Weekend weather

[Jon]

If these temperatures are correct it will be a great opportunity to do a proper check at the weekend.
Unbelievable for March and the clocks go forward as well this weekend so there will be light in the evenings.
I nearly always find a couple of boxes too full of stores, and a couple which are light so it will be an opportunity to do some rearranging.

http://www.forecast.co.uk/perth.html

http://www.forecast.co.uk/belfast.html

The softy southerners like Nellie will get a look in as well.

http://www.forecast.co.uk/bristol.html

[Neils]

I was considering popping into Calum's for a cup of tea. I'm in Berlin so no chance of taking a peek this weekend.

[gavin]

Ooo, I should have waited. Lifted a few frames in mine today - a bit cool but the sun is strong and the apiary sheltered. More pics later in the blog. Bees building nicely.

[Jon]

I have 4 in the garden I have not looked into at all yet so they can wait for the weekend.

[Trog]

Left mine in peace as it was the first really decent day they've had and I wanted to let them enjoy it undisturbed. Was planning to take a look tomorrow but forecast not so good now. Saturday and Sunday look promising.

[Jon]

Snow for the start of the week!

http://www.forecast.co.uk/perth.html

[gavin]

Flippin' heck. And after tomorrow we're unlikely to see it rise above 10C for a fortnight they say.

[Bumble]

No snow forecast this far south of Stonehaven, but Metcheck is forecasting minus figures overnight mid-week. http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/HOME/

[madasafish]

As long as it's not -25C ,

My bees have survived two winters in a row with minimums of -18C so a little frost should do no harm.

We had -5C last May..

[drumgerry]

Currently snowing here in Speyside and looks set in for the night.

[gavin]

Still about 5C here and no sign of winter returning but I'll take your word for it and look outside in the morning expecting a white blanket. At least we'll be back to 14C in a few days, so they say.

[Jon]

3c and light sleet here at the moment.

[Neils]

Our balmy southern clime seems to be coming into effect at the moment, it was supposed to be 8 degrees maximum and raining over the next couple of days, but it feels a lot warmer and we seem to be restricted to a bit of light cloud cover.

[madasafish]

p***ing down here..

[EmsE]

We had snow here on and off throughout the day yesterdaybut thankfully it didn't settle but the temperature didnt get above 2 degrees. Today is beautifully sunny but windy and too cold to see the bees, although I have spotted a few honey bees looking around the garden and they seem to like resting on the wall at the side of the back door.

[Jon]

I have spotted a few honey bees looking around the garden and they seem to like resting on the wall at the side of the back door.

Sound more like the invertebrate equivalent of Captain Oates.

"I am just going outside and may be some time"

[EmsE]

I was wondering if it could be due to them finding it too cold to be out and resting on the wall (which is in direct sunlight) to warm up so that they can make the short journey home.
Would honeybees do that?

[Jon]

Older bees or bees with a high disease load will fly out and not come back for the good of the colony although they could just be chilled.
I remember reading somewhere that a beekeeper collected a load of chilled bees from a fence and brought them into the house in a jam jar to revive them.
After a few hours he released them and they all flew back to the fence rather than the hive.

[madasafish]

Probably water collection.

[gavin]

LOL! Captain Oates.

On a related topic (wasn't Captain Oates in charge of the ponies?) is that a donkey you are whispering to in your new avatar?

Interesting about the bees returning to the fence. Must try that if I ever find a collection of moribund bees.

We had a light sprinkling of snow this morning just to show us that it isn't quite finished as yet. Yesterday there was quite a bit. The hills still look lovely.

[Jon]

That is the very donkey I wrote about in my blog that I had to manoeuvre away from half a dozen colonies which were not even mine - at great personal risk from the bees and the asinine beast itself.

[gavin]

I regard that donkey blog as one of the highlights of SBAi - found myself reading it again last week when I needed something to put a smile on my face.

[Jon]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17617929

[gavin]

How much did it cost to put the donkey back together?

[Jon]

You are thinking of the popular 1970s series The Six Million Dollar Donkey (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HofoK_QQxGc).

[Adam]

Where's the Donkey blog??

[chris]

Where's the Donkey blog??

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/entry.php?122-Delaney-s-Donkey

[Adam]

http://www.sbai.org.uk/sbai_forum/entry.php?122-Delaney-s-Donkey

Perfect. Thanks Chris :)