Apiary Diary 2022

[Maggie]

Ill get a dog when we want to get rid of the cats, now, what gets rid of dogs?

There was an old lady that swallowed a dog;
What a hog, to swallow a dog;
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - perhaps she'll die!

There was an old lady who swallowed a cow,
I don't know how she swallowed a cow;
She swallowed the cow to catch the dog,
She swallowed the dog to catch the cat,
She swallowed the cat to catch the bird,
She swallowed the bird to catch the spider,
She swallowed the spider to catch the fly;
I don't know why she swallowed a fly - perhaps she'll die!

 

[John B]

About the only animal you could successfully run around here at the moment would be ducks. We not flooded but it is as wet as it could possibly get.
Last week I thought it couldn't get any wetter but I was wrong.

 

[Maggie]

We not flooded but it is as wet as it could possibly get.

A cold wet spring is the pits - getting in and out of apiaries or trying to produce queen cells.

 

[southbee]

We're having the driest spring here I can remember for a long time, haven't needed the quad bike for any sites so far, saying that, it's supposed to get colder and wetter this week. But not bad for Southland!

 

[Goran]

Ill get a dog when we want to get rid of the cats, now, what gets rid of dogs?

Wolves.

 

[CHCHPaul]

Suppose to be grafting again on Wednesday so I can swap starter to finisher on Thursday so we can get away for a whānau holiday… forecast is predicting snow on both days. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

 

[Josh]

Suppose to be grafting again on Wednesday so I can swap starter to finisher on Thursday so we can get away for a whānau holiday… forecast is predicting snow on both days. Aaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Makes my hobby priorities, of trying to have my first year of no swarms, pale in comparison. I’m hoping to sneak into the hives tomorrow afternoon before the weather arrives again

 

[Mummzie]

’m hoping to sneak into the hives tomorrow afternoon before the weather arrives again

good luck with that. I got into my potential swarmer today.... fortunately -as its heaving down again now.

 

[Josh]

good luck with that. I got into my potential swarmer today.... fortunately -as its heaving down again now.

Got there just. Day cooled off and wind got spooky (smoker blowing around in circles) but got the hives checked and even had time to run around with a weed whacker. Phew 😅

 

[Alastair]

Went to a dump site around 6 weeks ago and took all the good hives to go to greener pastures, and left 12 dinks behind that didn't look up to it.

Went back there today and woah! First hive I opened had swarmed, and the others were all choca and pumping and several had queen cells.

From what they were with maybe just a couple frames of brood, to what they are now, the reproductive powers of these things never ceases to amaze me

 

[southbee]

Cold feet..

 

[Mummzie]

Cold feet..

goodness- that box was strapped. Was that caused by wind?

 

[southbee]

Nah sheep were in the paddock and some clown must have forgotten to tighten the strap properly...

 

[southbee]

Nah sheep were in the paddock and some clown must have forgotten to tighten the strap properly...

Probably the same clown who tried to get up the hill

 

[Alastair]

First day supering up

 

[Alastair]

pic of

 

[tristan]

Its been an early spring here at home.
Had a couple of 3/4 supers of honey on so hive got split as it was bursting at the seams with dozens of q cells. Good early spring and then mixed weather = lots and lots of swarms.
The birds and bees are working the bottle brushes nicely.

 

[John B]

Did my hives the other day and they aren't too bad considering the conditions. We actually had four reasonable days in a row but we are back to cold, wet and crappy again. It would have to be one of the worst springs I can remember. I would normally be supering up by now but between the bad varoa in the autumn and a terrible spring the bees are two weeks behind normal. It's one of those years when you just have to roll with the punches and do the best you can. Even after 50 years you can get everything right every time and the weather certainly doesn't help. How is everybody else doing out there. Hobby hives around town often do better than commercial hives in these sorts of conditions.
Swarming is the least of my worries at the moment but it can come on pretty quick with on-again off-again weather . Trouble is our weather is off all time.

 

[Maggie]

The past few months gorse, broom, and tree lucerne broom have flowered massively. Pussy willow in September managed to hang in there without too many huge winds. Dandelions now giving a major pasture and road side display. Boding well for build up for early pollination contracts.

 

[Josh]

Canterbury definitely got a good flow going around ChCh. And testimony to the advice of KISS and use synthetics till you can afford to suck, I have run out of gear for the first time ever.

My bee barrow making it easy too


Now a choice I’ve never had to make before. Spring harvest & risk honey overload or swarming… or buy more gear. I think I’ll do both 😅Usually the intake falls right off around Christmas at this site, but clover isn’t up yet.