February 2018 Beekeeping Diary

[Trevor Gillbanks 6,795]

February is here already.  1 month down only 11 more to go.

[jamesc 4,710]

Shhh

[Stoney 1,566]

Spent the last day of January harvesting honey in the back of nowhere, 6 staff, 3 trucks, 1 for foundy and blowing gear 2 for honey, left the shed at 5am ( to beat the heat) finished the last site feeling rather deflated and craving one of those flash "energy" drinks I call JD n Coke.. 

I sent the team off ahead for a swim in a mean river hole while Pete and I took our time driving the big girl out with 9 packed out pallets on, and the crane...a solid load. 

I should've taken note of the pre 7am wasp sting to the neck as we drove into the valley as an omen... 

As the tail lights of our crew faded into the twilight and thick dust ahead I clicked her into top gear along a nice straight, yarning yarns and smashing darts with Pete, aircon on full tit... 

Should we stop for a swim to wash a solid days work off ourselves or just chug on out of this hot baked landscape...? 

The bees were beautiful to work, a good harvest and plenty of brood coming through to see them well into there next crop of godly nectar. Feeling good... til, 

BOOM! 

That solid shotgun type boom that makes ya gut sink and ya foot hit the brakes, damn it. We had just been talking about food and man were we starvin. 

The damage was a fist size hole in the outside dual.. ok we can sort that... 

crack open the side box shuffling through smoker sack and not seeing the Bharco tool box had me slightly concerned but once I spotted the empty chain hanging under the deck minus the tyre things got real. 

1.5 hrs away from cell reception, no tucker left, a couple of trucks gone ahead and no way to contact em.. and already 15 hrs of the workday gone as history. 

No tools, no spare... 

and it's my fine lady's Birthday.. 

30mins pass and out of the dust comes our chance, Hilux, dog crate, worn out oilskin hat just like mine and a big smile " you fellas need a phone call?" as a cooling bottle of speights gets shoved out the still moving wagon.. 

 A good honey industry yarn later and the SOS call was made, followed by a call to work for a  rescue operation.

watching satellites pass high above in the silence we waited and waited.. and waited. Cattle called out in the distance... . finally Laura's ute pulls in her big smile a happy sight to see, as was the Nachos she had kindly whipped up for us which somehow were still hot. 

You beauty!

 "I called your partners for you, and grabbed a spare wheel " she said as we demolished the nachos. 

What a girl, its good to know someone's got ya back when your out there doing it. 

After a drive to a farm workshop for a tool raid and a fair bit of sweat the flat tyre was replaced and I kicked her into gear to hit the seriously currogated windy goat track out. 

Wouldn't it be great if there was an understanding of the amount of blood dust and tears that goes into the commercial bee industry to get out a haul of honey that may or may not be worth the drum it's pumped into. 

I wouldn't change these adventures for anything ... except a wee bit more time with my family, but then that's beekeeping isn't it? 

They never stop. 

[yesbut 6,180]

As  a hobbyist I daren't say much....the wooden spoon will have to do. At least it wasn't raining.

[Stoney 1,566]

 as a commercial we work in the rain, so wouldn't make a lot of difference really.. 

[yesbut 6,180]

Phew the relief, a spot of Q squashing, a bit of papering, and I'm back down to my regulation two hives. Just have to decide what to do with the two nucs I've got brewing. 

[dansar 5,489]

41 minutes ago, yesbut said:

Phew the relief, a spot of Q squashing, a bit of papering, and I'm back down to my regulation two hives. Just have to decide what to do with the two nucs I've got brewing. 

Take the challenge to successfully over-winter two nucs

[Philbee 4,672]

Today I found what appeared to be a PMS hive, ripped cappings Sac Brood type larvae ranging from white to black.

No roping and a strong 2 box hive that was superseding the Queen. Backed up my visual/ rope AFB appraisal with a Milk test. negative.;

As I reached for the Alcohol wash kit I thought,  "at last some Varroa" but to my surprise the 400 Bee wash yielded no Varroa.

So I washed them again for the same result.

Then I tipped the Bees into a tin lid to dry out and then panned them like for gold

then I tossed them like they were in a wok and panned them some more.

If there were any Varroa in the mix I would have found them but there were none.

Whats going on?

[tristan 4,306]

1 hour ago, Philbee said:

Today I found what appeared to be a PMS hive, ripped cappings Sac Brood type larvae ranging from white to black.

No roping and a strong 2 box hive that was superseding the Queen. Backed up my visual/ rope AFB appraisal with a Milk test. negative.;

As I reached for the Alcohol wash kit I thought,  "at last some Varroa" but to my surprise the 400 Bee wash yielded no Varroa.

So I washed them again for the same result.

Then I tipped the Bees into a tin lid to dry out and then panned them like for gold

then I tossed them like they were in a wok and panned them some more.

