<![CDATA[British Beekeepers' Association Discussion Forum - Blogs]]> http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php British Beekeepers Association discussion forum en Thu, 02 Sep 2010 19:27:44 GMT vBulletin 60 http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/images/misc/rss.jpg <![CDATA[British Beekeepers' Association Discussion Forum - Blogs]]> http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php Robbing and update on new queen http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=491 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:20:09 GMT I went back to the allotment today to see if the Somerset queen was out of her cage. She was and there were eggs.....I think they were her eggs, as... I went back to the allotment today to see if the Somerset queen was out of her cage. She was and there were eggs.....I think they were her eggs, as they were more or less vertical in the cells still and I made the nuc up 2 days ago, so I would expect the eggs to be almost lying down in the cells by now if they were the eggs of the old mean queen.

I couldn't see her though, but I didn't want to mess about with the nuc because she can't have been out of the cage long, so I didn't want to tempt fate and encourage the bees to reject her. Felt like a prawn not being able to easily see her in a 3 frame nuc... she was majestic and fat.

Combined the box with the queen and 3 frame nuc with the original queenless hive using newspaper. I put a few extra sheets of newspaper on to slow them down a bit, but remembered to make holes with my hive tool, so that it won't take forever. Fingers crossed they will have combined by next week and I will see eggs once again and with some luck, the queen too.

Today there was a lot of interest in the stack of supers that I had extracted. I heard the loud angry roaring of robbing before I saw it. I thought I had been quite clever because when I was stacking them and bees were being attracted and getting stuck inside the tower of supers, I put a clearer board on, thinking - that will keep new bees out, but allow those inside to escape. Looks like one of the bee escapes dropped off.

One of the old allotmenteers came to talk to me about the bees becuase he was worried about the noise they were making. He was talking about the robbers that were around the empty supers. (Which I thought were bee proof)

I took the stack of supers to the allotment shed, amidst a cloud of robbers. Committee meetings happen in the shed, so I have promised that there will be no bees, but there were thousands of robbers followed me. I told old allotmenteer what I was doing and how the bees would leave the shed, but that there would be quite a lot of bees for a couple of hours. He watched the cloud of bees for a while, then said, Look, they are mostly heading home to the hives. I think he is a natural.

Realised that I failed to put the varroa floor into one of the hives which was a mistake because the green oasis thymol oil treatment is on all the hives now. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=491 Squished the mean queen http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=490 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 21:23:31 GMT Took a while to find her, but she is no more. Made up a nuc too, so the new beauty can go into that. Took a while to find her, but she is no more. Made up a nuc too, so the new beauty can go into that. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=490 New Queen http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=489 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 11:33:35 GMT The new queen of Buckfast background came from Somerset today. She looks fighting fit. The weather is still grey, but plan probably is to make up a... The new queen of Buckfast background came from Somerset today. She looks fighting fit. The weather is still grey, but plan probably is to make up a nuc for her tonight and to put her in tomorrow, then combine with queenless hive once I have found and killed current queen.

I am really, really dreading finding the queen, in the mean hive. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=489 Refractometer http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=488 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:55:18 GMT The refractometer arrived from China today. I have been messing about trying to make it work..... without any luck so far. I have spun out the... The refractometer arrived from China today. I have been messing about trying to make it work..... without any luck so far.

I have spun out the honey that I had drying out in the combs, in son's bedroom. I got about 80lbs, so if the refractometer says it is sufficiently low in water content, the refractometer and dehumidifier will have paid for themselves. Jarred 100lbs in 1 pound jars and also have jarred up 110 1oz jars that daughter wants to give to her friend for her to use as wedding favours. I will have to remember that it takes about the same time to fill a tiny jar as to fill a big jar when I price up any future job!

Son helped me get the last stack of supers off and they too are now in his bedroom being dehumidified. I put the supers to be cleaned by the bees and will take them off this weekend and put the thymol oil treatment on the last hive that hasn't- started being treated yet.

