What have you done today bee-related?

[DianeBees]

Today I have watered some borage in the garden and stood and watched some flights from hives. I have also cleaned my smoker. It'll shut much easier without tar around the lid edges.

2018-07-23 18.10.09 by Diane drinkwater, on Flickr

[nealh]

Made a AH monitoring trap for spring deployment , currently have a clear take-a -way plastic tub with fishy watery bait in it in the garden. Lid is fitted with a couple of 12mm holes in it.

Also been reading about Mazzamazda's custard/ filpronil mix treatment on BKF, looks as if he may have come up with a good working solution for when V.v have become established.

[FleetPhil]

Today I made some 2:1 syrup, am going to feed the bees tomorrow. But I can't get all the sugar to dissolve. I added the sugar to hot (recently boiled) water. Any advice will be appreciated!

[Alan_A]

I made some up a couple of days ago, just warmed the water on the hob (no need to boil) and added the sugar a bit at a time and kept stirring until it dissolved. When cool I poured it into clean 2Lt plastic milk bottles, there was some un-dissolved sugar at the bottom of the pan so I left some of the liquid with it and warmed it again on the hob.

[Patrick]

Hi Phil

There are some things in beekeeping which need to be quite precise and a lot more which are don’t.

The concentration of syrup is one of the latter. Thick syrup at 1kg sugar to 630ml water is standard recommended but it’s not critical.

Hot tap water or out of the kettle should be fine, it’s the mixing as well to help it dissolve. I have read putting the sugar bags in a low oven to warm before adding to water can help them dissolve as well.

As long as most sugar is dissolved it’s probably fine as is, then just use any remaining crystals in the next batch as Alan suggests.

[FleetPhil]

Thanks for your replies.
Phil

[Nigel Pringle]

A lot depends on the quantities you need to make.
For small-scale stuff the fastest method I came up with was as follows.
It involves a hob a kettle and large pan. It's not quite 2:1 but the bees don't care and the sugar dissolves quicker.
Basically, hob on and kettle filled to 1.8 litres. As soon as boils add into the pan, stick on the hob. Refill (using hot water from the hot tap) and switch kettle back on.
Add 5kg sugar to boiling water on hob and stir. As soon as kettle boils add next 1.8 litres, stir 30seconds job done (at same time get kettle refilled with hot water and back on ready to start next batch). Don't wait for sugar solution to go totally clear, the few undissolved crystals will go into solution when in containers.
Pour into containers (probably the slowest bit), add a few mls thymol solution and job done. Repeat ad nauseum...

[AdamD]

Repeat ad nauseum...

Yep, a bit tedious at this time of year!
I don't get worried about the exact concentration, if all the sugar doesn't dissolve, I just slosh a bit more water in.

[DianeBees]

Yesterday we extracted honey. Not as much as in previous years. One lot was just over 16% and another just over 17%.

Husband has designed a frame hanger for allowing a brood frame to be spun in the club extractor. Needs to be passed to the metal worker man now to do a mock up in stainless steel to test it out.

[Nigel Pringle]

Repeat ad nauseum...

Yep, a bit tedious at this time of year!
I don't get worried about the exact concentration, if all the sugar doesn't dissolve, I just slosh a bit more water in.

Next year (or this week!) I'm going to invest in a 150 litre water butt with tap and a plasterer's mixer. Stuff it all in, switch it on and let it get on with it.
So far mixed 100kgs and another 100ks of sugar ready to go.