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Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:09 Jun 2019, 20:51
by Japey Edge
NigelP wrote:
09 Jun 2019, 18:19
Japey Edge wrote:
08 Jun 2019, 19:34
They're not drawing any more comb on the last of the 11 BB frames,
They won't...you need to move that frame in so it's between the last frame of brood and the frame with pollen or stores on.
If they haven't drawn that out then they still have tons of space.
Nice one cheers Nigel. I tried to switch it with the next frame in but the other frame was built too wide. Will try switching closer to brood as you mentioned. Should I do tomorrow or just wait for next inspection?

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:10 Jun 2019, 01:45
by Patrick
Just cleared up from delayed spring extraction. Knackered and aching. Not overly pleased to find several colonies found some OSR and now left with several boxes of partly granulated frames.

Sortable but tedious and meant cant filter direct into buckets as normal but need to remember to filter again when melted. :roll:

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:10 Jun 2019, 15:46
by NigelP
If the weathers good tomorrow...but next inspection will also be fine....lots of flexibility in this beekeeping lark

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:12 Jun 2019, 15:50
by Japey Edge
It's rainy and cold but they're out and about. Hope they're OK...

Image

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:12 Jun 2019, 19:14
by Alfred
Smashed my head on the kitchen table 25-30 times to see if a brain cell would rattle around inside.
Took some piritise.

Just got back from the aborted inspection.
Totally absent minded ,no smoke,just lifted off roof, feeder and super in one go,
QE propolised to frames so jolted a few of them upwards with it.
All holy hell ensued.
Inner coward was already boarding the ferry
Idiot thought he could keep calm and carry on.
Feeling very self conscious.
Two frames in and it was like a hailstorm
Pitch and volume was satanic
Smoker had tipped over and gone out.
Decided to make a tactical retreat.
They'd worked out that, thanks to marigolds, my weak spot is now the shoulder blades so they stapled me there until I reassembled the boxes.
I even found time to top up the feeder...
The other hives had got wind of it so they were already very very swirly.
Was frog marched back to the car.
Drove home leaning slightly forward in the seat.
As my eldest grandson says' wtf were you thinking'.
I hope the queen wasn't involved in the carnage.
I just don't believe I could have been so stupid.
Moron
Prat
Imbecile
Pillock

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:12 Jun 2019, 21:39
by NigelP
We all have that T shirt(s) Alfred...don;t beat yourself up about it....just be content that sometime in the future it will happen again....
Bad weather no flow =tetchy bees...even my best behaved one where a little edgy today...and one of my dodgy colonies was not even bothered with.....you do learn...albeit far too slowly.
But thanks for sharing.... made me laugh.

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:14 Jun 2019, 09:17
by Japey Edge
Hefted the hive yesterday. I haven't done it enough to know but it felt heavy enough to have some stores. There were plenty of bees flying about, despite the rain and cool temperatures - so that then makes me think maybe they're desperate for forage?
Weather is supposed to get better at 14 degrees and no rain at 5pm so I'll do my inspection and help them out if they need it.

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:14 Jun 2019, 12:17
by Patrick
Jazz, you have just described hefting is all its glorious simplicity. Seems "heavy enough" is exactly the point.

A more precise way of estimating is either weighing using scales or inspecting by visual check. The point of hefting is that it is a rapid assessment method or walk past check when other methods are either inappropriate or too time consuming etc. The thing I like about it is the more you do it when it is not critical, the better your muscle memory gets.

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:14 Jun 2019, 13:01
by Japey Edge
Ah that's fine then! My wife took a couple videos for me. As soon as the rain stopped they were out in number and her video showed plenty coming back, a few with pollen.

I'm a bit more at ease now. Inspection tonight if the forecast holds. :-)

Re: What have you done today bee-related?

PostPosted:14 Jun 2019, 19:54
by thewoodgatherer
Early last month I noticed that my best performing queen had only 5.5 legs (not sure how this happened but I guess it must have been me) and made up a nuc with her so I could use frames of eggs etc from her for a while. Well she has continued to lay well and three weeks ago as they had run out of space, I moved her into a queen less colony. All was initially ok but last week I noticed they had decided to upgrade her and had drawn out supersedure cells. Today I had a quick peak expecting to find two sealed cells but instead they have knocked them down leaving no evidence, I also noticed she is hobbling about having lost the 0.5 and now on only 5. Not sure why they have changed their mind about this maybe it’s the weather.