One of customers came to tell me how fabulous the last honey I sold him was. It was dark brown with a more spicy citrus taste than other stuff I have got. I wondered if it was just heavy on horse chestnut, or whether it was the ivy taste that he liked.

This latest lot is more golden and shiny, so if honey sells on looks, it will sell better, but in my view the less attractive honey tasted better. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=488 Reasons to be cheerful http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=487 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:53:36 GMT No.3 daughter did very well in her A levels. We are all so glad for her. I have brought in the 7 half capped supers from the allotment and in the... No.3 daughter did very well in her A levels. We are all so glad for her.

I have brought in the 7 half capped supers from the allotment and in the haze of joy, and following some negotiation with son, got them all in son's bedroom with door and windows closed and dehumidifier on full blast.. He says he will sleep in the living room.

The refractometer hasn't arrived from China yet. Plan is to leave the supers drying for four days, or until the water tank is full (I bought one with automatic cut out), then extract and test with other new toy when it comes. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=487 Sticky but happy. http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=486 Tue, 17 Aug 2010 23:20:32 GMT Down to the allotment to get those boxes that are coming off cleared of bees. For the first time ever they were pinging me while I was pottering... Down to the allotment to get those boxes that are coming off cleared of bees. For the first time ever they were pinging me while I was pottering around lighting my smoker and getting my beesuit on. I didn't mind because I'd got changed after work into trousers and a long sleeved top, having found that the skirt and short sleeved shirt under the beesuit was not all that protective. I am pleased that the supers are all now being cleared and hopefully before I go off to Scotland for the weekend, I'll have had the chance to get all them off, at least at the allotment, so that they all will have started their thymol treatment soon.


I skimmed the top of the honey bucket to take off the froth and then put the honey through a fine mesh (I have already put it through the double strainer).

I then jarred up the honey someone ordered to give away as wedding favours (apparently this is the name of the gifts that the couple give their guests). 4oz jars are a lot more fiddly than 1lb jars!!!! I am pleased with them though. Kitchen sticky again. Also pleased that I can to an end to the worrying about when I will have got Autumn thymol treatment onto all the colonies.

Went plumming with the girls yesterday... this involves climbing through the fence of the oevergrown part of the cemetery and picking the wild plums. What fun. We are thinking of ways to cook them. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=486 A plan at last to get down to one box http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=485 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:36:20 GMT Out to the bees again after work. Was feeling well stressed and gnashing my teeth, because I just don't seem to be able to get all the colonies down to one box. Bees were getting a bit stressed too as it was dusk.

Phoned a friend, who has much reassured me. His advice was, 'Well you're just going to take the boxes off aren't you?' Well that sounds obvious doesn't it!

So this is the plan.....
For the half capped supers...just take them off!
Extract them, and buy a dehumidifier and refractometer to test water content. This means that if the honey has too much water in it, I just dry it out!

Lovely husband was not entirely convinced when I said I would pay for them with honey sales. These items might count in the more bee junk category.

Spent this evening making my purchases.
I'll go back to the allotment tomorrow and put clearer boards on. I will also order a new queen tomorrow. I am beginning to dread even taking the lid of hive 4.

Regarding the brood boxes still full of honey, well they just have to come off! I don't want lots of boxes of capped honey in huge frames that won't go in the extractor and I don't want all the comb mashed up, I want drawn comb for next year. Well tough. Enough prevarication. The choice I make is that I'll keep a few frames just for emergency supplies, and the rest are getting mashed and sieved and strained. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=485 Green Oasis http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=484 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:07:26 GMT The update on the experiment to see whether it was easiest to get the bees to clear the brood boxes of honey (where they are on double brood) is that... The update on the experiment to see whether it was easiest to get the bees to clear the brood boxes of honey (where they are on double brood) is that all the methods worked to some extent, but none perfectly. The radical approach of putting the extra BB on a floor with a roof opposite the hive attached to the hive by a pipe was the most interesting. This is the box that had been cleared the most. Interestingly there were drones left in the box. What was impossible to tell was whether all the stores from that box had been taken back into that hive. I think probably, as there was no robbing, but I'm not sure.

