What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Lolly Bee]

There are so many comments that could be made about draughty bottoms!

 

[Macbear]

Temperature in the higher teens, and my hives are in a sheltered spot, so inspection time. One hive has responded well to my having to take down a huge lot of wild comb which the Q had somehow got into. All bees shaken into the BB and a QE placed on top with a super that they have for their own stores. Next week a super for me to be added as plenty of stores, most uncapped. Second hive will need a second visit for the purpose of making a split - several Q cells, but a gardening issue made it impossible to get to frames without making my beesuit dirty. So tidy shed tomorrow and do the split on Thursday when the weather promises to be conducive. The local bee inspector had sent out a warning of bee starvation in my neck of the woods - thankfully they could not have been further from the situation in my hives!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

making my beesuit dirty

is there any other kind?

 

[Moobee]

OA vaped the two nucs and hive in the out apiary and also had a new queen fly off! Wouldn’t normally poke around but they keep making charged QCs despite a new queen so only went in to knock them down. First frame gently out and she’s off!
Hung around for a bit and closed up very slowly so crossed fingers she returns…
One of the home hives was gearing up to swarm with slabs of brood, lots of drones and play cups all over the place so queenie has been split away into a nuc.
Just waiting for OH to ask why hive numbers are increasing again!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

slabs of brood, lots of drones and play cups all over the place

so no QCs, so not swarming. Or should Wally Shaw change the title of his book to 'there are drones in my hive - what should I do?'

 

[Moobee]

so no QCs, so not swarming. Or should Wally Shaw change the title of his book to 'there are drones in my hive - what should I do?'

Pre-emptive split. Catch them before they go into full swarm mode.

 

[JamezF]

is there any other kind?

A new one.

James

 

[The Poot]

OA vaped the two nucs and hive in the out apiary and also had a new queen fly off! Wouldn’t normally poke around but they keep making charged QCs despite a new queen so only went in to knock them down. First frame gently out and she’s off!
Hung around for a bit and closed up very slowly so crossed fingers she returns…
One of the home hives was gearing up to swarm with slabs of brood, lots of drones and play cups all over the place so queenie has been split away into a nuc.
Just waiting for OH to ask why hive numbers are increasing again!

Doh!
Was it your BMH queen?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Pre-emptive split. Catch them before they go into full swarm mode.

I can't seem to see any evidence they are anywhere near about to swarm, or do you just split every colony as soon as they start building up 'just in case?'

 

[hemo]

OA vaped the two nucs and hive in the out apiary and also had a new queen fly off! Wouldn’t normally poke around but they keep making charged QCs despite a new queen so only went in to knock them down. First frame gently out and she’s off!
Hung around for a bit and closed up very slowly so crossed fingers she returns…
One of the home hives was gearing up to swarm with slabs of brood, lots of drones and play cups all over the place so queenie has been split away into a nuc.
Just waiting for OH to ask why hive numbers are increasing again!

No QC's and , slabs of broods and lots of drones !!!
A prime candidate for a Demeree and a large foraging force for a good flow waiting.

Drones are not a precursor to swarming , otherwise colonies would swarm every other week. The only precursor is a charged QC.

 

[pargyle]

Opened all mine up for the first time - pleasantly surprised - plenty of stores - lots of fresh nectar in the supers - indeed, added a second super to one colony that had half filled the first super. Added a frame of stores to the colony I transferred into a full hive a couple of days ago - there was fresh nectar coming in but it's a huge colony so it's there if they need it. Loads of BIAS in all colonies - no queen cells - bees generally well behaved but one bee was really persistent pinging my veil. I was just finishing up and clearing stuff away and I thought she had given in and as my glasses had slid down my nose, I to the opportunity to push them back up through my veil ... silly mistake as she must have been lurking waiting for the the opportunity for a kamikaze dive and stung me on the end of my nose ! That made my eyes water but I pushed the sting off immediately and grabbed a couple of antihistamines and apart from a stiff upper lip not too bad !

So .. really pleased - good start to the season - the horse chestnuts and hawthorn are in full bloom and I suspect they are taking advantage of them in the sunshine down here today. I usually leave any spring crop on the hives as they inevitably need it - anything they don't eat gets added to the summer crop and extracted at the end of August. Good start to the season though ... for someone who is not a proper beekeeper.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Drones are not a precursor to swarming

it seems that people have conflated presence of drones to be a sign of swarming on this forum now.

 

[pargyle]

it seems that people have conflated presence of drones to be a sign of swarming on this forum now.

Loads of drone brood in my colonies - there usually is .. but not a single queen cell. I agree presence of drones (particularly at this time of year) has little bearing on the colonies desire to swarm ... drones are just the natural order of things in beekeeping - the colony's desire to see it's genes passed on (good or bad !).

 

[Sutty]

I'd be quite concerned if they didn't have drones by now!

 

[Curly green finger's]

No QC's and , slabs of broods and lots of drones !!!
A prime candidate for a Demeree and a large foraging force for a good flow waiting.

Drones are not a precursor to swarming , otherwise colonies would swarm every other week. The only precursor is a charged QC.

Finman always use to say two weeks before charges queen cells was the time frame

 

[pargyle]

Finman always use to say two weeks before charges queen cells was the time frame

Can you try that sentence again please ? Two weeks before what ?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Finman always use to say two weeks before charges queen cells was the time frame

time frame for what?

 

[Do224]

time frame for what?

A pre-emptive split? Not sure how you’d know you were two weeks before they were about to charge a cell though…

 

[pargyle]

A pre-emptive split? Not sure how you’d know you were two weeks before they were about to charge a cell though…

If you listen carefully at the wall of the hive with a stethoscope you can hear the committee shouting 'CHARGE ....!'

 

[Curly green finger's]

If you listen carefully at the wall of the hive with a stethoscope you can hear the committee shouting 'CHARGE ....!'

As long as they don’t all charge at me
Have to ask finman