What have you done today bee-related?

[Steve (The Drone)]

I overwintered on 12x14's with an under super of stores each. Yesterday at 16 degrees C I went to remove these supers. On three colonies they were licked clean and so were placed above the crown boards ready for use later. On the other two colonies, at a different apiary, the brood chambers were full of stores, pollen and brood and the Queens had just started laying in the supers below. I've swopped these round and fitted QX's and will be adding an extra super pretty soon. The O.R. Will be in blossom very soon. Amazing how a distance of 5 miles can effect the quality of foraging.

[Patrick]

Completely agree Steve. The three mile foraging “rule” is only ever quantitative rather than qualitative. There are certainly significant areas of forage desert around me.

Suspect most apiaries are necessarily sited according to convenience and availability (well mine are).

[Chrisbarlow]

popped down to Lincoln Auction today Good day out.

[Cable_Fairy]

Did a full inspection on both hives, the WBC was fine with lots of brood / lava, although I could not find eggs! However did see the Queen.
The National on the other hand I am afraid to say that there was a lot of "water" inside the hive and the rear frame has rust on the wired foundation and the dummy board was covered in mould. I have had a glass quilt on all winter and think that this has stopped airflow through the hive. The bees look alright, with lots of "brood" and there is plenty of food still on the under super.

[Chrisbarlow]

Did a full inspection on both hives, the WBC was fine with lots of brood / lava, although I could not find eggs! However did see the Queen.
The National on the other hand I am afraid to say that there was a lot of "water" inside the hive and the rear frame has rust on the wired foundation and the dummy board was covered in mould. I have had a glass quilt on all winter and think that this has stopped airflow through the hive. The bees look alright, with lots of "brood" and there is plenty of food still on the under super.

Althought it might have been damp in the hive it would appears if there is lots of brood , bees and stores in there, it hasnt done any harm at all. I bought a polly langstroth last year and overwinted them, there was lots of condensaton on the plastic crown board over winter, however the double langstroth is rammed with bees, I suspect it ran down the side of the walls of the hive, so as NP regularly proclaims, it doesnt seem to be a problem.

[Chrisbarlow]

inspecting nucs and colonies that were given foundationless frames last week and they are drawing them out nicely. Very happy with how quickly they are being drawn out.

[AdamD]

Chris, I guess that you hope that there won't be too much drone brood in the foundationless frames at this time of year. Are you using wire or nylon line to support the comb?

[AdamD]

The weekend checks showed colonies with well-fed larvae as you can see here.


I didn't realize it but I have ORS within a fairly short distance of my two apiaries and there is lots of pollen coming in too. After a lull in early March, colonies are now expanding well.

[AdamD]

Did a full inspection on both hives, the WBC was fine with lots of brood / lava, although I could not find eggs! However did see the Queen.
The National on the other hand I am afraid to say that there was a lot of "water" inside the hive and the rear frame has rust on the wired foundation and the dummy board was covered in mould. I have had a glass quilt on all winter and think that this has stopped airflow through the hive. The bees look alright, with lots of "brood" and there is plenty of food still on the under super.

A hive with insulated roof and a mesh floor - in my experience - should not be wet as you describe. How is your hive configured?

[Chrisbarlow]

Chris, I guess that you hope that there won't be too much drone brood in the foundationless frames at this time of year. Are you using wire or nylon line to support the comb?

neither
https://www.theapiarist.org/foundationless-frames-update/

not to bothered TBH, as if they make to much, then I will remove as part of varroa IPM. I do want quite a lot though as I raise queens and I want my drones and lots of them. I cull less queens now than ever as they are much better behaved, I hope thats because there are more of my queen genetics in the area. win win