New Apiary

Decided to build a new Apiary site for my second hive, not giving location as it could be prone to theft by unknowns, my good friend Billy did most of it as i am thick as chit when it comes to D.I.Y, Thanks Billy.

My Friends Apiary

Just recived these photos from my good friends in France, they have relocaited there hives to different part of there land, lovley setting, just hope there calmer up there.

November bees home

Think my bees have finally gone into hibernate so to speak, hardley any activity outside the hive now, next visit will be to give oxalic acid treatment xmas time, that should make them happy lol.

Le-Paynau Apiary check

Le-Pige
my bees doing well i took super of 3 weeks ago and left just one on for winter feed, but they filled that, so have had to put the second super back on. bees still so calm let me work on them and they show no interest in me.

My friends apiary in France had a great crop think they need to make there own jars , or they will runn out, might get shares in french glass .e.

Two Good Days

Two Good DaysOn Tuesday 30^Th August 2011 I went to see my good friend now in Lincolnshire who is a very experienced bee keeper, I basically went to order my bees for next year, while there we went through some of his hives and there I was fortunate to witness a rare thing, in that when he opened the hive in the brood box we saw the marked queen and nearby was her daughter, they were both working the hives together. I am led to believe that this is not a common site. Was a Great day .

Sunday 4tt September 2011.

I moved all the frames and top super for storage after bees had cleaned the frames, stored that in green plastic bin liner sealed tight stop the wax moth getting in.

The super above the brood box is all but two frames ¾ full of stores apart from some feed I will give in winter as they are new bees I will leave that for their winter stores.

Brood Box, Linda spotted the queen on frame four she looks well, still laying brood but not as much as spring summer, the brood are doing well pollen and stores there, capped brood we witnessed about 8 emerging brilliant, but looks like capped brood slowing down winter,

Next week I will treat them with apilife and then again in December hopefully using oxalic acid, but that’s weather dependent.

Ok thanks for reading latest update.

First Year Crop of Honey

Good day last Sunday 21^st August 2011, got 5 full frames of honey from Le-Pige hive, lovely clear honey.

Sent one to our good friends in France and gave few to friends at home.

Few pictures of the frames down to spinning the honey of, decanting it to 1IB honey pots.

Result 10 Pounds.

Have to now think about wintering down the hive, 5 months flown by.

Hinchingbrooke Apiary

Was my turn to go to the Huntingdon Beekeepers club Apiary at the Hinchingbrooke Park Huntingdon Apiary.
This is were the public can view the apiary through a observation shed.

I opend the first hive to show public, and picture on top, that is me on left with frame, second picture is were my bee friends helped as they were mor expirienced.
Was good afternoon, found queen on first hive, and i also saw my first queens cells and dummy queen cells.
As hive was opened a wasp ventured in, wow did it get nailed.

BAD DAY,THEN GOOD DAY

I went down to my Mentors hives today as his mate was away and he only had use of one arm after an operation, started of ok did the first hive , two supers ok, but after opening the brood box i commented " these are calm today" with that i got stung on left side of chin, think me bee suit veil moved, with that we couldent get sting out then bang, i got stung in the groin, and on my ankle, think i brushed bee into boot. then i must have had about 50 bees all over my overalls, and i had to move, i walked about 100 yards and still i was getting hammered, even to the fact i had to get in my car with suit on.
Anyway my confidence was shattered these were well out of order mad bees.
I got home and after a cuppa i checked my overalls and counted at least 30 stings. Pain or what/

On good side, after getting home i was reluctant to do my bees but after cuppa i did them with Linda, went through whole hive no problems, so calm again dident use smoker, so alls ok.

Only after math is my face is bloody sore.

Weekly Hive Inspection

Did the weekly hive inspection with Linda today, weather not good but had a 1hr sunny break.

The brood box is doing well, and we have seen the queen on Frame 2, great., the two supers are going well, one now has 3/4 full frames of honey, the second super they are drawing out the frames.

