Went looking for Bighands blossom.... could’nt find any..... but escaped the rain and snow in Canterbury.
Apiary Diary November 2021
- Thread starter James
- Start date
Tell me about it. Endless rain here and unseasonable weather. Worked hives today that had zilch feed, point of starvation, I will have to go back with sugar. Looks like the flow is close to a month late where these hives are, I'll bet a few beekeepers are being caught out.
My local grumpy shop keeper told me this arvo that its gonna rain till Tuesday. We also whipped down south to feed bees yesterday. They have a wee dearth every year regardless of how much we leave for them. I’m pleased we did it now.
Gonna be an interesting couple of days. Theres been a lot of building in places that haven’t flooded for 30+ years. This weather pattern is never kind to our part of the world.
Ive been catching up on the Office Admin today & setting up a old new computer that’s been in the corner (where I put it because I hate windows 10) I’ve forgotten more than I remember after 5 years out of teaching & having a computer going all day long.
Gonna be an interesting couple of days. Theres been a lot of building in places that haven’t flooded for 30+ years. This weather pattern is never kind to our part of the world.
Ive been catching up on the Office Admin today & setting up a old new computer that’s been in the corner (where I put it because I hate windows 10) I’ve forgotten more than I remember after 5 years out of teaching & having a computer going all day long.
I went through 100 hives yesterday taking out varoa strips, brood checking and feeding when necessary. For some reason I can feel it today, I must be getting old.
So far we've only had a few mill of rain and a but more would be nice. We had just been getting the spillover from other places and some of those must be pretty wet.
A dearth period at this time of year used to be pretty normal and I can remember when we had four bad November is in a row .
I don't know why but it's been years since we have had a real hunger patch at this time of year and many of the new beekeepers will not have experienced this to any great extent. I can remember feeding 200 hives a day (two of us) every day on a 10 day rotation for over a month just to keep hives alive.
Fortunately I am well up with my feeding so unless it rains for more than a week I won't have too work on the rain like the good old days.
So far we've only had a few mill of rain and a but more would be nice. We had just been getting the spillover from other places and some of those must be pretty wet.
A dearth period at this time of year used to be pretty normal and I can remember when we had four bad November is in a row .
I don't know why but it's been years since we have had a real hunger patch at this time of year and many of the new beekeepers will not have experienced this to any great extent. I can remember feeding 200 hives a day (two of us) every day on a 10 day rotation for over a month just to keep hives alive.
Fortunately I am well up with my feeding so unless it rains for more than a week I won't have too work on the rain like the good old days.
I never work in the rain! I’ve sat in the truck chowing down waiting a few times thou! When the coffee runs out so does my patience. My mate is always looking for a rain shadow. Sometimes he’s the eternal optimist. Rain still steady here @John B, hope you get some of our spillover, we really don’t need anymore.
Hey guys on the east coast you have got our weather.
Thats alright you can keep it , wont need it again till next yr .
We all good .
Thats alright you can keep it , wont need it again till next yr .
We all good .
The other night Mr Blueskies said Hawkes Bay is in for a 100ml rain in the next few days.
Took the dog for a walk tonite and it feels frosty.
Caught up with a mate on The Coast and had a poke in his hives. He's a little alternative and lost a lot through starvation, but the survivors look really nice. He's quite isolated and has had no Varroa treatements in since the autumn and the bees look healthy ..... and so quiet, even on a chilly day.
I finally found some blossom ..... way down .....south of Ross.
Took the dog for a walk tonite and it feels frosty.
Caught up with a mate on The Coast and had a poke in his hives. He's a little alternative and lost a lot through starvation, but the survivors look really nice. He's quite isolated and has had no Varroa treatements in since the autumn and the bees look healthy ..... and so quiet, even on a chilly day.
I finally found some blossom ..... way down .....south of Ross.
Theres buds on the rata trees.
Not sure how widespread.
Can not believe they will flower 3 yrs in a row .
Kamahi in full flower. Good old kamahi
Pretty shocked at the damage varroa has done to my hives.
One hive with an autumn queen is recovering fine but the other hive with last yrs spring queen is pretty sick.
I am seeing deformed wings and dead brood for the first time .
I have had varroa before , seen it on bees and in brood but this is the first time I have seen the virus symptoms.
The sick hive needs requeening , I am waiting for good hive to make a swarm cell.
I may look to buy a queen .
One hive with an autumn queen is recovering fine but the other hive with last yrs spring queen is pretty sick.
I am seeing deformed wings and dead brood for the first time .
I have had varroa before , seen it on bees and in brood but this is the first time I have seen the virus symptoms.
The sick hive needs requeening , I am waiting for good hive to make a swarm cell.
I may look to buy a queen .
Go North of Greymouth on the Coast Road and you have to be blind not to see the Kamahi flowering. You guys and gals can have some of our rain. So far we have had 5.7 mtrs in the Otira valley. I reckon we may get to 7. 2 months to go.
Up until Autumn I had been using OA strips . I pulled them out in Nov and in feb I used the vapouriser three times in first week then twice a week for three more weeks.
In april I put in bayvarol for 8 weeks .
Then apivar in september
I probably should have put the apivar in earlier but I thought the bavarol would have knocked them down and with no other bees around no infestation.
Got a call for another swarm in town today. My catch net on 5m extension pole plus 1.92m of me and a good arm stretch got them out of the tree from ground level.
That’s the 5th I’ve collected and another two I haven’t been able to get to as been out of town.
That’s the 5th I’ve collected and another two I haven’t been able to get to as been out of town.