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General Q&A, Bee chat and only Bee chat please
 #14526  by MickBBKA
 02 Aug 2024, 01:40
Done nothing but extracting. One thing I can say about my locals is the minute they can go to work they do ! We have had 2 weeks of better weather in June and 2 weeks in july. In that time my best colonies have filled 7 supers. Lots of others have filled 3 or 4 and back filled brood boxes. They were starving 2nd week of June ! This is because inspections have been so limited by the constant rain I have missed the chance to add supers as I never thought for one minute they could produce so much. And what amazing honey, some is as dark as treacle. Down side is some colonies swarmed last week which has never happened ever this late in the year in 12 years keeping. Wasps have arrived, next battle has started :oops: :evil:
 #14527  by JoJo36
 02 Aug 2024, 04:31
That's good news Mick and some delicious honey as a reward for all your time and efforts, a reminder not to give up on them!! well deserved:)
 #14528  by NigelP
 02 Aug 2024, 12:27
Heather Beetle very bad on one moor. Thankfully it's a 1000 acres so lots not damaged, but it's worst I've ever seen on this moor.
Attachments
Heather beetle.jpg
Heather Beetle Destruction
Heather beetle.jpg (259.1KiB)Viewed 15068 times
 #14530  by MickBBKA
 02 Aug 2024, 23:03
NigelP wrote:
02 Aug 2024, 12:27
Heather Beetle very bad on one moor. Thankfully it's a 1000 acres so lots not damaged, but it's worst I've ever seen on this moor.
I am taking some up tomorrow.
Is there no burning on that moor ? I am amazed its that bad considering how bad the weather has been until mid June :o
 #14531  by NigelP
 03 Aug 2024, 05:29
B1B2 wrote:
02 Aug 2024, 20:35
NigelP wrote:
31 Jul 2024, 07:48
Ragwort? There is more about in my area this year than I've ever seen.
Shouldn’t ragwort be destroyed?
Technically yes, but who enforces anything these days?
 #14532  by NigelP
 03 Aug 2024, 05:33
MickBBKA wrote:
02 Aug 2024, 23:03

I am taking some up tomorrow.
Is there no burning on that moor ? I am amazed its that bad considering how bad the weather has been until mid June :o
Burning has little or no effect Mick. This particular moor has no burning on it but still has a grouse shoot. Another I'm on does and beetle damage is even worse there. Just been a bad year for the bar stewards. You couldn't burn the damaged areas anyway as nothing there to burn..
 #14533  by MickBBKA
 04 Aug 2024, 01:56
I took some up on Saturday, lots of burnt areas. The rest of the whole moor looks very brown and poor. Not sure whether to move others there. It was the same 2 years ago and all of a sudden it coloured up and the bees filled everthing in 2 weeks.
Ha ! We just never know :?
 #14534  by AdamD
 05 Aug 2024, 09:00
AdamD wrote:
30 Jul 2024, 10:33
This bait hive was empty 2 weeks ago. Some comb has already fallen off as I disturbed it and it's new, soft and warm :o . Haven't they done well! The comb has a distinct yellow hue from whatever they are bringing in. Usually dandelion gives yellow wax but it's the wrong time of year for that. Any ideas?

Image
Looking at the hive a couple of days later, some of the comb had fallen down - new comb, very full and warm weather were the contributory causes. It saved me the job of removing it. :D I put the fallen comb in a broodbox below an excluder and top entrance and gave some frames of foundation to the colony. A few days later, they had drawn the 6 frames they had; I found the queen and marked her and she had only been laying for a few days. I'll take the lower brood box away later. So far they are very calm.
 #14535  by JoJo36
 06 Aug 2024, 05:28
What a great catch Adam, she sounds like a great queen, hopefully one that lasts for a good couple of years!! :D
It's a great feeling when something goes right in beekeeping! :D
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