Trevor Gillbanks

55 minutes ago, JohnF said:

Leatherwood is another plant altogether. They used to call their active honey jelybush (Leptospermum polygalifolium) but now all labelled ‘manuka’

Ok. Thanks. I knew it was all tied up somewhere until manuka came along

1 hour ago, Grant said:

Didn't they used to call their version tea tree?

Yes.  They called their Leptospermum Leather wood or Tee tree. 

2 swarms again today.  20 km apart.

1 @ 2.5 kg

1 @ 4.5 kg.

Nice and easy captures.

2 kgs

4 .5 kg.  2.5 m up a small totara tree.

1 hour ago, BRB said:

I'm surprised that even though I removed the queen they where still hell bent of swarming.

They don't need the old queen to be around to swarm. They will wait until the first virgin emerges and then go with her.  Unfortunately, the will keep going with virgins as separate swarms until they have virtually no bees left.  You need to take more action than just removing the old queen.

I would split the heck out of it and leave 1 queen cell with each split.

56 minutes ago, Sailabee said:

can see the apprenticeship program suddenly becoming a very expensive operation to run.

Well, they will need at least 12 managers to run the 12 apprentices for starters.  Then every manager and apprentice will need a new Toyota Landcruiser for starters.

1 hour ago, Maggie James said:

Was there a queen in each division?

They were about 10 km apart, so not related.

I will know in about 3 days when I check them if they have a queen each.  I believe they will.

2 more swarms today.

I could not get a photo of one as it was in an Ivy plant on a fence.  Thanks goodness for the bee vac.

The second was in a camilia street tree 1.5 m high.  Another simple job for the bee vac.

Very pretty surrounded with flowers.   Both swarms around the 2 kg mark.

1 hour ago, Stefan Schlogl said:

What is the actual purpose of dipping frames in paraffin wax? is it only for preserving the timber or is there another reason? 

Frames are too small to dip.  It is only the boxes that may get dipped.  Frames inside the hive are covered in wax and will last for many years.

Dipping is for wood preservation or disease control.

I do not believe they will have a dipper.  

In fact I do not know of any bee club with that sort of facility.  Too expensive and too dangerous to use.

Welcome to the forum.

Highly unlikely that you will be able to get anyone to hot dip the boxes for you.

If you buy Ecrotek Ready To Go boxes they are pre hot dipped.

Commercial beekeepers dip their own boxes but cannot be bothered with a small run of one or 2 boxes.

3 hours ago, Dave Black said:

It's interesting sometimes to back at people's past posts...

1 hour ago, nab said:

It's interesting trying to make sense of your comment 

I think that @Dave Black may have missed out on a word and his post should read.

It's interesting sometimes to (Look) back at people's past posts...

It puts a different light on the post.

Photo please.

Heck.  That would be flaming scary.

Just now, StephenP said:

A large swarm turned up at my place last weekend.

I'm in Hamilton.

What happened to the photos that you were meant to take and post on here

Thanks @Maggie James Great info.  I also agree about dairy being bee desert also.

3 minutes ago, Maggie James said:

In mid Canty it is not unusual to not get a honey crop.  If guys get a honey crop on pollination crops, they are lucky.  We are also going more and more into drought conditions in summer.  Many did not get a clover crop last season.

Sorry.  I was more thinking of an overall seasonal crop rather than pollination crops. (my bad).   Sad to hear of no clover crop, but was that just seasonal or is it getting more prevalent or due to overcrowding. (that is certainly what happens up around this way with huge dump sites).

2 minutes ago, Maggie James said:

Hi Trevor - There are parts of NZ where beekeepers don't get a honey crop.  

30 minutes ago, Trevor Gillbanks said:

It would be a pretty unusual place anywhere in New Zealand if they didn't get a honey crop.

I am sure there are.  But they would be usually high country locations where it is too cold or windy or both.

1 hour ago, Maggie James said:

That should prob read - do you get a honey crop in the Ashurst area?  Excuse my ignorance re Ashurst.  

Of course they get a honey crop in Ashhurst.  It would be a pretty unusual place anywhere in New Zealand if they didn't get a honey crop.

Ashurst is spelt with 2 x H's  Therefore Ashhurst is the correct spelling.

1 hour ago, Alastair said:

Bees will collect pine pollen if there is not much else going.

Yes. Bees will collect pine pollen but as @Alastair has said, it is very low on  nutrition.

Then re join them.  Pick the best queens and kill the ones you don't want.

Newspaper joint will work great.

8 minutes ago, yesbut said:

More attention to detail please Trev......""H" is miles away from "L" if you don't mind.

Fixed.  Just for you, even though you could have fixed it yourself.  lol  All good

Well. Time is flying around and swarm season is now upon us.

The weather bomb has cleared in Manawatu.

Best wishes for everyone trying to keep their bees in their own hives and not having them hanging in trees.

It is that time of the year again.

I have heard that the first swarms have been reported in Northland and Auckland.

I got a call about May this year for a cut out that was required at Massey University in Palmerston North.

I checked it out and decided that we would leave it alone until spring.

This is the false wall that the swarm was behind.

This is the thermal image I took with my phone to see where the bees were.

I was expecting most of the bees to be in the lower right corner.

This was mostly true as the bees were just starting to move up the old comb.

Today was removal day and I was quite surprised with what we found when I pulled the wall panelling off.

Bees were pretty much where I expected.

Lots of DWV and plenty of brood which allowed me to do an AFB check.  I am 95% sure they are clean.

Varroa treatments will go in tomorrow and I will give them a feed as they are a bit low on stores.

Today was removal day and I was quite surprised with what we found when I pulled the wall panelling off.

Bees were pretty much where I expected.

Lots of DWV and plenty of brood which allowed me to do an AFB check.  I am 95% sure they are clean.

Varroa treatments will go in tomorrow.

Yes. That is exactly what you should do.  Remember, always split from strength to strength.

25 minutes ago, Maggie James said:

I have got a couple of questions re the @ symbol with the orange background:

 

Is it some sort of notification to me?  If so, where does it show up?  It's not showing up for me anywhere in an email or PM.

 

How do you do the orange background?

It means that you @Maggie Jameshave been quoted correctly and your name has been selected from the drop down list or someone has wanted you to see a posting.  It also shows up as an email to you that you have been quotes and the little bell at the top right of the screen show a number of the quote.

You can click on that and it will take you directly to the quote.