What have you done today bee-related?

[AdamD]

I looked through an old book recently and the author was saying how a quilt allowed the beekeeper to see what was going on in a hive much better than a wooden crown-board as you could simply peel back the quilt as far as you needed, to see what was going on. Then roll it back and place the hessian sacking or whatever you used over the top as insulation. A task that will disturb the bees much less than prizing off a stiff crownboard in the middle of winter.

[Alfred]

I tried that but got into so much trouble when the propolis wouldn't wash out of the new bedding

I know of "pages"of a carpet sample 'book' being used with that same reason

".. simply peel back the quilt as far as you needed, to see what was going on.."
Useful if you have teenagers in the house
Sorry Adam

[MickBBKA]

Hi Patrick, I have clear crown boards on all my colonies. It helps living in town that when the local little darlings kick the perspex out of the bus stops I can ask the guy replacing it for the old bit piece.

[Steve 1972]

Vaped all colonies but not sure if all are broodless judging by the dark wax cappings on the inspection trays of most ..I will monitor and carry on vaping every five days if need be..

[AdamD]

This must be the warmest winter period when I treated my bees at around 15 degrees, so some bees were flying and the bees were not too tightly clustered.
I trickled all mine yesterday - worked out at 2 minutes per colony. I had to work quickly as my oxalic acid juice container had a hole in and was dripping out!
One abelo mini-plus hive was a bit light however all colonies had live bees in, which is something!
And two damp cownboards from failing roofs that need replacing/fixing.
[*]So far so good.

[NigelP]

Vaped the garden hives today.
All have stores.
Now to figure out how to add back stored frames of frozen pollen pollen later this month.

[Steve 1972]

I cut the pollen filled brood comb into three pieces to fit in the freezer bags I have...I did try some laid on the top bars with a eke added..roughly half of the colonies consumed or moved the pollen down and then proceded to fill the empty comb with sugar syrup..the colonies that hardly touched the pollen I removed it and binned it..

[MickBBKA]

Now to figure out how to add back stored frames of frozen pollen pollen later this month.

Errrr,,,,, defrost frames, remove roof, remove insulation, remove crown board, remove empty frames either side of the cluster, replace with frames of stores and put back together in reverse order. Takes less time than trickling OA onto 6 seams of bees. I don't even bother to light the smoker. I really don't believe you don't know this and posted the question just for fun..

[NigelP]

Always good to think out loud. Debating between laying on top as Steve does or removing frame and replacing with pollen. I think the later will win.....but always good to think about alternative options. I had debated whether to put frame near entrance, or create an outside pollen feeding zone. Smilar to how a lot of Americans do when they use powered pollen substitute on a tray kept dry under a roof. Bees seem to love it. I suspect with powdered pollen in UK it would get damp regardless, but pollen in frames.......
Already I can hear BBKA robbing frenzy replies

[Patrick]

Happily , its probably one of those no wrong answers type questions - if it works, it works..

I am going to have another go with pollen sub mixed a lot wetter and along the frame tops as suggested by Mick before long. I was a bit surprised how uninterested they were in patties I tried last year - I can only suppose it was either the mix I used or they had some access to natural pollen and couldn't be bothered. We currently have plenty of hazel in flower, although hand on heart I can't say I have noticed honey bees working it for pollen but they are supposed to. Any stored super frames with pollen in them often generate a stack of dried pollen powder excavated by pollen mites on the bottom board of the stack. I have always wondered if there is still nutritional value in it or once no longer bee bread it is just waste product full of pollen mites - any thoughts?

I wish I had the freezer space to keep spare pollen frames. I may have to purchase another freezer - I have to use UN levels of negotiation to store frozen sea fishing bait as it is. Don't even bother mentioning keeping live bait in the fridge, the response would cause a shockwave that flattens trees for a 20 mile radius