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Thread: todays news

  1. #3821
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Lost two due to dud queens - one old 'un just stopped, another that looks like a late (unmated) supercedure.
    Moving colonies yesterday and got cold, wet and miserable.
    Snow on the low hills above the house and cancelled my Nairn trip tonight because of the forecast.
    On a more positive note, mite levels still look low.

    Could we please have Spring now?

  2. #3822
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    Checked the hives on Monday and all bar one have used up their candy. More than half are alarmingly light and I think it’s just me that’s keeping them going. More candy has been made up and is going on in double rations the morn. The temperature dropped to 0c in the snow showers at midday and only 5c in the sun, it’s still far to cold for even a peep under the crown boards. The flowering currant isn’t out and not one dandelion is in sight, everything is late here this year. The last few years have been below average for beekeeping up here and every spring I hope surely this year will be better than the last?
    Is too early to write off 2018?
    Last edited by lindsay s; 04-04-2018 at 11:23 PM.

  3. #3823
    Senior Member fatshark's Avatar
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    Flowering currant ... Ha! There's been some flowering in St Andrews for ages. I have a photo from the 15th of March, but it had been out for days before that. I think it's a hopeless predictor of suitable weather for inspections.

    2018-03-15 14.03.28 copy.jpg

    We have -5oC predicted for tonight. I'm moving more bees tomorrow if my apiary isn't underwater from the rain we've had in the last 36 hours. I expect to get cold, wet and miserable again.

  4. #3824

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    Quote Originally Posted by lindsay s View Post
    Checked the hives on Monday and all bar one have used up their candy. More than half are alarmingly light and I think it’s just me that’s keeping them going. More candy has been made up and is going on in double rations the morn. The temperature dropped to 0c in the snow showers at midday and only 5c in the sun, it’s still far to cold for even a peep under the crown boards. The flowering currant isn’t out and not one dandelion is in sight, everything is late here this year. The last few years have been below average for beekeeping up here and every spring I hope surely this year will be better than the last?
    Is too early to write off 2018?
    Don't be that pessimistic yet, I didn't open a hive until May Bank holiday in 2013.

  5. #3825
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    Quote Originally Posted by lindsay s View Post
    The temperature dropped to 0c in the snow showers at midday and only 5c in the sun, it’s still far to cold for even a peep under the crown boards.(
    Bu Eck lad, you are making North Yorkshire sound proper tropical. Our daffs are nearly out...

  6. #3826
    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    SAM_4501.jpg

    Just another week to go if the weather holds in the sunny south.

    But in the meantime

    SAM_4468 (2).jpg

  7. #3827
    Senior Member Adam's Avatar
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    The weather here has been pleasant in the last few days but cool and colonies are behind where they should be. A slow and late start to the season, so stocks will possibly be smaller than in most years although they should make up by August! A farmer told me he is a month behind where he should be and the pollinator strip he has agreed to plant will be the last thing to be put down So even that will be late flowering!
    I have almost lost count of the number of beekeepers who have been ringing round looking for overwintered nucs - and many beekeepers will not want to wait until June for them with proper British 2018 queens.

  8. #3828
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    Quote Originally Posted by Adam View Post
    The weather here has been pleasant in the last few days but cool and colonies are behind where they should be. A slow and late start to the season, so stocks will possibly be smaller than in most years although they should make up by August! A farmer told me he is a month behind where he should be and the pollinator strip he has agreed to plant will be the last thing to be put down So even that will be late flowering!
    I have almost lost count of the number of beekeepers who have been ringing round looking for overwintered nucs - and many beekeepers will not want to wait until June for them with proper British 2018 queens.
    I managed to overwinter 3 queens in min mating nucs (lost one)...Pity I lost 2 off 5 frame nucs (out of 4).. Main hives all OK..mainly on 7-8 frames bees and v active on good days. (pollen patties for bad).

  9. #3829
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    Although I have kept bees for many years I always feel apprehensive before carrying out my first proper inspection of the beekeeping year. Sunday was none different, what was I going to find and more worryingly what if the colonies were queenless, drone layers or dying out. I can’t rush out and source more bees up here because we’re still varroa free and people are waiting for bees. So I just had to bite the bullet and get on with it.
    Early in the afternoon when the weather was sunny but with a cold easterly breeze I managed to do five hives before the fog rolled in and it got too cold. Their floors were cleaned and mouldy and poor combs were removed from the hives. I always try to work the poor combs to the edge of the hives at the end of the of the previous summer. The brood inspections were very brief and I found that all five colonies had laying queens with open and sealed brood, but unfortunately only on two frames and some of the patches were small.
    Most of the hives will be getting small but regular quantities of syrup for the next few weeks to keep them ticking over. Another six hives to go, hopefully by next weekend. The way things are up here at the moment there could be some serious uniting taking place if things don’t improve by mid May.
    P.S. This is the type of beekeeping I like talking about so I’ll leave the scientific stuff to the rest of you.

  10. #3830
    Senior Member prakel's Avatar
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    Nice walk by the seaside

    SAM_4565.jpg

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