ESBA Apiarist

  1. Grafting again

    Many thanks FD for your assistance last night with the frames, and on Saturday.

    On Saturday we had a grafting session for various enthusiastic newbees and nearly newbees, and a look to see how the new nucs were coming along.

    ESBA1, which featured earlier on here and is largely Amm (thanks Jon) and has daughters in Speyside now, spawned six splits plus the mother. One of these splits failed and yesterday lunchtime I dispersed the frames and remaining bees to neighbours ...

    Updated 17-07-2013 at 05:50 PM by ESBA Apiarist

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  2. Looking forward to spring

    Another quick visit after last night's AGM. By bedding down time early in the winter we'd lost (or fused) a few of those splits that went to Glen Clova and a few weeks ago there were 8 still alive. Now another has gone but the seven survivors are looking more promising. Some of them are strong enough to be able to romp away when spring arrives, though there are still some small enough to struggle to build up ... or fall over that cliff yet.

    The nearby willow is on the point of ...
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  3. November

    Many thanks to Duncan of the East Scotland branch of Butterfly Conservation for coming last night to give that great talk on East of Scotland butterflies and moths.

    A surprising amount of activity at the hives yesterday at lunchtime. The car said that it was 8.5C but a little bit of sun had tempted them out and there was yellow pollen coming in. D's gardener has strimmed the apiary and we could do with tidying the detritus off the hives and stands.

    ...
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  4. A new apiary for the association

    This summer we focussed on increasing the stocks at the apiary, so have ended up with 13 stocks, one of them a drone layer. Of those 13 I loaded 11 into the car and picked up another two at my own apiary. One of these is a strong-ish colony of my own - to show an attempt at cut comb production at the meeting we're having there on Saturday - and another is a cast of mine which went into an association box and is being donated to the club. There is also an empty Swienty hive in the car as one of ...
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  5. Begin at the beginning

    Twenty seven beekeepers signed up for our beginners class in Dundee this year, 21 of them first-timers and 6 who were around last year. They're a fine bunch, as you can see from these pictures.

    Week three and its artificial swarm time already. Now, which box goes where?



    We are trying (trying, mind you) to keep the lessons light and lively. So on Tuesday we had four established beekeepers line up ...

    Updated 08-03-2012 at 09:50 AM by gavin

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