Temperature: 16C
Weather: Muggy, threatening rain.
Stings: None.
I was intending for this to be the day that I did the swarm prep. I had the frames ready, along with brood box, floor, crown board and roof. But the weather got in the way. The muggy weather and heavy cloud had kept pretty much all the bees in the hive. So, when I opened up loads started flying and they were really unhappy about being disturbed. I had a good look through but couldn't find the queen, the clouds were getting heavier and the bees were getting more and more upset. So, in all I decided to try again next week. My decision was influenced by the fact that I didn't see any queen cups while I was looking through that lower brood box.
What I did see, and which did worry me, was quite a few bees with deformed or bent wings. Not a huge number but enough to make me ponder. Other beekeepers I have talked to are worried that this year might be a bad one for varroa. They might be right. It is very early in the year to be seeing bees in that condition. I saw some drone brood here and there plus a few drones stumbling around. Not much brood and not many drones. However, I might have a closer look at those cells next week. A good time to change the brood comb, methinks. A time for action.
Thursday, 19 May 2011
Wednesday, 11 May 2011
Face time
Temperature: 17c
Weather: Cloudy, threatening rain
Stings: One
A bee in my veil! A bee in my veil! Next time I'll remember not to lean over the hive as I put lean frames I've taken out against the body of it. I think one flew up the bee suit and then was in my veil and buzzing round my face. That was a tense moment. I squished it and got on with my inspection. The sting was on my back and it got in my suit when I opened them us as a few were flying.
Image via WikipediaI think I semi-squished it when I stood up and it stung me in anger.
And the bees are fine. They have drawn another couple of frames and I put some more in that they could get on with. No signs of swarming yet but there is drone brood and they are very busy. I'll get the frames ready and do the swarm prep this weekend, weather permitting. I was worried when I turned up as there were not many bees flying but when I went to inspect there were loads on the frames so all the others must have been out foraging. I've taken a few frames off so I ill get some early honey from them as I can't use what they have drawn as stores for next year. Too risky.
I also learned this week that I was wrong about the queen. I thought they went on mating flights every year. But they only go on one and after that never leave the hive except to swarm. So that makes my planning a bit easier as I don't have to worry about her mating just absconding with half the bees. But that happens every year.
Weather: Cloudy, threatening rain
Stings: One
A bee in my veil! A bee in my veil! Next time I'll remember not to lean over the hive as I put lean frames I've taken out against the body of it. I think one flew up the bee suit and then was in my veil and buzzing round my face. That was a tense moment. I squished it and got on with my inspection. The sting was on my back and it got in my suit when I opened them us as a few were flying.
Image via WikipediaI think I semi-squished it when I stood up and it stung me in anger.And the bees are fine. They have drawn another couple of frames and I put some more in that they could get on with. No signs of swarming yet but there is drone brood and they are very busy. I'll get the frames ready and do the swarm prep this weekend, weather permitting. I was worried when I turned up as there were not many bees flying but when I went to inspect there were loads on the frames so all the others must have been out foraging. I've taken a few frames off so I ill get some early honey from them as I can't use what they have drawn as stores for next year. Too risky.
I also learned this week that I was wrong about the queen. I thought they went on mating flights every year. But they only go on one and after that never leave the hive except to swarm. So that makes my planning a bit easier as I don't have to worry about her mating just absconding with half the bees. But that happens every year.
Thursday, 5 May 2011
Busy bees
Temperature: 17C
Weather: Warm
Stings: None (but it was a close-run thing)
Four days ago I put a couple of undrawn frames into the top brood box and today they had been pretty much fully drawn. Strangely enough some frames in the lower brood box remain undrawn. So I swapped them over as that will give the queen down below a lot more space in which to lay. I'm hoping that the frames I put upstairs will be drawn by next week as that will give me a good base on which to do my swarm preparation. I'll go the usual route of moving and re-uniting as its worked very well in the past.
Image by steveburt1947 via Flickr
I'm not sure why but the bees were a bit restive and lots started flying once I began doing the manipulations. They did soon settle and there was only one that was really annoyed and followed me around a bit. By and large they were as well tempered as ever. They were also annoyed by me having to swap the floor. I realised that I'd put it in the wrong way up.
I saw quite a few drones here and there with a bit of brood too. Nothing too excessive so I don't think I have to worry about anything just yet. I do need to think about changing the queen as her wings are clipped and she's not going to be able to go on a mating flight. I don't want to do it before the main flow (approx 20 June - 3 July) gets under way because their recovery from a change in management could harm their preparation and mean they don't get much out of it.
One way round that is to let the bees raise their new queen during swarm prevention. Then I could use that one as the queen for the whole colony when I re-unite. It's risky though and given the troubles I had with bees for the last few years I'm tempted to avoid it.
Weather: Warm
Stings: None (but it was a close-run thing)
Four days ago I put a couple of undrawn frames into the top brood box and today they had been pretty much fully drawn. Strangely enough some frames in the lower brood box remain undrawn. So I swapped them over as that will give the queen down below a lot more space in which to lay. I'm hoping that the frames I put upstairs will be drawn by next week as that will give me a good base on which to do my swarm preparation. I'll go the usual route of moving and re-uniting as its worked very well in the past.
Image by steveburt1947 via FlickrI'm not sure why but the bees were a bit restive and lots started flying once I began doing the manipulations. They did soon settle and there was only one that was really annoyed and followed me around a bit. By and large they were as well tempered as ever. They were also annoyed by me having to swap the floor. I realised that I'd put it in the wrong way up.
I saw quite a few drones here and there with a bit of brood too. Nothing too excessive so I don't think I have to worry about anything just yet. I do need to think about changing the queen as her wings are clipped and she's not going to be able to go on a mating flight. I don't want to do it before the main flow (approx 20 June - 3 July) gets under way because their recovery from a change in management could harm their preparation and mean they don't get much out of it.
One way round that is to let the bees raise their new queen during swarm prevention. Then I could use that one as the queen for the whole colony when I re-unite. It's risky though and given the troubles I had with bees for the last few years I'm tempted to avoid it.
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