AUGUST

August has all but come and gone. I’ve left it until now to update the blog as it’s been another month of mixed fortunes and I didn’t want to bore you with more of the same. The weather, in it’s somewhat erratic form has continued to dictate largely what we’ve been able to do and the mood of the bees seems to have followed suit. I’m pleased to report that all three colonies at “C” are now behaving impeccably, I’ve hived the nuc. which now seems to be going from strength to strength.

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NUC.NOW HIVED AND GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

I visited the site yesterday to check on the stores situation and was told by Bob, the owner that for the first time he’d been able to strim right up to the hives without feeling threatened in fact, the bees took no notice of him whatsoever. He told me that the one bee which did accidently bump into him, apologised profusely before returning to it’s business. So, for what was probably the first time, I left feeling that at last “C” was about to fulfil it’s potential.

I’ve continued with my regular visits to both sites throughout the Month and happy to report, although the weather hasn’t always been kind, with the exception of the one colony which I was given earlier in the year, both the hives and the nuc’s have begun to live up to my expectations. I have united two of my nuc’s. to colonies that looked as though they would benefit from re-queening, hived another two and transferred the two remaining into one of my mating nuc’s.

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MATING NUC. SHOWING REMOVABLE DIVIDING BOARD

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CROWN BOARDS IN PLACE, HOLES WILL BE COVERED TO KEEP COLONIES APART BEFORE REPLACING ROOF.

Placing the frames containing brood either side of the dividing board encourages the bees to cluster against the board which means that they then share their warmth. I’ve also adapted a couple of Adams feeders enabling both nuc’s. to be fed from the same feeder.

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ADAPTED ADAMS FEEDERS

Plastic cups placed over each access post allows bees from either nuc. to feed from the same feeder without coming into contact.

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PLASTIC CUPS OVER EACH ACCESS POST KEEP BEES APART

Perforations in one cup allows bees from one nuc. up into the feeder as it empties to clean up, again, without coming into contact with the other. Removing the cup finally allows bees to find their way out of the feeder more easily.

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FINALLY REMOVING CUP ALLOWS BEES TO LOCATE POST MORE EASILY

I mentioned that last month I had made use of a few off cuts left over from my nuc. making efforts to knock up a couple of floors. Well, carrying on in the same vein I’ve now got a couple of spare floors made from all the thin strips which were left. I bought the two perforated sheets which from memory cost about five pounds each. The frames were made by gluing and pinning strips of 12mm ply together and the floor slides made use of the remaining 5mm ply.

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TWO NEW FLOORS MADE USING OFF-CUTS FROM NUC’S.

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TWO COATS OF CUPRINOL AND THEY’RE FIT TO GO

Cutting thin pieces on a saw bench does take a little care as the fact that I now have one thumb shorter than the other will testify but, I still feel it was well worth the effort and all of this, seven nuc’s.,two roofs and two new floors from just two sheets of ply, courtesy of my local B & Q.

The month finished with a visit by my bee keeping friends to my Mendip Apiary. As usual the guest speaker was excellent, the weather was kind to us and, afterwards we all enjoyed a friendly chat over a sandwich and a well deserved cuppa. A brilliant end to August.

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OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

A BRILLIANT END TO THE MONTH !

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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