about my bees and a bit of everything
Our queen cannot be found, we just can’t see her. She has a great big yellow paint spot on her back so it’s not too hard to see her. In addition to that we have an excess queen problem. Last time we looked we had …
The new apiary is at the back of a private housing development. It is closer to where we live and seemed easier to get to. it is a beautiful setting with the hives facing a small lake along a row of ancient hawthorns and just …
So much has happened since April. We have moved apiary after being evicted from our spot in the grounds of a country house.
We have moved in to the new apiary and alas, though it will do for now, we do not like it that much. It is a mammoth task moving a 8 beehives and all the associated gear. We had to tape up the hive late the evening before to ensure that as many bees as possible came along in the move and were not left behind. Then the following morning we were up and thinking we were going to get the hive into the back of the car and off we go! Turns out its not that simple…
Our hive is a small neat affair but the others were a bit more substantial so I really should not have been surprised when someone turned up with a trailer. Along with the trailer were three helpers, all the beekeepers, the apiary manager and the chair of the bee keeping association. Thats a-lot of people considering no-one came to say goodbye to us. Packing the trailer turned out to be very technical, a bit like BBQs are, so I didn’t get involved in that but left it to the other folk there.
So right now I would be looking to think about opening the hive. This time of year we need to take a quick peek to check what is going on and work out what to do next but it’s way too cold, or raining, or …
Hi, we are getting ready for a new season right now. There’s so much to that I am on a course to make sure I remember it all! Hubby has to do Rainbows ? and Cubs pickups so we can fit it all in. Anyhow …
We have to get the new hive out of the box soon. It’s been so cold here and yesterday we had intended to take it up to the apiary but it snowed. Now, I happen to know that some of you reading this are in …
We looked at sorting some bits out at the apriary this weekend. There are a few tasks to undertake to make sure that the hive is protected, the bees are happy and they stand the best chances of surviving the winter.
Even for our little hive when the bees are tucked up predators are still an issue. First off, we had to install a mouse guard to prevent mice from creeping in and stealing honey. Mouse guards allow bees in and out but stop bees by covering the entrance with a metal grid.
Secondly the hive may also be under attack from woodpeckers. Now, we are told that a net thrown over the hive will annoy woodpeckers by tangling their feet enough to put them off pecking into the hive.
Hubby securing the net over the hive.
Did you see any bargains? I never do, in fact one item I had in my basket of a well known online retailer went up in price. But then I got the Thornes promotional email (feel free to advertise on my blog, Thornes) and a …