If there were any Varroa in the mix I would have found them but there were none.

Whats going on?

don't need varroa for PMS. virus can hang around for a long long time ie 12 months or more.

[Daniel Benefield 145]

Visited my most remote site today. Last time I supered them was at the begining of Jan. There were a bunch of nosey yearlings in that paddock. No hot wire handy so I just strapped everything up really tight and hoped for the best... Sure enough 2 hives knocked over. Bit of a mess of big fat comb built every which way in the new supers I had given them, but otherwise they were in good nick. Bit of crushing and straining to do..

[kaihoka 2,941]

35 minutes ago, Daniel Benefield said:

Visited my most remote site today. Last time I supered them was at the begining of Jan. There were a bunch of nosey yearlings in that paddock. No hot wire handy so I just strapped everything up really tight and hoped for the best... Sure enough 2 hives knocked over. Bit of a mess of big fat comb built every which way in the new supers I had given them, but otherwise they were in good nick. Bit of crushing and straining to do..

That's very yellow comb and honey 

[Daniel Benefield 145]

12 minutes ago, kaihoka said:

That's very yellow comb and honey 

It is, and it tastes lovely too. I'm not sure what it is exactly though. It's the first year I have had this site as well as another 1 about 2km away. Hives at both sites brought in a box or 2 each of this.

Edited February 2, 2018 by Daniel Benefield
Wording

[kaihoka 2,941]

1 minute ago, Daniel Benefield said:

It is, and it tastes lovely too. I'm not sure what it is exactly though. It's the first year I have had this site as well as another 1 about 2km away. Hives at both sites brought in a box of this or 2 each like this.

I have some very yellow runny sweet clear honey that no one can identify .

Is it  a Bush site .

Do you have any paddocks of Brasica near by 

[Beefriendly 1,253]

My clever daughter has made me a spectacular cake

Edited February 2, 2018 by Trevor Gillbanks
Fix spelling

[Daniel Benefield 145]

Yeah both are on farms surrounded by bush. No brassica. 

[Kiwi Bee 589]

@Daniel Benefieldit may be tee tree. However my is usually more yellow. And smells fantastic + taste goooood.

[kaihoka 2,941]

53 minutes ago, Kiwi Bee said:

@Daniel Benefieldit may be tee tree. However my is usually more yellow. And smells fantastic + taste goooood.

Tee tree ?

[Kiwi Bee 589]

@kaihokamy bad. I confused it. I can not remember the name of the tree.

[jamesc 4,710]

On 2/2/2018 at 6:52 AM, yesbut said:

As  a hobbyist I daren't say much....the wooden spoon will have to do. At least it wasn't raining.

What happened to all those bees down in S westland in the big storm ?

We got a mission coming up shortly to retrieve hives and that's gonna be real interestng. Might take an extra packet of nachos  justin case..... !

[yesbut 6,180]

22 minutes ago, Kiwi Bee said:

@kaihokamy bad. I confused it. I can not remember the name of the tree.

Cabbage Tree ? Ti koouka ?

[Stoney 1,566]

53 minutes ago, jamesc said:

What happened to all those bees down in S westland in the big storm ?

We got a mission coming up shortly to retrieve hives and that's gonna be real interestng. Might take an extra packet of nachos  justin case..... !

We gotta guy stuck over there at the mo, between slips. He was shifting a few sites to higher ground. 

Id say I've lost a few for sure. But can't do much about it at the mo. 

Hope to head over on Wednesday. 

[CraBee 1,748]

16 hours ago, Philbee said:

Today I found what appeared to be a PMS hive, ripped cappings Sac Brood type larvae ranging from white to black.

No roping and a strong 2 box hive that was superseding the Queen. Backed up my visual/ rope AFB appraisal with a Milk test. negative.;

As I reached for the Alcohol wash kit I thought,  "at last some Varroa" but to my surprise the 400 Bee wash yielded no Varroa.

So I washed them again for the same result.

Then I tipped the Bees into a tin lid to dry out and then panned them like for gold

then I tossed them like they were in a wok and panned them some more.

If there were any Varroa in the mix I would have found them but there were none.

Whats going on?

 

The problem is the Queen.

[jamesc 4,710]

1 hour ago, Stoney said:

We gotta guy stuck over there at the mo, between slips. He was shifting a few sites to higher ground. 

Id say I've lost a few for sure. But can't do much about it at the mo. 

Hope to head over on Wednesday. 

hmmm

[kaihoka 2,941]

2 hours ago, yesbut said:

Cabbage Tree ? Ti koouka ?

I have very little cabbage tree here, a bit of Bush cabbage .

Is the honey bright yellow .?

[yesbut 6,180]

8 minutes ago, kaihoka said:

I have very little cabbage tree here, a bit of Bush cabbage .

Is the honey bright yellow .?

Pass