What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Swarm]

Balsam has kicked in.

 

[beeno]

Sadly, no ghost bees here if that was directed at me.

 

[Glenviewbee]

Responses.

Yes, the top clearer board is reversed. The large holes are on the underside and the exit holes are topside.

Weather .... I choose when I set the stack up. I want flying conditions during the 24 hours.

Robbing .... When taking the stack away I would have expected to see robbers circling the stack. Doesn't happen. Stack is often quiet.

Residue ... I often find that a handful of bees refuse to leave one of the supers. I brush these off when I get the supers home.

I have used the off hive system for several years. I prefer it to the usual on hive system.

I gave this method a go - think I made a critical error in creating the stack too far away from the main apiary so I essentially ended up making a honey magnet from the aroma coming through the clearer boards - there were bees EVERYWHERE trying to get back into the boxes.

Might try again next year, but create the stack in the apiary as was advised in the original post.....

 

[Anduril]

Balsam has kicked in.

You're only a few miles from me, mine kicked in a month ago. 2 hives filling 1 super each and another filling 2 supers after I put the supers back on.

 

[Herbalist]

Woodwork

I have already started to expand the number of hives available for next spring. I built the carcass of a gabled roof using my new lock-mitre bit for the joints. Over the next couple of days I will be building 2 more.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Checked on one colony that I'd left with a super of crystallised stores just under a week back - over 60% cleared.

 

[Eyeman]

Environment agency vans parked and gangs hacking down the Balsam.
I suspect half the Balsam has already seeded so not sure the strategy is sound!

 

[madasafish]

View attachment 14665

Environment agency vans parked and gangs hacking down the Balsam.
I suspect half the Balsam has already seeded so not sure the strategy is sound!

And hitting with a blunt instrument is an ideal - indeed, near perfect - way of releasing the seeds from their pods....

 

[Swarm]

You're only a few miles from me, mine kicked in a month ago. 2 hives filling 1 super each and another filling 2 supers after I put the supers back on.

That's the way it goes, this is the first evidence of any kind of flow since the beginning of July.

 

[drex]

After three days have taken all my extracted supers off the hives, where I had put them for cleaning up. All clean as a whistle. Will be stacked tomorrow, sulphur burned, and then ratchet strapped for winter. Will do a second sulphur burn in a month.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

View attachment 14665

Environment agency vans parked and gangs hacking down the Balsam.
I suspect half the Balsam has already seeded so not sure the strategy is sound!

Thank god for the idiots

 

[beeno]

Pulled out the inspection boards an inch to see if I could see any varroa from the MAQS treatment on four hives. Been on for coming up to three days and it looks like I am going to get my heaviest drop in the last six years! Last treatment in September which I was pleased with, so did not do oxalic in the winter.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Replaced a double hive stand at the home apiary as it's looking a bit rickety so needs a spruce up (well I suppose two colonies with a sum total of four brood boxes and sixteen supers over the summer is bound to take it's toll.
Apaiary is absolutely reeking of heather honey with bees going like the clappers - put additional supers n some of the hives.

 

[For want of a better word]

Thank god for the idiots

Idiots indeed... and wasting Public money to boot.

What may I ask are they EA going to plant to replace the riparian niche that the balsom has occupied?

Bad Science driven by a Tory MP who has as his qualification an O level in English Literature!

I did nothing in the apiary today!

Yeghes da

 

[Erichalfbee]

3 supers nadired. Feeders in place but not all in use.
Three boxes are good to go feeding themselves so far.
That's it for this year.
Next year is always better
Could be worse. Could be in Texas where climate change is a no show

 

[Swarm]

Balsam must be near done, the bees have slowed down on it. We just don't have enough of it to take advantage. Put clearer boards under ten supers, it was noticeable how awful the weather has been in July and August and how much they have used.
Found a gorgeous supersedure queen in one of my near native, donor colonies. Jet black and flipping fast, I hope she matches her mother.
Had a pleasant surprise from one colony where the queen is on borrowed time as they have a pretty bad chalk brood problem. Some very heavy supers, the best of the lot in fact and a very busy entrance.
As bad as it was, it hasn't hampered their ability so what to do now? Has she bought herself a stay of execution? They were all lined up ready for a unite with that previous colony, part of a numbers reduction ... jury still out.
Finished the inspection with my 2015 queen and her totally laid back bees.

 

[protheroe]

Replaced a double hive stand at the home apiary as it's looking a bit rickety so needs a spruce up (well I suppose two colonies with a sum total of four brood boxes and sixteen supers over the summer is bound to take it's toll.
Apaiary is absolutely reeking of heather honey with bees going like the clappers - put additional supers n some of the hives.

That's good news as there was hardly anything in supers last week

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Idiots indeed... and wasting Public money to boot.

What may I ask are they EA going to plant to replace the riparian niche that the balsom has occupied?

Bad Science driven by a Tory MP who has as his qualification an O level in English Literature!

I did nothing in the apiary today!

Yeghes da

No worries, the bashing will have spread the seed far and wide. Plus their feet will have embedded the seeds.
It's a classic example of the law of unintended consequences

 

[masterBK]

Put test combs into four colonies that superseded at least three weeks ago (incomplete supersedure where daughter kills mother) as nothing laying in them and couldn't find the queens (although in two colonies bees were calm and there were patches of polished cells so I suspect a queen is present and will begin to lay shortly). Gave them a feed to encourage queens to lay. Have 3 queens in Apidea in reserve just in case.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Packed up a colony going to a neighbour. Sitting in the drive overnight.