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  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #3430  by Alfred
 07 Jun 2019, 13:44
I'm at work ,well away from the hives but I know they'll all be huddled in the entrances looking bored and miserable.
So maybe they might take the opportunity to draw some foundation today?
Is that asking too much?
 #3432  by Chrisbarlow
 07 Jun 2019, 16:48
Hahahaha, it certainly is Alfred
 #3433  by Japey Edge
 07 Jun 2019, 18:31
Far too wet for me to open them up today. Might get a cheeky heft in but I'm such a novice it'll tell me nothing - I'll just feel good for doing something :lol:
 #3435  by NigelP
 07 Jun 2019, 19:31
Peeing down with rain here...had to find and mark a queen....they weren't happy...found and marked her...ready for amalgamation with queenless hive tomorrow...with more rain forecast.
If you have to do something do it and ignore the weather.
 #3436  by Japey Edge
 07 Jun 2019, 20:53
NigelP wrote:
07 Jun 2019, 19:31
Peeing down with rain here...had to find and mark a queen....they weren't happy...found and marked her...ready for amalgamation with queenless hive tomorrow...with more rain forecast.
If you have to do something do it and ignore the weather.
Will pick the best window tomorrow I think.

And to think we can trust the British weather! ;)
 #3438  by mikemadf
 08 Jun 2019, 06:16
Requeened two hives in rain..yesterday

Going to check mini nuc feeders in rain today.
Going to requeen mini nuc today with virgin - in rain..

Queen rearing has timetables - rain or sun
 #3444  by NigelP
 08 Jun 2019, 13:40
Exactly MadMike....you have no choice....I'm currently waiting for a 3-4PM gap in todays rain...if it doesn't come then so be it...and job will get done.
 #3474  by thewoodgatherer
 10 Jun 2019, 07:47
Lots of people caught out this year with swarms, my local association mistakenly decided to miss the first beginners inspection of the year due to bad cold weather last month which apparently resulted in a full spectrum of potential unwanted scenarios although educational. They ended up with a live swarm, and countless emerging virgins to deal with, many of which apparently disappeared. I think that put pay to the - it'll be ok as its early, the weather is so bad and cold they wont be considering swarming theory. ;)
 #3481  by NigelP
 10 Jun 2019, 15:51
Another rainy inspection day....you get to see the worst side of your bees on days like this and really appreciate how laid back some of the "pure" Buckfast bees are in any weather..
......Weird things going on...two hives from previous swarm control that had new queens both laying (several frames) and looking good. Both queens now disappeared and both hives full of queen cells. ....
Was this such a determination to swarm that they went again...got me puzzled that's for sure.