Here are some photos from Wilma showing some the action from this seasons attempts at raising native dark queens from the associations native bee stock. The hard work here has mainly been done by Wilma, Linda and David.
These were taken when they were moving the black amm queen that was mated at Kate Atchleys apiary from an apidea into a nuc box.
28th August 2019 1.30pm
(Provisional)
Leader: To be confirmed
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
18th August 2019 1.30pm
(Provisional)
Leader: Peter Stevenson
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
7th August 2019 1.30pm Postponed to Sun 11th 1.30pm
(Provisional)
Leader: Wilma and Linda
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
28th July 2019 1.30pm
Cancelled due to poor weather forecast.
David and Wilma visited the association apiary to check on the Amm bees Here is Davids summary:-
Wilma and I did our impression of melting tomatoes at Barns!
The first apidea, number 3, has black queen and she is ok, building up nicely.
We transferred the mini hive into a nuc with a green marked queen. She is a black queen.
The other apidea, D, has a green marked queen who came from nuc 3. It has has eggs and is ok.
The hive at the shed, number 5, has brood in all stages, Wilma spotted the queen and we marked her green. They are building up and will soon be good to sell or overwinter.
Despite the rain and inspecting bees under brollies, 9 of us gathered today.
Hive 2 – as it had a recently hatched virgin queen we didn’t disturb it.
Hive 3 – lots of eggs and sealed brood, top super light, 1st super 1/3rd full. No sign of swarming.
Hive 4 – added 2nd super as hive very full of bees. Saw queen marked green, gentle bees, no sign of swarming.
Hive at Sheds – forgot to check after the up’s and down’s of the nucs today. Linda had given it syrup over the last two Mondays and recalls that while it is a small colony, it was doing fine.
Nuc 1 – took feeder off, queen marked blue, bees on 4 frames. Could sell.
Nuc 2 – saw queen marked red, quite full of bees. Could sell.
Nuc 3 – found 4 queen cells, one hatched and caged, the other hatched while we were there and is in the nuc box. Full of bees, once mated would be ready to sell.
David took the new caged queen with attendants and is going to add some bees to an apidea then add this queen and see if she can be mated.
Nuc 4 / apidea – very few bees in nuc but still had queen marked green. Placed into an apidea and added bees, spraying both with air freshener. Closed the entrance to let bees bond and avoid new bees flying home. David will return to spray them with water and will release them in a couple of days.
Black Bee Project – on double stand
Lyson Mini Hive (belonging to Kate Atchley) coloured green, left undisturbed today.
David /Wilma / Linda will return to transfer them into a nuc.
Apidea – bee numbers had reduced. Caged the queen with attendants, added bees to the apidea and David took it home to add the queen (in a cage). Once they have united and settled down, David will return them to Barns to go into a nuc.
17th July 2019 1.30pm
(Provisional)
Leader: David Ferguson
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
7th July 2019 1.30pm
(Provisional)
Leader: Jim Bell
Exact date and time will be confirmed by email.
Please contact Mandy Tel: 01721 720563 Mob: 07563 185993 beforehand for details so you can be notified of any changes to the schedule due to weather or other circumstances.
Our regular visit to inspect the association colonies.
All welcome, particularly beginners.
Clean beesuits, gloves and footwear are required. Suits are available to borrow on request.
Wilma and Linda led the apiary inspection on 28th June.
Here is Wilma’s report with thanks to Janet for keeping notes.
Hive 2: queen seen and put into bottom brood box. Charged q cell, frame removed and put into queenless hive 3. Brood frames from top brood box put into bottom brood box so hive is now on single brood with one super.
Hive 3: no brood of any description, queenless. So put in the frame from hive 2 with charged q cell. 5 frames in from right hand side.
Hive 4: Yellow marked queen seen. 7 frames brood 11th brood frame added.
Nuc 1 queen not seen, bees calm, larvae seen.
Nuc 2: red queen seen. Brood in all stages.
Nuc 3: queen found and marked starting to lay.
Next visit check nucs for space.