dansar

Lots of Gorse pollen coming in to the hive in Tokoroa this morning.

Yep it’s a cool little museum. I live down the road in Putaruru. He has a very eclectic mix of history including vehicles and war memorabilia. As you said, well worth the visit.

Yup, as Trevor said. If you have a frame with eggs in it you will also know if it is the Queen you grafted or an emergency queen made by the colony when you go in on the date that the grafted Queen should be laying. If she isn’t and there is a virgin queen then it’s good odds (plus probably a queen cell or two on the frame) they raised their own queen.

Most barberry hedges around here get trimmed before the flowers get a chance to even think about opening.

I agree too Chris. Barberry hedges are flowering now. A lot of stone fruit trees flowered 3 weeks ago and obviously had very poor to no pollination due to the rain, wind and cold temps.

The Bee version is made differently to the Animal and Foliar feed products. I don’t know what the differences are but they are there.

Wattle in BOP and South Waikato are starting to flower. By my recollection that is 5-6 weeks earlier than previous years. Wattle flowering has always been my indicator to start stimulating Queen rearing hives and any that I was wanting to split in spring. 2020 is one weird year.

Jonquils are out in Waihi. I’m seeing cherry trees with flowers open, fruit trees with buds looking like they are ready to open. What a weird year we are in the midst of.

I’ve got the narrow edge protected strips in hives at the moment. and have been for 3 1/2 months. The strips have been relocated in some hives as the bees moved the cluster away from them, the majority haven’t been bothered by the strips though. Hives are looking good and most certainly would have been dead by now if the treatment didn’t work. They have been through 3 seasons now solely with Oxalic glycerine strips. I am confident now in my mixing of the chemicals and use of the delivery system that if a hive fails it is not from the lack of efficacy of the treatment.

That looks like a bee sized gap between the boxes (ideal for wasps and robbing bees)...or did you fix that by getting the frames to sit down in the frame rest correctly?

The juvenile leaf hopper (nymph stage) chews on the tutu plant feeding on the sap. It then excretes the sugary substance that then goes mouldy. Bees collect the excreta, tutai of the nymph.

Couple more days for me in my mobile isolation bubble. Checking last of the splits made for mated queens, dropping feed frames down in to brood boxes and generally getting bees ready for the winter sleep. Expecting the covid-19 downtime to be longer than 4 weeks

Hi Frazz Hi Wayne and Joe As you mention commercial beekeeping is an allowable operation during the Covid-19 self isolation period. There is an online form that needs completing to register for this privilege. If you can answer YES to the first two questions you don’t need to fill it in. We did just to be sure. It’s pretty a long way of proving you’ll keeping yourselves and public safe. Which I’m sure you’ll agree is very important. Follow the prompts where required. https://www.mpi.govt.nz/covid-19-essential-primary-sector-service-registration/

True. 192cm 100kg

No I haven’t pursued it since your txt. Still interested though. It’s a value add idea have... youve still got my details aye? Not sure about dew in Bourbon but definitely a product from the still.