Since last post, we've made a major investment in an "extracteur", a manuel 4 half-frame model, which sits on top of a "maturateur", with a filter in between the two. We went for that one as it seemed a good combination of not taking up too much space, and being reasonably priced.
0 Comments
After a few days of rushing about, trying to fit in work and home stuff alongside acquiring a new hive, painting it and preparing the frames, today I moved the swarming bees out of their temporary top box home and into hive N°3.
Now have to sit back and wait to see how things progress : a)The hive from where the swarm departed should soon have a new queen hatching out - hopefully, if this happens, and she has a succesful mating flight and gets back to the hive in one piece, she will start laying and that hive will prosper b) In the new hive where I transfered the swarming bees, if I didn't squish the queen in the various processes, and they survive with the sirop food I've given them, collect pollen and nectar, build up the frames and decide to stay put, that should also develop into a healthy hive. 3 hives potentially with queens from 2014, 2015 & 2016 ! Nothing else I can do now but wait and see what happens ! Oh Wow - was just sat watching the comings and goings from the two hives, when the mass of bees in the air just built up and up - from where we were sitting, 20 meters away, you could feel the air thrumming with buzzing.
At first thought it was just because the blossom is out on our fruit trees next to the hives, getting them excited - but after watching a cloud of bees seemed to sway in one direction, then another, and then couds bees were circulating around the hedge - I went a little closer and realised there was a swarm hanging off one or two branches of the plum tree, right next to the hedge. Sorry, I didn't stop to take photos - quickly got kitted up in bee suit, whilst thinking what I had that I could use as a receptacle. Ended up with a bit of a Heath-Robinson affair - On top of a plastic crate : Balanced a top box on top of a feeder tray. I then cut off the branches covered in swarm and brushed the bees gently into the top box, before putting another feeder tray on top, and covered that with a plastic lid to make it a little bit weatherproof. The bees can get in and out, as I left the top box slightly offset - lets hope they don't move on! I checked both original hives - still plenty of bees inside - but according to the theory, in one of them there will be no queen, but there should be queen cells waiting to hatch out - then a virgin queen will have to make a mating flight, before being able to repopulate the hive. I'm thinking its the new hive that has swarmed, but for now, can't be 100% sure I'll have to try and get to API- distribution tomorrow - if the swarm is still in situ - to get another hive., and move the swarm over. Watch this space ! Very exciting - this week I drove over to Eysines to pick up a new swarm - hive N° 2 was in place in the garden by Wednesday evening, and I opened up the entrance Thursday morning. Thursday was quite a rainy day, so although a few bees crawled out to check out the view, there wasn't much activity - but on Friday, a sunny day, they really set to discovering the neighbourhood.
What was interesting was to compare the bees coming and going from the two hives. On Friday the numbers were similar, but the old hands in hive 1 were all returning with their leg pouches crammed with yellow pollen, whilst the new kids on the block, in hive 2, were returning with only the odd one every now and again seeming to have found any pollen at all. However, by Saturday, there was no obvious difference between the bees from the two hives - both sets returning with pollen pouches full on both legs ! Also I spotted one or two blacker, larger, bees without pollen and flying in a less urgent, more hovering type pattern. These ones had longer dangly legs. A bit of research later and I realise these are male drones. Hopefully this is normal ? Wikipedia would suggest so... For a while, with the frosty mornings we've been having recently, I was a bit worried that I'd peaked too early opening the hive and putting on a top box, and that the bees would be suffering from the cold - but today in the sunshine there's lots of activity - with bees collecting bright yellow pollen. They seem to be visiting the pussy willow in bud in the back garden. Lets hope the hive stays cozy enough overnight, and this is the start of the foraging season !
"Recently received a call to ask if I would join the committee for the "Syndicat Apicole de la Gironde". Feel very honoured, but also a bit out of my depth too - all the other members have considerably more experience (and hives) than me - but what a great chance to learn more! So, during the Annual General meeting I was voted in as committee member number 21, and have since attended my first monthly meeting, where we all introduced ourselves. I learned who is responsable for what concerning the bee school and associated hives, and various other roles, and that the new regional grouping of French administration departments is proving a head-ache in the bee world. The meeting ended celebrating Raymond's 80th birthday - with champagne, crepes and cakes. Not bad !
|
Jill G novice beekeeper & blogger
Archives
February 2022
Categories |