how are your bees doing?

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how are your bees doing?
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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.

chez

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

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 4:39 pm Post subject:
Are they bees? Or wasps? If they're honey bees, contact the local bee association - Herefordshire Beekeepers Association: Secretary David Sutton (01885 482673) (from a quick google, don't know how up to date it is). They should have a 'swarm control officer' who will be able to organise for someone to come and take them away.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 4:45 pm Post subject:
They look furry, gentle and dull in colour, rather than shiny and angry, so I say Bee. As for honey, or African Killer, I have no idea. I shall attempt a photo. Send for an ambulance if I don't return.

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

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

Posted: Wed Aug 01, 07 6:37 pm Post subject:

Nick Howe wrote:

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.

Sounds more like masonry/miner bees, but they don't often form big colonies, usually just a very few at once
https://www.moraybeekeepers.co.uk/solitary_bees.htm

woodsprite

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

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 6:27 am Post subject:

Dave is the local bee inspector too Nick, he'll sort you out.
Both hives are doing quite well despite one swarming about a 6 weeks ago. We suspected that this had happened but didnt see the swarm. We were left with no queen and panicked for a while but a member of our bbka group told us to hold off requeening as we have a lovely calm colony and didnt want to bring in an aggressive queen unknowingly. We kept the faith and after a couple of weeks we had queen cells, two of which we let develop, resulting in a new queen, new brood cells and more honey made!
The second hive had a pretty bad case of varroa when we bought it but with plenty of loving care, its almost as strong as the first now. We wont take any honey off number 2 this year but theres another super full to take from number 1. That will mean approx 50 lbs of honey in our first year, amazing!!

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 7:48 am Post subject:
the books say take the honey off by the first week in September. Is that what you all plan to do? We're wondering how that works now we tend to have warm if not hot Septembers and Octobers now.

woodsprite

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

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 3:53 pm Post subject:
We'll need to take ours off sooner than that, they're making at a terrific rate. Probably the end of August, that will leave then plenty to go at over the winter and if they make more in the autumn, best of luck to them. (Not sure what pollen will be about around here then).

Mrs Fiddlesticks

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 10460

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 3:54 pm Post subject:

woodsprite wrote:

We'll need to take ours off sooner than that, they're making at a terrific rate. Probably the end of August, that will leave then plenty to go at over the winter and if they make more in the autumn, best of luck to them. (Not sure what pollen will be about around here then).

do you leave a super on for them then?

woodsprite

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

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 4:01 pm Post subject:
Well this is our first year too Mrs F but thats what we're intending to do. It seems more natural than feeding them processed sugar. Daft I know but I'll feel better leaving them some of the fruits of their labours.

joanne

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 7100
Location: Morecambe, Lancashire

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 4:03 pm Post subject:

Mine have nearly drawn out a whole super from foundation in the last fortnight - all full of honey but none of its capped yet but they only have 1.5 super frames left to draw out, so I'm wondering whether I need to put another super on for them so they have plenty of room to process the nectar that they seem to be bringing in at a rate of knots.

Do I put on another super or leave them until the honey is starting to be capped off ?

I checked the brood chamber as well and they are currently on 8 full frames of sealed brood, eggs and larvae with a little on the 9th and she seems to be still laying like mad

Last edited by joanne on Thu Aug 02, 07 4:05 pm; edited 1 time in total

woodsprite

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

Posted: Thu Aug 02, 07 4:04 pm Post subject:
Not sure Jo, I'll ask the head beekeeper when he gets in!

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