a swarm with a blue queen which answers to the name Naughty Buckie...please return her...we miss her. We left them with one queen cell. I shall never miss the clue of backfilling with nectar in the brood nest again for swarm preparations.
The three nucs were left alone to do their thing. I think I heard a queen singing in one of them...it was quite low pitched so may have been a drone. I'm going to listen again tomorrow with my stethoscope.

 

[Helen]

Got a call to check out a swarm. Person had noticed a bee swarm in the wheel hub of their car. But they needed to go to work, so drove off with it. Bees survived the 10 miles drive along bumpy country lanes. Some crawled out over the back of the car. Person needed to go home, so got in the car again and drove off, leaving a small cluster of bees which promptly took up residence in another car's wheel arch.

By the time I got there, there was nothing left to see. Only a few bees wandering around looking for home.

If the main swarm has survived being driven around, I'll go back tomorrow to see what I can do.

 

[For want of a better word]

Grafted.

Nos da

 

[For want of a better word]

Got a call to check out a swarm. Person had noticed a bee swarm in the wheel hub of their car. But they needed to go to work, so drove off with it. Bees survived the 10 miles drive along bumpy country lanes. Some crawled out over the back of the car. Person needed to go home, so got in the car again and drove off, leaving a small cluster of bees which promptly took up residence in another car's wheel arch.

By the time I got there, there was nothing left to see. Only a few bees wandering around looking for home.

If the main swarm has survived being driven around, I'll go back tomorrow to see what I can do.

How many would you expect to get in a Goodyear?

Nos da

 

[MuswellMetro]

Extract OSR honey as OSR flow has now stopped

a picture says it all

 

[sugarbush]

Started a new apiary today

I was given a location on a local organic farm last season, but didn't ever get around to placing hives there.

I put two there today and may add more if they do well. I like that they don't spray their gardens and the area is fenced so I like the security. The raised beds the owner build completely out of salvaged bricks and landscape tiles over 10 years. The property is 50 acres with three fenced gardens like the one pictured and two fruit orchards. I am hopeful it works out to be a good location.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Just back from telling the bees that my beloved old collie who was my shadow for 14 years was put to sleep this morning.........sigh

 

[Fritillary]

Oh Erica, you must be feeling simply bereft. I am so sorry.

 

[JWF]

How many would you expect to get in a Goodyear?

Nos da

365?

 

[JWF]

Sorry to hear about your dog Erica. I've still got a big picture of my smelly old Labrador on the fridge two years after we lost him - he still gets a tickle on the nose when I get the milk out x

 

[Brigsy]

Sorry to hear that Erica. Sometimes having a little furry mate breaks ones heart.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Just back from telling the bees that my beloved old collie who was my shadow for 14 years was put to sleep this morning.........sigh

Sorry to hear that Dani - doesn't matter how many times you have to do it, it never gets any easier.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

This morning, in between rain showers and meetings - Demarree'd nother couple of hives - Glorious afternoon so decided to put one or two mundane work jobs away until this evening and popped down to Garn cottage, demarree'd anothr hive and marked the queen - this is great, this seeing lark. Only two queens unmarked now - one I've seen but she was just too skittish to catch (jumped onto my hand then quickly went down between two frames and hid somewhere in the bottom recesses) and the other just doesn't want to be found.
Prepared some mating nucs for populating tomorrow (hope the weather holds!)

 

[Goran]

Checking m. nucs, split, checking some splits.. Black locust forage still on, if could maintain for couple mor days such decent weather the bees would compensate disastrous start and give some for extraction..
Tomorrow Apiary 2 on the schedule.. After "pay job"..

 

[Obee1]

Been giving my smoker a long overdue spring clean. Got fed up with it going out all the time and not giving much smoke when it did stay lit. After giving it a 24 hour bath using a whole packet of washing soda and much scraping it is nearly clean - it seems there was a large obstruction of tar like rock inside the lid. Managed to break it into rubble that rattles but not managed to get it all out yet despite poking through the holes with a knitting needle. Beginning to think I may have to take a tin opener to the inside cover of the lid to get the bits out. I assume this problem has been caused by me using broken up pine cones in my fuel - they seem to leave a sticky residue.
Or maybe I should buy a new smoker - and clean it more often!

 

[sugarbush]

Been giving my smoker a long overdue spring clean. Got fed up with it going out all the time and not giving much smoke when it did stay lit. After giving it a 24 hour bath using a whole packet of washing soda and much scraping it is nearly clean - it seems there was a large obstruction of tar like rock inside the lid.

Other than a scrape out with a hive tool once in a while, I haven't cleaned my smoker since I got it, probably 15-20 years ago. I burn burlap from old coffee bags I get from the local coffee roaster.

 

[sugarbush]

Just back from telling the bees that my beloved old collie who was my shadow for 14 years was put to sleep this morning.........sigh

The only thing better than bees is a trusty dog. I know how you feel, I lost my beagle after 13 years together last fall. She was a great dog, but was smart enough to run for cover if I started opening hives. She would go in the house if we were at home or jump back in the truck if at an outyard....Then on the ride home she would stare at me like I was nuts and she was unsure she should be riding with me.