Good to hear you're back in the country and looking after them bees. Maybe it actually is because you're looking later, or maybe it's a general thing, ours are building up strong and looking very healthy, no treatment in the winter.
Apiary Diary 2022
- Thread starter Grant
- Start date
That reminds me of last years spring down here, it was wet everywhere and we managed to get stuck twice in one day. The opposite here this spring, hardly needing 4WDR. Lots of willow nectar here too.
Hives are wetter than I ever recall. Been a wet winter. And having just listed my over wintered nuc… it swarmed. Listing deleted, and nuc moved to a hive. Will see what happens. Might merge or sell later, don’t need 5 hives.
But all the hives have come through well, good residual stores, nectar coming in and we’ll behaved. (Except the nuc 😩)
Last year had swarms in January, this year September 🤪
But all the hives have come through well, good residual stores, nectar coming in and we’ll behaved. (Except the nuc 😩)
Last year had swarms in January, this year September 🤪
do you have any insulation on top?
I have a couple of hives making serious moves towards swarming. They are also bringing in lots of nectar, which seems early. This is supposed to be the dearth isn't it?
No insulation. But a ventilated top which usually keeps them nice & dry. I used to have condensation issues, but ventilated tops solved that. I think this water is just rain, there has been a lot.
New project - Garden roof for each hive with nice eaves etc. might make an insulation option for winter go inside it.
My swarming nuc has nectar, drones, and I thought enough space (5 x 2 when I put strips in.😡
New project - Garden roof for each hive with nice eaves etc. might make an insulation option for winter go inside it.
My swarming nuc has nectar, drones, and I thought enough space (5 x 2 when I put strips in.😡
Sooo…. We are busy feeding bees, pulling bayvarol strips out… yeah I know its late but I got sidetracked over the winter…. And we are putting in o:a treatements….
And as i see the bags of old synthetic strips piling up in the shed, I ask myself the question….. why do we not have a biodegradable strip impregnated with bayvarol or the likes that collapses when the chemical expires?
I think it might be also time I thought about getting a few queen cells going.
And as i see the bags of old synthetic strips piling up in the shed, I ask myself the question….. why do we not have a biodegradable strip impregnated with bayvarol or the likes that collapses when the chemical expires?
I think it might be also time I thought about getting a few queen cells going.
Totally agree, although I’m no chemist & maybe there are challenges with chemical release & the carrier material. But still, this should be something a boffin somewhere could solve.
We have a Tui feeder in a tree near our house and get hours of amusement watching them. Today one surprised us by leaving the feeder and landing in front of a small nuc we have nearby, and putting its beak into the entrance several times before being seen off. I know they will hunt insects when feeding young, and my guess is this one was female as she was smaller. Has anyone else observed anything like this?
observed the same as a young tui having its beak in the hive entrance
Possible. I'm not guilty of feeding honey water- its too attractive to the bees even if it wasn't bad from the AFB angle, but maybe it recognised the scent. It was such a deliberate action and totally out of the usual routines which is what we observed last year last year when they were feeding young.
I can understand fledgling Tuis poking their beeks in......they are hilarious to watch learn their way in the world.
Seeing we are talking birds rather than bees, we had a Falcon visit a couple of days ago.
What a kerfluffle that made amongst the local birds.
On Thursday I had encounter with white tailed eagle, it attacked hens. I got surprised cause it hit 2-3 meters from me, ignoring my presence. Weird.. It managed to escape from me, without hen but hen didn't survived, bones were crashed. First heard some fuss behind me of hens panicking then whoosh and strike like log been thrown. It is still unreal to me. Maybe it didn't pay attention on me cause I was in beekeeping suit preparing to go to the hives.. Nevertheless it circled after and other one joined him in the sky above, only one stupidly brave raven was chasing it away with distracting it ( thanks Raven)..
Our son and his family are heading to Aussie next month, they have dumped their two cats on us, thinking of putting up a bird feeder so I don't have to pay for cat food.