I managed to get 5 hives down to single BB and have started treatment with small slabs of green oasis soaked in the oil/thymol mixture that one of the very experienced beeks recommended. Entrance blocks and varroa floor inserts all in on these hives.

The bees that have become mean (hive 4) were worse again today - covering my veil with bees. The bees with the superqueen were really gentle though, so it looks like for both those hives what I am seeing is the full expression of the queen's genetics in relation to temperament starting to show.

Picked lots of blackberries to make a crumble later. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=484 Installing bees in the new hive http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=483 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:05:27 GMT Experienced beek told me last weekend that she definitely wanted to buy another nuc from me. I said it would be ready for this weekend, so last... Experienced beek told me last weekend that she definitely wanted to buy another nuc from me. I said it would be ready for this weekend, so last weekend I took out a couple of frames of stores and added a couple of frames of emerging brood.

I missed her e-mail in the week. She is off on her hols so wants to pick them up in a fortnight and now wants 6 frames not 5. My nucs are all 5 frame, so I have put her bees into the new FP hive with another frame and a couple of dummy boards on the edges to keep them warm.

First problem was with the correx crownboard. Obviously it would squash the bees if I put a feeder on top. I put some bits of tile under it to support it. Second problem is that I needed another crownboard, so I cut one from polystyrene. Small problems I guess, as in the end it was Ok, but I will need to buy some more wooden crownboards. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=483 fragile planet http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=482 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 18:30:34 GMT Despite still not having much improved my woodworking skills the new Fragile Planet hive is now done... the bargain one made from recycled materials.... Despite still not having much improved my woodworking skills the new Fragile Planet hive is now done... the bargain one made from recycled materials.

There was some doubt about whether I could ever get it together. Several comments about how come I don't hold the hammer right and put the nails in straight. Instructions were not the most helpful and I did use 2 G clamps and a vice as well as a hammer, when it said you only needed a hammer.

Now it is done, I am very proud !! See attached. Sorry seems to have flipped sideways.
Attached Thumbnails
Click image for larger version Name: new hjive .jpg Views: 36 Size: 98.4 KB ID: 37  
]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=482 Trying to reduce the number of boxes - an experiment http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=481 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 19:51:30 GMT Bad weather on Saturday, so given they have been a bit moody, I decided not to look at the bees. On Sunday it was the LBKA meeting and there was... Bad weather on Saturday, so given they have been a bit moody, I decided not to look at the bees.

On Sunday it was the LBKA meeting and there was a demo on extracting and after much tea and cake, there wasn't time to look at both apiaries. Someone else was asking for a nuc, which was interesting, because I thought most people were already sorted.

I had one of the Doh! moments when I opened up the National on double brood that I had combined with a queenright nuc because I thought it was queenless. I found the queen missing and polished brood cells and an emerged QC. I must have missed a QC and emerged the virgin has killed my queen.

Main problem is that there are colonies on double brood with QE between where the bottom box is full of honey. I am on Jumbo and normal Langstroth and it is a lot of honey to go to waste. I don't like over wintering on 2 brood boxes - although if I had a colony that was mega, I might, but I've never had a colony that can't get into a Langstroth box yet.

Tonight after work I went to inspect other colonies I didn't get to at the weekend. I have done an experiment on 3 colonies;
Option 1:
trying to clear honey from brood box above queenright box,
Option 2:
trying to get them to clear honey from BB below the Q+ box... both of these with a crownboard and empty super
Option 3:
and then the radical option of putting the honey BB opposite the Q+ BB with a pipe running between them and the honey box having a restricted entrance

The grumpy colony were less grumpy today. 2 stings on my legs because I didn't have trousers underneath.



- ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=481 Yoof got the bees http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=480 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 19:35:59 GMT I took the bees to Stockwell tonight. I was very impressed with the vegetables the kids were growing and the chickens and especially the silkies. ... I took the bees to Stockwell tonight. I was very impressed with the vegetables the kids were growing and the chickens and especially the silkies. Sensible me says that chickens are a step too far, but those silkies were so sweet. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=480 Bees obstructing the front door http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=479 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:49:11 GMT Got home to grumpy relatives because the supers I put outside in plastic bin bags have been under siege from robbers all day. The Stalwart came to... Got home to grumpy relatives because the supers I put outside in plastic bin bags have been under siege from robbers all day.

The Stalwart came to take away the LBKA supers tonight. I couldn't help but laugh as he cycled off with his trailer with a cloud of bees behind him. I offered to drive them over to the apiary on Sunday, but he couldn't wait. Plan is to jar up the LBKA honey and to use the proceeds to support good causes.

I can't work out how much honey I got from my hives probaly a bit more than 150lb, but that is not brilliant going, as there were at least 7 hives that could have provided a surplus. (I'm not counting the ones that are small artificial swarms or the colonies that I have repeatedly split to make nucs.) The 2 Italian colonies that decided to uncap and eat most of thier honey are included in the total though.

I love the Italians... they are so gentle, so quiet on the comb and so prolific, but I seem to keep having this problem with them not giving much, if any, crop. I'm not sure why they always are like this for me. I guess I have concluded that they aren't the most productive bee around here. I'll miss them though. The students love them too.

I am beginning to wonder whether there are so many bees in SE London that there is not enough forage and they are competing.

All the colonies now have 2010 queens, and all the full blooded Italians have been dispatched. A couple of the colonies are headed up by home reared Italian crossbreeds now, (most of them have Buckfast mongrels) so let's see what the daughters of the pure(ish) bred Italians they are like.

Next job is to skim and filter the honey ready for jaring. Not tomorrow though as hoping to give the Yoof their nuc.

The Fragile Planet bits and pieces have arrived, including the bargain National, the super cheap frames and the Certan that I plan to give a try in order to protect from Waxmoth. It all looks good, although not quite what I ordered.

Am mulling over how to seal the edges of the ply, which doesn't look anywhere near a lovely as the birchwood ply the Beehivemaker's nucs are made from. I am not complaining....I think that the bargain National hive and the bargain frames look good value, and I only want the hive parts as spares for artificial swarms.

PS: Got back from evening out with the girls at 9.30pm to find all supers gone. I was worried they has been stolen. Husband responds not smiling that they were a health hazard so he has put them behind the garage. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=479 Doh!!! Not going to have enough honey buckets. http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=478 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 07:34:55 GMT Extracting tonight. It will be a challenge to find anything suitable to use as a honey bucket in my lunchbreak. Oh dear. Update - struck lucky... Extracting tonight. It will be a challenge to find anything suitable to use as a honey bucket in my lunchbreak. Oh dear.

Update - struck lucky again.
I took a jar of honey to the local cafe and they have got lots they say that will do the trick. Collecting them at 5pm. Might be a bit of a challenge on the push bike getting them home though. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=478 Mr Muscle gets the boxes off http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=477 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:37:17 GMT Son agreed to help me get the cleared supers off tonight. He was dripping wet at the end of it because he had put on so many layers of clothes under... Son agreed to help me get the cleared supers off tonight. He was dripping wet at the end of it because he had put on so many layers of clothes under the beesuit. No stings though. I forgot to bring a suit for myself, so he did all the work while I called out what to do.

The Porter bee escapes have worked perfectly- 10/10 supers cleared. Now I have understood that you have to check they are working and adjust them if necessary before putting them on the hives to clear I feel like the Porter bee escapes do what they are supposed to.

Son enjoyed helping. He said it wasn't so scary today. The boxes are now stacked in the kitchen waiting for the fun tomorrow. ]]> Karin http://www.britishbee.org.uk/forum/blog.php?b=477