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Thread: todays news

  1. #3831
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    OSR here is only about 10" high at best, and some appears to have been really hammered by beetles/bad weather

  2. #3832
    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatshark View Post
    OSR here is only about 10" high at best, and some appears to have been really hammered by beetles/bad weather
    Must admit, the bees aren't as strong as normal for this time of year... Mind the osr on this particular holding is three weeks behind last year according to the farm records so it probably balances out.
    Last edited by prakel; 18-04-2018 at 08:51 AM.

  3. #3833
    Senior Member Bridget's Avatar
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    I think that here in the Highlands we are only about a week behind last year, though the snowdrops were later. I have a photo of snow taken on the 25th April last year where I can see some bushes nearly in leaf and some drooping daffs. IMO I think that the advantage of being near the mountains means that we do get some good spells of “alpine” weather during the winter when the bees get a chance to fly in the sun and my bees will fly at 4 degrees if it’s sunny. Anyway, all 4 hives through the winter and collecting large amounts of pollen from a neighbours Salix Alba Argentea, the first tree out around here. Even the pathetic swarm that seemed to be dwindling going into winter has 2 lines of what Fatshark calls broken biscuits, though it’s still only just 4 frames of bees at present. photo taken last Friday, you can see the bees against the blue sky.


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  4. #3834
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Anyone any idea what they're on in deepest Fife? I opened boxes near the coast today and they all had winter stores and a trace of new nectar, but lashings of pollen. In contrast, inland the brood boxes are filling fast with nectar. One strong box was nearly full and on ~6-7 frames of brood. This was atypical; most were weaker, some much weaker. No appreciable different between the poly and cedar boxes .

  5. #3835
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fatshark View Post
    Anyone any idea what they're on in deepest Fife? I opened boxes near the coast today and they all had winter stores and a trace of new nectar, but lashings of pollen. In contrast, inland the brood boxes are filling fast with nectar. One strong box was nearly full and on ~6-7 frames of brood. This was atypical; most were weaker, some much weaker. No appreciable different between the poly and cedar boxes .
    I had a flow from my strongest colonies two years ago at a site a mile or so away from your inland one and recovered some honey. Pretty sure it was willow. They're certainly hitting the willow where they can with large amounts of pollen in the comb. Sallow/goat willow signs are like OSR: yellow on the face and big gobs on the legs, sometimes an all-over covering of the stuff too. This year (for me anyway) these strong colonies are less frequent so I'll be happy if they just build well on it.

    Have a look at the waggles dances. Are they pointing in the direction of my site, or perhaps in the other direction where there are also likely to be large areas of willow around the wet areas?

  6. #3836
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    Last year I harvested my first few supers of honey from some very strong colonies on the 27th of this month. Came across the bucket the other day which reminded me that I've not yet analysed the pollen, must look and see if it is willow.

  7. #3837
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    I now have OSR flowering close-by. In fact I have never had it within 2 km before this year, so I am interested to see what happens. However colonies are generally smaller this year so I am not sure how much honey I will be able to harvest.

  8. #3838
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    Default It’s that time of the year again!

    Earlier today I had my first phone call of the year saying “ help l’ve got bees in my house and l don’t know what to do”. After a quick visit to the house I discovered a Queen bumblebee was trying to nest in wall insulation which was uncovered during building work. Advice was given and l left. Then when I got home I decided enough is enough, no more bee phone calls. Over the years without charge I’ve climbed ladders, crawled around in very tight roof spaces and stuck my head in all sorts of strange places just to find bumbles or wasps. Even though the home occupiers were convinced they were honey bees. I’ve phoned the council and told them to take my name of their list, because 95% of the calls I get don’t involve honey bees and they just want to pass the buck. I’m also unavailable throughout the day.
    Am I being terribly MEAN?
    Last edited by lindsay s; 23-04-2018 at 04:15 PM.

  9. #3839
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    Quote Originally Posted by lindsay s View Post
    Earlier today I had my first phone call of the year saying “ help l’ve got bees in my house and l don’t know what to do”. After a quick visit to the house I discovered a Queen bumblebee was trying to nest in wall insulation which was uncovered during building work. Advice was given and l left. Then when I got home I decided enough is enough, no more bee phone calls. Over the years without charge I’ve climbed ladders, crawled around in very tight roof spaces and stuck my head in all sorts of strange places just to find bumbles or wasps. Even though the home occupiers were convinced they were honey bees. I’ve phoned the council and told them to take my name of their list, because 95% of the calls I get don’t involve honey bees and they just want to pass the buck. I’m also unavailable throughout the day.
    Am I being terribly MEAN?

    I have done the same this year for the same reasons

  10. #3840

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    In West Fermanagh, willow is abundant - very early and much pollen gives colonies a great start. I have read that willow can also give nectar but have been sceptical of this. However, this year and in a late spring, I have strong hives and a lot of what seems to be fresh capped and uncapped honey, at a time when very little except willow is flowering.

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