todays news

[SDM]

No swarms yet, loads of nucs to make up this week and lots of bait hive activity ...

2 hits on baithives and 3 callouts yesterday (2 dead ends, 1 was just scouts( though the bait hive I left may well be full today) and the other was half a swarm( the wrong half) that Thad fallen down a chimney leaving 4 or 500 bees in a 90 yr olds living room and the main colony in next door's chimney, theirs is blocked inside and they are happy for the bees to stay so it was just opening the window to let them join the others. It was nice to have most of the street out and families whod spent the last few hours locked in their houses from fear, letting their kids feed syrup from their fingers to the stragglers. Watching the groundswell of opinion change from fear to fascination in so many people was a glorious end to a simply lovely days beekeeping !
Another week of 17-20°c and light winds forecast, there's a good flow of dark honey coming from the marshes....... happy days !

[The Drone Ranger]

Hi fatshark
You could harvest some of the new queen cells rather than door swap to get them taken down
Did they draw out some decent new comb in the bottom box for you or at least put some honey in the supers ?

[fatshark]

Hi DR ... there were no QC's in the top box. I think the presence of "Her Majesty the Midget" prevented them from being made. Hopefully, by not meddling with the doors for another week and by providing some larvae/eggs they'll get back on track.

That apiary is so-so for honey this season. My other site is going well, with another couple of supers being removed today. In fairness though, colonies in the latter are a lot stronger.

[Feckless Drone]

Hi - just noted short clip on the BBC (other channels are available) about a bee export activity. Interesting to see.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36430849

[Mellifera Crofter]

Yes, FD, interesting. I've often wondered how people prepare packaged bees, and now I know. Actually, no - I only know a bit. After they've smoked out all the bees, what do they do with the brood that's left behind?
Kitta

[Greengage]

Preparing packaged bees in 1936
http://www.britishpathe.com/video/busy-bees

[Mellifera Crofter]

Nice video, Greengage - but it's not about packaged bees, but about queen-rearing and the queens then being packed off for posting or export.
Kitta

[Greengage]

yes I knew that but from 1936 it was interesting.

[fatshark]

Todays news ... extracting
Tomorrows news ... discovering honey and wax spread on all the surfaces I didn't think I'd used

[Calluna4u]

Todays news ... extracting
Tomorrows news ... discovering honey and wax spread on all the surfaces I didn't think I'd used

Next weeks news following on from above.......Fatshark not doing the bees due to appointments with relationship counsellor.