how are your bees doing?

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Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 07 3:17 pm Post subject: how are your bees doing?

Had a full inspection today - and think we've got the hang of the smoker. Still plenty of sealed brood, but not much unsealed (think that will be because of the poor weather?) didn't spot the queen but there was sealed brood this visit and during Tim's last visit which was a fortnight ago so think that therefore is ok. One super is half full of honey

Lots of beely activity around the landing board, plenty of bees coming out and going in with full shopping bags. Good pollen stores - nice dark brick red.

Are we right in thinking the queen might well be starting to slow down (especially in view of the weather) the books say mid July.

How are yours doing?

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 07 4:37 pm Post subject:
Haven't been into the hive for a few weeks now, we split our colony into two earlier in the year and at last look they were only just settling in. Plenty of activity outside though, so if we get a sunny patch in a week or two we'll have another check and see if we might steal a comb for ourselves this year

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Sun Jul 29, 07 5:03 pm Post subject:

Lots going on with ours looking at the hives from a distance - it's like the M5/M6 interchange up there!

We are planning to go in this week some time and see if we have successfully requeened the two hives that didn't have any eggs or worker brood in them. If not, we'll be doing the 'newspaper thing' and uniting the colonies with other ones. Fingers crossed the rain holds off again until we can make the time. Clearly I've jinxed everyone by saying that. Sorry

StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 07 10:06 am Post subject:
Ours have been very poorly with a fairly hefty varroa infestation. But we've been medicating and nursing them and they're looking much stronger - don't expect any honey this year though...

woodsprite

Joined: 20 Mar 2006
Posts: 2943
Location: North Herefordshire

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 07 10:12 am Post subject:
I'll report back later, going in this afternoon.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 07 10:26 am Post subject:
I've made a big decision (me? decisiion?!) and I'm going to get someone from the local bee group to come and have a look at my ives. The bees are so stroppy I daren't go near them! They even drive us away from the veg garden...

StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 07 2:07 pm Post subject:

mochyn wrote:

I've made a big decision (me? decisiion?!) and I'm going to get someone from the local bee group to come and have a look at my ives. The bees are so stroppy I daren't go near them! They even drive us away from the veg garden...

It's definitely worth getting someone out for good advice. Perhaps there's something you're doing that's annoying them or setting them off. They don't like dark colours, they don't like the smell of sweat (common in gardening!) and the smell of bananas is the same as their alarm pheromone so it really gets them going!

If you haven't joined your local beekeepers association I'd recommend it. We got very good advice, discounts on equipment, and a subscription to the Scottish Beekeeper all for very little cash.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Mon Jul 30, 07 3:22 pm Post subject:
I agree with the sweat thing, Stu: I'm not a very sweaty person but they had a real go at the old chap yesterday when he was digging spuds! There must be a smell that calms them down...

FiddlesticksTim

Joined: 28 Dec 2004
Posts: 104
Location: West Oxfordshire

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 07 12:29 pm Post subject:
And I can vouch for the fact that they don't like dark colours too! Just thinking about other things that make them stroppy, ie thunderstorms etc - you haven't got an electric fence near them? Suddenly wondered whether they might take umbrage about that. Possibly complete rubbish - but maybe worth mentioning? Tim

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 07 2:07 pm Post subject:
We do have fences, but they're all quite a distance from the bees. Interesting thought, though.

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Tue Jul 31, 07 2:26 pm Post subject:
Hmm. So this evening I need to a) have shower, b) wear all white and c) not drink any Earl Grey tea. Any other precautions I should take? Carry a small, portable fence with me?

StuP

Joined: 19 Jan 2006
Posts: 123
Location: Aberdeenshire

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 11:02 am Post subject:
You should also take your watch off - watch straps, especially fabric ones, can absorb perspiration and even if you are clean and fresh the bees still detect the odour.

mochyn

Joined: 21 Dec 2004
Posts: 24585
Location: mid-Wales

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 12:28 pm Post subject:

StuP wrote:

You should also take your watch off - watch straps, especially fabric ones, can absorb perspiration and even if you are clean and fresh the bees still detect the odour.

I'm obviously meant to be a beekeeper: haven't had a watch for donkey's years!

chez

Joined: 13 Aug 2006
Posts: 35935
Location: The Hive of the Uberbee, Quantock Hills, Somerset

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 4:33 pm Post subject:

Been through ours this afternoon - we've lost one of the ones we were trying to requeen - clearly not enough of them to make up in to a full colony, even with the new brood/eggs we put in. Just about five tablespoons of bees in a little pile at the bottom of hive

.

All their stores had been robbed out, presumably by the neighbouring hives.

The second one that we put frames of eggs in, though, have made up a queen cell - I've worked out that she should be due to hatch in a couple of days. And they all seem quite happy - but I think they need feeding.

Of the other two, we've got one really strong hive with quite a bit of capped stores and one that has a lot of open stores and also seems quite strong. So we may get a few jars of honey off in a week or two.

Sad about the one that we've lost - but given the amount of time and effort we've put in to them this year, not bad at all, comparatively speaking.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 4:36 pm Post subject:
I appear to have a small colony of bees settling in my garage, eating into the wooden wall and leaving sawdust everywhere. I don't want them there. Suggestions? I know I can just blitz them chemically, but, I'd rather encourage them to leave.

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