kevin moore 630 Posted August 12, 2018 7 minutes ago, Trevor Gillbanks said: What price do you get for your wax. framers market you will be looking at 35-40 bucks, most sold in 4 buck blocks for wraps, 2 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beefriendly 1241 Posted August 12, 2018 We popped the top of the 2FD box high hive to be greeted by these bee numbers Time to post again... We’ve had several weeks away in the UK, leaving the bees under the watchful eye of our lovely neighbour. She had @M4tt as a contact, should a sos bee needed. I was pleased to see bee activity from all four hives on the first sunny day, after our return, last week. Of course, that’s no indication of what is going on in the hives. Yesterday was the day.... The girls have wintered over well, all have at least 3 frames of brood, all 4 Queen’s sighted with their red dot and on sugar shaking a varroa count of 1. One of the hives totally surprised us, with 4 frames of capped brood in both FD boxes, a few drones present and drone brood, good stores and well behaved bees. 8 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mummzie 497 Posted August 12, 2018 I see you were out & about today @yesbut 11 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Smifff 2 Posted August 13, 2018 17 hours ago, Beefriendly said: We popped the top of the 2FD box high hive to be greeted by these bee numbers The top of my double looked like that when I opened it too, but the bottom box was empty. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5324 Posted August 13, 2018 Today I transferred in to 5 frame boxes about 20 three frame nucs that overwintered really well. Some had a good covering of brood on all 3 frames. There are some overwintered 5 frame nucs as well that were moved in to 10 frame hives too as they are getting pretty full. Lots of pollen of good variety coming to all hives as well. I took straps to secure the hives but ran out of time to get them on so kept in place what has worked well all winter, big branches and firewood?Beauty day in the South Waikato. Flying to Queenstown tomorrow night and then drive across to Alexander and spend the rest of the week with the Otago Bees crew. First time down that way so really looking forward to it. The weather might not play ball though. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 5580 Posted August 13, 2018 AlexandRA please ! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2571 Posted August 13, 2018 @dansar did this year's climate help make your wintering nucs a success or more of a challenge . Did you have lots of rain too. We have had so much rain but no frosts to speak of. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5324 Posted August 13, 2018 1 hour ago, yesbut said: AlexandRA please ! Yes, so sorry. Alex it is then ? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
yesbut 5580 Posted August 13, 2018 Might pay to take some heavier underwear with you just in case of climate shock. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5324 Posted August 13, 2018 27 minutes ago, kaihoka said: @dansar did this year's climate help make your wintering nucs a success or more of a challenge . Did you have lots of rain too. We have had so much rain but no frosts to speak of. More frosts and harder frosts This year than last. Feels like less rain too. More foggy days that kept the cold in too. So overall just as challenging a winteras any other. So long as nucs have food and protein supply I find they make it through the winter fine. Colonies that run out of pollen stores or no access to a pollen substitute are the ones that fail I have found. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dansar 5324 Posted August 13, 2018 3 minutes ago, yesbut said: Might pay to take some heavier underwear with you just in case of climate shock. Ever seen a wooly Mammoth???? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4548 Posted August 13, 2018 On 11/08/2018 at 12:23 PM, tommy dave said: went through my favourite four hive wellington apiary this morning, bees had been flying since about 7am and 6 degrees.. A bit of variety in terms of how much brood there is, all have plenty enough stores, are bringing in nectar and pollen, and have at least a couple of frames of capped worker brood. The strongest looked like a mid-spring hive and even had emerging drones.. One hive had a bit more drone brood than i was happy to see. i'll give it a few weeks and see if the queen either sorts things out or they start to supersede her, otherwise i'll intervene. Moving three of them up-country in a few weeks to complement my taranaki empire. This time i'll seal them up. Don't think i'll ever repeat transporting open hives several hundred kilometres in a liftback = all ended well, but it could have got fairly interesting => lesson well learned. I use strips of Propolis mat folded into entrances. Perfect for the job 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glynn 1516 Posted August 14, 2018 @jamesc this girl has your name on here 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
frazzledfozzle 6952 Posted August 14, 2018 (edited) Well I’m in love ! she almost looks Cordovan Edited August 14, 2018 by frazzledfozzle 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2571 Posted August 14, 2018 @glynn those bees look very pale yellow . I did not know you could get bees that colour . 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CraBee 1523 Posted August 14, 2018 17 minutes ago, kaihoka said: @glynn those bees look very pale yellow . I did not know you could get bees that colour . Not much sun down Kirwee way.... 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glynn 1516 Posted August 14, 2018 It could be the light it was a funny day today but that looks right to me. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glynn 1516 Posted August 14, 2018 1 hour ago, frazzledfozzle said: Well I’m in love ! she almost looks Cordovan Careful frazz I have to get my head in a suit 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 3307 Posted August 14, 2018 3 hours ago, glynn said: @jamesc this girl has your name on here Oh well done Glynn, I was just thinking today that I got strong hives that need splitting and should get on and start a graft ..... but it just seems too early. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
glynn 1516 Posted August 14, 2018 I've got lots of drones but I have held back witch is not like me but I'm still planning early September took a hive apart that I moved 10 frames of brood above the excluder for my starters and still had a box of brood. Very strange year Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4548 Posted August 14, 2018 (edited) I went around some more Hives today in the rain Very happy, One standout is a 4 box hive that refused to pack down into less than 2 boxes in Autumn Today it is a solid 4 box 100kg hive In Autumn I put two boxes of Honey on the beast and 16 Staples (4 per box) Often these monsters get nailed by the mites but not this one. Found a few doubles that are boiling with bees also but mostly just nice hives building My autumn splits are outstanding with most being strong singles ready for a box. Edited August 14, 2018 by Philbee 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jamesc 3307 Posted August 14, 2018 13 hours ago, frazzledfozzle said: Well I’m in love ! she almost looks Cordovan See you at the swingers party then .... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaihoka 2571 Posted August 15, 2018 Today I got my hakea hives ready for moving. Which meant taking a 3/4 box off the top of a hive and removing about 7 frames of capped honey and replacing them with empty and half empty 3/4 frames . Anything to make the hives lighter to lift . I extracted a couple of frames to see what the honey was like . The frames were a mix of really dark caramel tasting thick honey and the light hakea. I wonder if the dark honey is the white Spanish heath . I found the missing queen , she was the unmarked virgin I saw in June . She has layed out 6 frames in the top box and I did not look in the bottom box. I wonder if she mated with the drones in my hives at home that are 4 klm away . So against all conventional thinking queens can mate in winter temps of about 16 degrees . 9 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Philbee 4548 Posted August 15, 2018 A while back James and David gave me some stick about a hungry little mating nuc I was bringing through winter I cant find the posts but I said Id post some photos of it as time went by Its at home and I feed it clean honey. I will put this nuc somewhere generous and see what it grows into Here it is this afternoon, still small but has staked it's claim. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BJC 76 Posted August 15, 2018 On 8/08/2018 at 7:23 PM, Jean MacDonald said: @CraBee regarding your queen experience. I have heard that a queen may take more than one mating flight, up to three if I recall correctly. By some weird bee alchemy she assess the quality and quantity of what she has collected thus far and think 22 drone fathers was quoted as the upper limit. Sorry can't quote source but some sciency type who did a study or three. So maybe she was about to take a second flight or returning (though you probably would have noticed something a little odd if that was the case). Lotto ticket might be a good idea. I found this an interesting read http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0199124 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
