BBKA Forum

British Beekeepers Association Official Forum 

  • What have you done today bee-related?

  • General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #10484  by Alfred
 08 Apr 2021, 13:54
Temps at 6c crazy weather alternating between blazing sunshine and sleet flurries.
Nearly a month without any real rainfall means ideal soil conditions for rotovating.
Took a break from that and heard frantic buzzing like bees on autumn ivy.
The dry weather has caused the wild life pond to receed faster than my hairline
This lot were delighted with the opportunity.Image
 #10518  by NigelP
 11 Apr 2021, 16:53
You should have driven a couple of miles west to Wynyard Farmers market as there was no snow there......Bright sunny very cold day though.
 #10520  by MickBBKA
 11 Apr 2021, 18:15
Image

It was melting pretty fast when I took this picture and was all gone before lunch time and although it was only 5c the bees went out for some pollen for a few hours. Last nights temps took a huge toll on my greenhouse plants though.
Wynyard market is less than 2 miles from my house Nigel. That's Teesside for you.
 #10521  by Alfred
 11 Apr 2021, 18:19
Ive still got Bridlington in my favorites on bbc weather after a holiday there a few years ago.-far better weather than here!
I put down 110 sq metres of cornflower seed then netted the entire bed while it sleeted then roasting sunshine
Working in the incredibly busy flight path between the hives and the pond I got a few accidental collisions but no direct attacks since I moved the one defensive colony.
 #10526  by NigelP
 11 Apr 2021, 19:45
MickBBKA wrote:
11 Apr 2021, 18:15

Wynyard market is less than 2 miles from my house Nigel. That's Teesside for you.
That's local microclimates for you...I drove through the snow and lost it as I turned off A19 at Wynyard/Billingham roundabout about 6:30 AM.
We had several customers from Billingham who couldn't believe the difference a few miles made.
 #10537  by AdamD
 12 Apr 2021, 12:59
Yesterday I looked at a few colonies. One with what looked like a failing queen a week or two ago had no eggs or open brood and two queencells. (She was walking around in circles and there was drone brood in with worker). As I have a queen in a mini-nuc for such an occasion, I will be taking that to the apiary tonight and I'll pop her in later in the week.

My sheltered back garden was quite pleasant in the sunshine, however at the field I needed to be quick. As I checked over the hives, the cool wind blew, the sun was shining and then drops of hail landed on the comb! A new one on me.
 #10575  by Cable_Fairy
 15 Apr 2021, 17:41
Cable_Fairy wrote:
30 Mar 2021, 17:25
Today has been the first day the temperature was high enough to open my hive. I found the queen actually I could not miss her as there are not many bees in the hive. There was a small cluster of lava and a large number of eggs, I hope that the remaining bees can last for another three weeks or so to look after the new brood, but I am not hopeful.
It looks like the very cold night have now a thing of the past so I opened up for a good look. The queen is there and a small number of workers but that is about all. There is a small cluster of sealed brood, but all the eggs I saw the last time have disappeared, a number of frames in the BB are full of honey but nearly all the frames are black. I am going to try and do a frame change but not very hopeful.
 #10578  by NigelP
 15 Apr 2021, 19:34
Sound like you need to move what you have into a nuc, preferably a poly one. Easier for them to keep temperatures up and get on and do what they need rather than struggle in a large area.
Glad South Yorkshire is out of the frosts, we have had consistent -5, -4. -3, -4.5 and more frost forecast for tonight.

Having said that checked the nucs and hives at one of my out apiaries today. Most are absolutely cracking. Had to move one up to double brood as rammed with bees and drones! 9 frames of brood and little stores...sorted....Another not far behind. All nucs will need promoting to full hives as soon as weather gets a bit more clement. Thank you Mr Barlow for some cracking stock.
Marked and clipped 6/7 queens....a new record for me.
Downside was just spent 20 minutes restringing my "crown of thorns" as cut too many threads clipping wings...now good to go.
  • 1
  • 155
  • 156
  • 157
  • 158
  • 159
  • 301