todays news

[gavin]

That's odd - I don't think that our hawthorn is out yet. We seem to have two types of blackthorn. Planted ones around road landscaping and the like which is always earlier (and now over) and blackthorn in copses and the like which is later and still in flower. Probably real native stuff in the copses and some exotic genotype in the plantings.

Maybe they need exotic bees too to go with all this exotic planting.

We did have some early dandelion but there is now a major showing of it in some places.

[Neils]

All this swarm talk is making me twitchy. I last saw my bees 5 days ago when I thought: 'Hmmnn, must give *that* one a second brood box at the weekend, and *those* ones more space within a week'. Maybe I can slip away at lunchtime tomorrow to do the deed. I'm sitting here with that mixed aroma of western red cedar, beeswax and PVA glue, the smell of spring equipment assembly. Nice.

We're definitely a month + ahead of last year looking through my notes. Our Association has a "deal with swarming" day next month which, ordinarily would be fine. Not this year. One of mine swarmed, I reckon around 10th April, I hadn't even opened it up yet and we've picked up another two since then.

[Jimbo]

Checked my strongest colony yesterday and saw drones which means they will be mature in a few weeks. The bees were also making queen cups so it will now be weekly inspections for this one.

[Mellifera Crofter]

I checked the hived swarm yesterday. All was fine. The queen had started laying
The twigs and bits of branch were more or less abandoned, and I could throw them out.
Attachment 597 ...

Chris or Gavin,

The attachments lead to an 'invalid attachment' message - am I the only one who can't see them?

Kitta

[chris]

Hello Kitta. I had trouble uploading, so perhaps it won't work. Works for me but that's probably normal. I know nothing about computers, so Gavin will have to help out.

Updating, I checked the hive again yesterday. Ahem, it's never too late to do something stupid. My idea was that the bees would build beneath the super frames in the brood box, and then I'd nadir them out with a second brood box.. Firstly, I didn't think of putting a starter strip underneath the bottom bar. My, my, they have cross combed like crazy down there. And, I find that I used an old hive that has the floor screwed to it by screws going up from the bottom.So, no nadir, and no possibility of taking out the *half* frames with dangling comb without causing a lot of damage. Any ideas anyone?

[gavin]

I have to admit that the site can be a bit erratic about accepting uploads. Chris, if you'd like to email the attachment to me I can try to make them visible.

Regarding your wee cross-combing and dead-end nadiring problem - I'd just put a normal box on top and let them work upwards as usual. Your odd box of comb might be vacated later in the summer, or you could wait until next spring when surely it will be empty as the bees go up above?

[gavin]

I checked mine yesterday. Significant build-up in the last 6 days, nice new white wax where they had been stuffing in the honey. Two are now double-brooded and another will be getting a super soon. If only I could arrange to have strong spring colonies as some do then I might have had an early super by now. They are working the rape but - at least judging from the pollen at the entrance - not exclusively. No sign of bees hunching up and closing one eye, so maybe my bees have escaped the neonic holocaust once again. Must get some bait boxes sorted (whilst watching the Royal Wedding with one eye of course) on Friday. Sycamore in full flow, despite some rain the other day the OSR probably isn't yielding as it could.

[EmsE]

I don't think that our hawthorn is out yet.
.

The hawthorn flower buds are there, so shouldn't be too long now. There'll hopefully be a better crop of berries from them this year- they make lovely wine.

My colonies are definitely a couple of weeks ahead at least of last year & that's without stimulating them with weak syrup & pollen patties like I did last year.

[gavin]

My wine-making kit is going to be occupied making mead this year, he says optimistically!

[EmsE]

It could be wood anemone. We had a few bees down in our wood working the anemones and their pollen was creamy white. Not many bees, though, even though it was only a couple of yards away. They're spoilt for choice for forage now so I suppose there were more attractive/better yielding sources around.

It probably is as the surrounding land is ideal for the wood anemone. Thanks Trog- it's time I started getting to know my local plants.