todays news

[The Drone Ranger]

deleted for reasons of harmony

[gavin]

Having downgraded Saturday's beginners visit from a hands-on(-bees) session to a play-with-hammers-and-brushes session, I'm now nervously eyeing the forecast for the *next* Saturday and at present that's not looking too good either.

I have to say that I'm proud of the forum today (again!). I saw DR's post while away on business and fretted about issuing a 'please ignore an invitation to get political' notice but you're all better than that. No doubt we all have our own opinions on the lady just buried but they don't belong on here.

[Dark Bee]

.................................................. ................... No doubt we all have our own opinions on the lady just buried but they don't belong on here.

I concur and may the dead whoever they might be, rest in peace. Amen.

[The Drone Ranger]

Fair enough post gone

[gavin]

Saw some OSR on my travels today. It was filling out nicely, perhaps at the stage you would have seen in March in previous years. Only some of that field though, much of it was stunted and some of it non-existent. It is just within range of my bees but there is a closer one which I didn't pass today.

However the cherry plum is most definitely out and there are leaves starting to show in some of the trees and bushes at last.

[gavin]

Thanks DR. Some topics are just too hot even for SBAi.

Now .... back to the banter ....

[greengumbo]

Saw my first swallow of the season this morning and our elder and hawthorn are leafing now. Excellent.

Saturday looks nice up our way.

[Neils]

Spring is coming! A balmy 15 degrees here with sunshine! But too windy for me too want to open them up. This is my hive with a polycarbonate crown board and I can see there are a few more bees than last time I looked but its still only 4-5 frames of bees. The hive was also pretty light so in lieu of syrup I've given them another pack if fondant as insurance as there's still a lot of stuff yet to brave the elements.

Tomorrow I'll brave a look at the allotment and take stock up there and change the other floors over and maybe hazard a peek under the crownboards.

I parked the car next to a cherry tree in full blossom and while I was getting a clean floor out of the car it dawned on me I could here buzzing. The whole tree was absolutely teeming with honey and bumble bees.

[GRIZZLY]

At last !. Managed to go thro' 5 colonies in my out apiary. Three were absolutely booming with slabs of brood and lots of stores of sealed honey and pollen.The other two quite tiny , still with stores but small patches of sealed brood with eggs and larva. These were inherited from an ex ass'n member who got fed up with his bees and virtually abandoned them.Shame realy as the bees are very docile and friendly. I'm going to re-hive them in poly hives, treat them against varroa and coddle them a bit.The booming colonies are going to need supering a.s.a.p. The bees are about 1 mile from 100 acres of rape so should produce something when the rape grows and blooms. We went to look at the rape and I recon it will be at least a month behind last years crop. The trees are showing very slight inclination to swell buds so I think Spring will come in with a bang.

[Trog]

I probably should have been doing the bees today but tied 3 new flies last night with my friend and we were itching to try them out. Did take time to note that bees were flying well and bringing in pollen and to hope that they would be ready for the bonanza that's just around the corner now that the garden's decided it really is spring.