What did you do in the Apiary today?

[jonnybeegood]

Same here Marton, ive just been standing in my apiary in a sweatshrt watching thousands of missiles coming in & very few going out as a massive black rain/hailstone cloud came over :-(

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Did first OSR harvest of the year, quite a decent return although not as much (so far) as last year. Will do another when its gone over, looking to be around a fortnight up this way

 

[madasafish]

Hail stones here teh size of marbles. My runner beans :sob..

Any bee out in that is now a hasbeen

 

[Fatbee]

Hail stones here teh size of marbles. My runner beans :sob..

I feel your pain - few years ago in late May my runners got hail stoned. Knocked them back but they did re-shoot

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Hail stones here teh size of marbles. My runner beans :sob..

Any bee out in that is now a hasbeen

We had hailstones about two hours ago. They didn't do much harm but the frost a couple of weeks ago have just about killed my two young evodia trees.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

On Saturday got a call from a friend, a friend of hers had a swarm in their garden, had been there for 3 days would I like to go and get it. Hubby was playing cricket so went off for my 1st solo swarm collection.
They had been on the trampoline, but had fallen off on to the grass. Got all my gear to the rear of the property to see the tail end of them leaving. Took all my bits back to the car, popped back around the back as dropped some stuff. Spotted a ball of bees back on the grass where they had originally been, the ball started getting bigger, then it was a case of incoming as they all returned.
Went back to my car got equipment back out again. This time they were good bees. Found the queen, popped her in the hive (Queen excluder undeneath), popped the roof on and left them to it.
Went back at 9.30pm to pick up the hive. All the bees were in the hive, there was a lovely hum and a couple of bees stood at the entrance guarding.
They were busy on Sunday doing ordination flights. Haven't look in here since as weather has been poor, but I had already put two frames of stores in the hive so they should be fine, along with two empty drawn frames, the rest are undrawn.
Has anyone else experienced a swarm leaving and then coming back?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Queen unable to fly as they had been out for three nights?
Well done for saving them, BTW
Crossing my fingers that BBC weather is accurate so that I can get into the hives tomorrow. One on the cusp of making swarm preps and two new queens to check.

 

[Tremyfro]

Mooched about between heavy rain showers. Some brave stalwarts going out. Made plans for moving 14x12 into the long hive.....which is in the Bee Yard...about 150 yards away. Hoping to inspect Hive 2 tomorrow....there may be some OSR honey to extract.....or there may be diddly squat.

 

[beecology]

Checked the AMM drone laying queen which I inseminated with semen collected from her own drones... perfect, she is now laying fertile brood.

Pete, when my queen is ready and arrives, the 1st thing I will do is check her for webbed tarsal claws

 

[Hivemaker.]

Pete, when my queen is ready and arrives, the 1st thing I will do is check her for webbed tarsal claws

Now that could be a useful thing for them in this weather.

 

[beecology]

Now that could be a useful thing for them in this weather.

Swimming/amphibious Buckies - now that's an idea

 

[madasafish]

My bees are raising a petition for umbrellas and central heating.

<10C all day and raining..


The pond is full..My brussel sprout plants are enjoying it. On super has half a comb of bees.
And that's all the good news.

 

[Falesh]

Just checked on the new queen in the hive that was split off my old one. There was unsealed brood so, touch wood, the hive will be a success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gscgnksIH0U

 

[jonnybeegood]

Glorious afternoon, bees going mad again, i strimmed around the Apiary, i will do in the apiary later, dont want to upset them all while theyre making the most of the sun

 

[snelgrove]

Lovely afternoon so just sat in the apiary and enjoyed the hum, and watched the bees. Nowt better

 

[For want of a better word]

Second swarm min two days.... collected on SAME gate post in the lane past the silver mine...... not mine... someone local must be bleeding bees like Billy Oh !


Yeghes da

 

[carrodale]

really odd day. Just had to feed one hive and put supers on 2 others.

 

[beeno]

really odd day. Just had to feed one hive and put supers on 2 others.

Robbing?

 

[wessexmario]

Gave a dose of oxalic vapour at sunset to the swarm that I caught a few days ago. They're drawing comb and no brood yet so a good opportunity to minimise the mites.

 

[Cellectronic]

Watched a mating flight , Spectacular.
Inspected 2 Apidea,s and all still alive . So pleased.