todays news

[fatshark]

Grafting tomorrow … went down this evening to set up the Ben Harden box. Oh dear … looks like they've tried to swarm. Clipped queen so shouldn't be too far away. A few hundred bees clustered under the floor. Removed three heavy supers, went through the box. Removed the super frame with loads of brace comb, sliced the latter off and dropped the super frame by the edge of the hivestand. Sure enough, found a couple of capped queen cells. Also found two open charged ones, so knocked everything else back. No shortage of bees (actually it was packed) so reckon I'll use it to generate some queen cells after all … dumped the bees from under the floor back into the hive.

Set up the Ben Harden upper box. Disappeared off to the other end of the apiary and went through the colony I'll be grafting from. All good. Checked a couple of nucs and a bait hive (nada … looks like the queen in the latter hasn't returned from the mating flight. Damn).

Went to clear up and pack the car. Finally remember the super frame dropped by the hive stand. Went back for it. One bee walking around on it. The queen. Or at least, a queen Not entirely sure she's the original as the wing didn't look clipped, but it was getting pretty dark by now.

Lifted her up to the landing board and she sauntered in calm as anything … good times.

[greengumbo]

Grafting tomorrow … went down this evening to set up the Ben Harden box. Oh dear … looks like they've tried to swarm. Clipped queen so shouldn't be too far away. A few hundred bees clustered under the floor. Removed three heavy supers, went through the box. Removed the super frame with loads of brace comb, sliced the latter off and dropped the super frame by the edge of the hivestand. Sure enough, found a couple of capped queen cells. Also found two open charged ones, so knocked everything else back. No shortage of bees (actually it was packed) so reckon I'll use it to generate some queen cells after all … dumped the bees from under the floor back into the hive.

Set up the Ben Harden upper box. Disappeared off to the other end of the apiary and went through the colony I'll be grafting from. All good. Checked a couple of nucs and a bait hive (nada … looks like the queen in the latter hasn't returned from the mating flight. Damn).

Went to clear up and pack the car. Finally remember the super frame dropped by the hive stand. Went back for it. One bee walking around on it. The queen. Or at least, a queen Not entirely sure she's the original as the wing didn't look clipped, but it was getting pretty dark by now.

Lifted her up to the landing board and she sauntered in calm as anything … good times.

Your beekeeping sounds as calm as mine is panicky. I've no time to do anything at the moment so just hoping for no swarms and if they do that I find them / bait hive them.

[Calum]

After two weeks of bad weather, there will be a bunch of swarms this weekend...
I don't think I'll be worried by it.
My rule of thumb is 1 frame of capped brood = two frames of bees. If the colony is full I need to remove capped brood and bees (as this makes work for the colony - drawing out comb, feeding larve) so if my brood chamber is full of bees, and my super is decently populated, I need to remove brood to make nucs (this also reduces varroa load as most are in brood). Two frames capped + their bees, 1 frame open brood with young larve and the bees on it + bees shook from two frames of larve (young bees) are enough for a starter. They dont need to be removed from the bee stand. This is usually enough to keep the colony occupied for three weeks or so. Giving them an extra drone frame to work on helps dampen too. But this is for carnica that excel on two brood boxes.
This is a preventative measure I am doing twice a season per colony - no need for clipped wings or (illegal in germany) bait hives.

[greengumbo]

After two weeks of bad weather, there will be a bunch of swarms this weekend...
I don't think I'll be worried by it.
My rule of thumb is 1 frame of capped brood = two frames of bees. If the colony is full I need to remove capped brood and bees (as this makes work for the colony - drawing out comb, feeding larve) so if my brood chamber is full of bees, and my super is decently populated, I need to remove brood to make nucs (this also reduces varroa load as most are in brood). Two frames capped + their bees, 1 frame open brood with young larve and the bees on it + bees shook from two frames of larve (young bees) are enough for a starter. They dont need to be removed from the bee stand. This is usually enough to keep the colony occupied for three weeks or so. Giving them an extra drone frame to work on helps dampen too. But this is for carnica that excel on two brood boxes.
This is a preventative measure I am doing twice a season per colony - no need for clipped wings or (illegal in germany) bait hives.

Illegal in Germany ? Interesting. Whats the rational ?

I have a bait hive up at work that had scouts all over it today - lose a swarm at home....gain a swarm at work. Great watching the scouts analyse the dimensions and move around it in a linear manner.

[drumgerry]

It does seem a bit draconian! I have 3 bait hives set up with a mix of frames with soon for the bonfire comb and foundation. Bees are not so thick on the ground around here so it's not every year I catch a swarm.

[Trog]

A swarm went window-shopping in London today: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-27444845

[greengumbo]

One of my artificial swarms failed spectacularly and they isolated the Queen who died. Other one was fine but got them just in time, heaps of sealed qcs , no eggs and the queen looking super svelt ready to go. Have started grafting from my native stocks so will have a look tomorrow to see what's what.

Sent from my XT1032 using Tapatalk

[snimmo243]

I've just got in after a back shift and some night time beekeeping! I met my beekeeping compadre at 1 am to feed the splits we made at the weekend (no robbing here) all went well, it was a lovely night. we decided to have a look at our bait hive as there was a lot of interest in it on Saturday and we found a swarm had moved in

[lindsay s]

Cold and miserable and that’s just me, I’m sure my bees are feeling a lot worse. We’ve had two days of fog followed by three days of rain and cold biting northerly winds. The forecast for this weekend is not much better. I’m sure the colonies will be ignoring the foundation that needs to be drawn and rapidly using up their stores. Summer was good while it lasted (3 days last week) and I suppose there’s always next year to look forward to.

[Bumble]

Went to help a friend collect a wet swarm from a tree in their apiary the other day, and got the job of going up the ladder. Not a big ladder, I hasten to add, I don't do heights! When I went to hold the skep beneath the cluster the elastic thumb loop broke on one sleeve, the sleeve pulled slightly back down my arm leaving just enough space for one obliging bee to crawl inside the glove, sting my hand and die. I thought nothing more of it until the following morning, but woke up with a badly swollen hand and forearm with red tracks running up to the armpit.

Antibiotics are marvellous! The red tracks have gone and my arm no longer resembles the Michelin Man.