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Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:23 Jul 2019, 08:39
by Japey Edge
NigelP wrote: ↑23 Jul 2019, 07:31
Loaded bees at 17C at 6 AM, just finishing off a coffee and heading for the moors.
Nice one, hope it goes well
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_e_biggrin.gif)
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:24 Jul 2019, 19:36
by Alfred
![Image](https://i.ibb.co/JyS27rc/IMG-20190724-192534415.jpg)
Tried my hand at wing clipping ,practiced on a nice fat drone.
Put him on the garden chair to see if he couldn't fly but he sat there sulking.
Came back with a cup of tea to find him half gone.
Just my luck
Apidea absconded
My cut out from last week is a heap of silk and waxmoth grubs so thats in a builders bucket in the freezer now.
Burnt my hand flaming the woodware.
None of hives laying.
They sting me but were happy to let a wasp in to feed.
Might try combining them all with a new bought queen and a frame from my only laying colony in one of the polynucs.
Think I might be starting from scratch again next year.............
The heat is hot.
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:24 Jul 2019, 23:46
by Adam Bee
Alfred,
If you do restart from scratch, or want to buy a new Queen, I would suggest V&L Honey / Honeybee Suppliers
https://www.honeybeesuppliers.co.uk/
They are nice people and the nuc I bought from them has been phenomenal. In the association apiary the two strongest hives have come from them as well.
Can't hurt to try!?
Sorry to hear you're having such a jobian purgatory of a time with your colonies...
![Sad :(](./images/smilies/icon_e_sad.gif)
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 18:37
by Japey Edge
Had a decent enough inspection today but just quickly, I had to take out a frame where the comb was sticking out real far, almost to the foundation of the next frame. I cut out the capped honey (first taste of honey from our colonies) and it is delicious of course.
See pic below, what should I do now?
![Image](https://jfl6jg.am.files.1drv.com/y4mLinDOpaVRLLM78PwZc0TFqaQaPtAFwdKG6dQREcLYSHlT8CFQ5Hi-1WZ81LfJQeEc3X6gVVDvXtfG2IuQVgmm_C7Jt9NQdXpJWSy85l-LVHeFSP3y060HencFIq5nYxTruruVSqpmK9bC8jrTVroOurtFfvRrRBRhmcW6f922_O4sBhLv3mtJ_Uwhzl9pvgz8Fd4YJ5R3t4pzrOo1U6vMA?width=1024&height=768&cropmode=none)
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 19:03
by NigelP
Remove that wax/propolis build up from your flat DN4 edges...then all will fit neatly into hive again.
On inspections do the same for each frame. It's a constant battle.
Enjoy your first honey nothing ever tasted as good as your first honey.
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Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 19:18
by Japey Edge
Thanks Nigel,
I replaced a frame, as I tipped out that micro swarm, so gave them a decent frame out of that.
I ended up putting two shallow boxes in and sitting the frame up top. The bees have a lot of space now so how soon should I expect to be able to take the frame out?
![Image](https://k1l6jg.am.files.1drv.com/y4mMah5HNDO6AU4Q2ntAyufwS6gsOUoSyQZEBMuynjZkyYCQ0gTwUsDYUfas0RCFaIkokyfGF7Z4qO2DVrMIErIm2VDUpgSc4csqR3mQ2pjGqgW-ZZKBvzBJ81YYPPvoK2Mn1zTlLWh3pXXbecyzDiyMM5wuNLpcGwHviGo0Bl-v8qcCHFh3j3LZtdPCG3gWMc3oPeGoEJ27AbBTgkMRqPVnw?width=768&height=1024&cropmode=none)
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 19:26
by Japey Edge
So today's run down, inspection in order:
Colony 4 - big swarm still doing well. Brood getting capped. Nice and strong. Hopefully will build stronger. Didn't end up putting any near-emerging brood in. Also didn't add super. They still have some comb to draw on what they have.
Colony 1 - saw queen but no sign she's doing anything. I have a nice apidea queen so she will be getting replaced. Took out fat frame of honey and had a taster. Replaced that frame and another of foundation with the best two from micro swarm (3)
Colony 3 - micro swarm. End of the road. A relative wanted the queen for their apidea so collected her yesterday. I picked out the good frames and gave to colony 1. Tipped them out on the grass. Hive 3 now inactive
Colony 2 - with the oldest queen. Still going strong. I could take some brood to put in with swarm (4) but really, they'll be ready to emerge themselves next week won't they? 3 weeks?
So my questions:
1. Pretty much all of micro swarm bees marched into colony 1 - will they play nice?
2. How long does colony 1 have to be queenless before I can put apidea queen in?
3. What do I do with apidea brood frames when queen has been relocated?
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 19:41
by Alfred
On point 2 they say 4hours but so long as they're getting agitated/fiesty that's the sign they know .
I'd put her in an introduction cage and see what they do.
If there's a mass pile-on after a few hours then it's not a good sign but a few wandering across is good ,so let her go.
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 20:27
by NigelP
Jazz ASAP to remove..like tomorrow. All that open space will have them drawing wild comb like there is no tomorrow.
You can add queen again ASAP, she is a laying queen should be accepted better. Lot of different book times for queenless before adding new queen. I'll make a queenless nuc up and add caged queen as soon as nuc is made up.
Re: What have you done today bee-related?
PostPosted:25 Jul 2019, 21:05
by Japey Edge
NigelP wrote: ↑25 Jul 2019, 20:27
Jazz ASAP to remove..like tomorrow. All that open space will have them drawing wild comb like there is no tomorrow.
You can add queen again ASAP, she is a laying queen should be accepted better. Lot of different book times for queenless before adding new queen. I'll make a queenless nuc up and add caged queen as soon as nuc is made up.
I'm out all day tomorrow. Will the evening, say 6pm, be OK or should I just get it now and hope they've cleared the frame up?
If I can wait, I'll stick the queen in colony one at the same time.