Weather this week

[Jon]

There is snow predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday and temperatures look like staying low all week so bees might not be able to get out to forage. I am going to check today to make sure all of mine have a little fondant - enough to see them through this week. Brood rearing should be well underway by now so the stores can be depleted very quickly.
Don't panic Captain Mainwaring!

[GRIZZLY]

Ditto here in S.W. Scotland.Was hoping to put a second brood chamber +foundation and lots of feed on top but too cold -will have to twiddle my thumbs for a little longer.Must burn something to the heat gods.

[Trog]

Some of my lot are still eating the candy I gave them a couple of weeks ago; the other two got the last blocks the day before yesterday. Just been to buy lots more sugar to give them a syrup boost when the weather warms up a little. A long, cold winter for the poor things!

[GRIZZLY]

Weather today is bright sunny and cold.Bees taking down feed - already got thro two pollen patties.Not a chance of "going in" yet.Lots of natural pollen going in whenever the girls get a chance.The earlier snow missed us completely , lots of it to the north,west and south but we got a lot of rain later.IF IT WOULD ONLY WARM UP BY ABOUT 5 degrees.

[drumgerry]

Still got a few inches of wet snow lying in the garden here in Speyside. That's down from the 15 inches or so we had between Wednesday and Thursday!! When will winter end?!! Hopefully better weather for the bees this week - snow melting fast.

Gerry

[Trog]

Sunny here but beginning to cloud up in advance of incoming 'weather' due to arrive by nightfall. Just going to change from Sunday clothes and get out into the garden. Will watch, but not disturb, the girls!

[GRIZZLY]

Another day of wet and wind.Temp going up a bit tho'.Colony now very strong ,must get into them soon.

[Jon]

It is pelting it down in Belfast as well. Friday or Saturday look like better days for a colony inspection.
I was lucky enough to get mine checked between March 17-19 when it was warmer.

[GRIZZLY]

Lovely today WARM and SUNNY.Got a quick look into the bees.Couple of frames of brood then the rest of the broodbox honied up.Managed to stick another b'box on top for a bit of room for the queen to hopefully lay in .Should be a good source of food frames for neucs later on.

[lindsay s]

A nice sunny morning here today and I was looking forward to going through my hives.

When I arrived at my apiary the bees were flying and bringing back orange, yellow and light green pollen. So far so good you would think, but a light Northerly was blowing so there was a nip in the air. In fact it never got much above 9 degrees C here today so it was not worth disturbing the brood in such chilly weather.

The weather in April was poor even by Orkney standards so the last time I managed an inspection was way back on the 11th. I read in a recent edition of Beecraft you should wait until it’s at least 16 degrees C before opening your hives. If that’s the case I will be waiting till June.

My hives now have new open mesh floors and a little slurp of syrup to keep the bees going. I’m now spending my first May weekend cleaning spare hives and giving them a coat of Cuprinol. No sign of it warming up here yet.

P.S. The exploits of the Mull beekeepers must be spreading far and wide because I believe a pair of European bee eaters have turned up (maybe to feast on some good Scottish bees).

[Trog]

Another exotic addition to the already wonderful Mull wildlife, lindsay! Photo of them here: http://www.mullbirds.com/LATESTREPORTS.html. I gather they don't just specialise in bees but take any passing flying insect. I hope they develop a taste for cleggs rather than virgin queens!

[Calum]

Rained all weekend, chilly here in Germany too. After 1,5 kg - 2kg weight increases per day all last week loosing about 1,5kg per day that they are not flying.
Hopefully it will brighten up soon.

All hives are gearing up to swarm now - idle hands do the devils work... So I must build up another 5 4-5 frame nucs before the week is out.
The first 32 queens should emerge from their cells in the brooder on Monday so very much in full swing at this end!!

[POPZ]

P.S. The exploits of the Mull beekeepers must be spreading far and wide because I believe a pair of European bee eaters have turned up (maybe to feast on some good Scottish bees).

Lindsay - yes I heard that too. One of my onboard wildlife guides told me that very same thing yesterday. I did not believe him, but seems there is some truth in it somewhere.

I went through my hive today, told the foragers that were there at the time to be on the lookout for a lethal multicoloured stranger that could be lurking around somewhere. (I believe they munch on a few hundred bees/wasps/day). My colony has stood still this week having done a great expansion prior to that. Saw my first hatched drone of the season. Loads of sealed brood, so expecting something big soon - nucs all ready.

[Trog]

Sounds good, Popz!

[POPZ]

Sounds good, Popz!

Yea, it may sound good but still not found queenie despite my being frightfully cool, chatting to them incessantly, and taking my time over the inspection. She will be doing this on purpose of course, trying to show me who's boss. A typical domestic scenario!

[gavin]

If we're talking domestic scenarios, then for practice try persuading your wife to march about the kitchen, slightly long-legged and swaggery, when the children are all home and lounging about the floor. Make her wear her high heels, and for two reasons: she'll have that long-legged and slightly unstable look, and when her heel digs in to one of your children they are bound to turn and face her (to remonstrate, if not to lick up delicious perfume).

Feed your wife well beforehand - the slightly saggy belly may add to the effect. Oh, and ask her to drop her usual proud posture but instead slouch and drop her head. Bee queens have heads positioned for peering down into the next empty cell rather than strutting.

[Jon]

You forgot to mention the coloured spot on the thorax and an XXXL marking cage.
Might need some clip on legs as well.

[POPZ]

Ok ok - you are all so bloomin clever. I cannot for one tiddly second imagine my lovely lady enacting a single part of Gavin's scenario! So maybe I just have not had the sort of instruction that you guys have had. And furthermore, when a get all this frightfully knowledgeable double speak such as ' leg clips, xxxl marking cage' is this something my wife and I have missed out on? - and indeed whatever has that got to do with my queenie, if she exists?

Which she must in order to have created the zillions of new ladies that appear as soon as I start looking for her!

[gavin]

The XXXL cage I could imagine, but I have to say that the leg clips foxed me. Must be a Belfast thing.

OK Popz, then you'll just have to imagine one of your other ladies (in the wooden box) with all that high-heeled, swaggery, magnetic personality, head-down behaviour.

Regards to Mrs Popz.

G.

[Jon]

Must be a Belfast thing.

Are you suggesting that Popz is married to a 6 legged woman?
That's taking the thing a bit too far.

This must be a record deviation for off-topic.
Good job the so called administrator started it.