Bees were and are still very calm, no stings .
Next inspection Linda will do the whole hive and i will watch and help, its great she is so good with them and we can both do alternative weeks when checking.

Picture is of couple drone bees.

OFFICIAL NOW BEE KEEPER. Got Stung

Official, Now a bee keeper, was doing hive inspection with my Bee Buddy Ray, when I got nailed twice in the left leg, its sting smarted I did swear, second one was half hearted sting.

The hive is doing well and the first super is nearly full of honey as they are capping the frames, so I added a second super today so they can move the stores in the brood box up.

No major problems apart from the bees were a bit grumpy, I think because the weather change so quick that’s why I got stung may be, but at least I can call me self a bee keeper no longer a novice lol.

My Mentor said that there is a good chance I will get honey this year as they have done so well, but the Queen still all over the place layer no set pretty pattern.

Well that’s this weekly inspection report.

Fringe in the FEN

Saturday 9^th July there was a mini festival in the village I live in, and we had a stand all to do with bees, was a good day and lots of interest from public on our bee stand.

Showing a good mate my hive inspection routine

My Good mate Rick called round, and i showed him my inspection routine for the Le-Pige Hive. making honey now have 4 frames full of it, so bees doing great, no problems with hive, but Queen not seen this time.

Le-Pige Hive Inspection

Sunday 26th June 2011, 12.00 did a inspection of Le-Pige with Linda, queen not seen but lots of brood and eggs laid, queen doing really well, the temp was 28degrees real hot day, but when opening Le-Pige no problems bees very calm.
Checked the super and one frame have nectar and they are starting on others, drawing them out.
I changed the queen excluder from plastic to metal see how it goes.

Hive Inspection Le-Pige

Went and did a hive inspection at Le-Pige hive with my Bee Buddy, located queen on frame 10,
We noticed that all though a prolific layer the queen is a messy layer, no pattern just were ever she feels like laying eggs.
Lot of pollen coming in especially black pollen showing which I think is from Oriental poppy (Papaver}, and Red Horse Chestnut.
I saw for the first time bees emerging from their cells, watched them chip away at the capping and helped by older bees, saw 5 in total emerge brilliant.
Did have to give them a 1ltr sugar syrup feed as so many broods to feed there was not much stores.
But from my Bee Buddy he said hive doing really well.

My Bees

Today my bee buddy came round and we did inspection of my hive, they are doing so well and are very calm when we were checking the brood chamberoff the 11 frame 1-11 are empty but 2 and 10 are full of stores and 3 to 9 have eggs, unsealed and capped, couple of drone cells built, locaited Queen on fram 3 laying well.I have now had to add a super with frames which is great sign they doing well.

This is a picture of the bees coming in with stores(Pollon) note the different colours they are carrying.

Hive Check

Checked Le-Paynau today (Hive) they are doing nicely, no problems found, they are a bit lazy they dont venture out till after 10am. Weather warm but blowing.

I noticed that they are very active at this time 1600hrs any way will post next update soon.

Our first Hive inspection unaded

Linda and i did our first full inspection unaided,

There are 3 frames with capped brood,and one both sides full of brood
1 frame of food but not a lot so added ltr syrup, in the feeder type like you showed me.
one frame they are making stores because the top corner about 1/4 has wax over it, the rest of frames are empty but lot of interest if that makes sense.

Linda spotted the queen in frame 7 so i stuck drawing pin on frame, she was moving and checking holes with here entourage.

Bees were so calm, had smoker going but did not have to use it.

STILL NOT STUNG :)

First Hive Inspection

Completed first hive inspection with my mentor Ray, Brood box doing well , queen laying plent young, workers bringing in pollon, did not see the queen, but did add some suger feed.
Hive is working well filling frames .

NOT STUNG YET.

Watching Bees

Been sitting near my hive Le-Paynau, more activity today around the enterence, settling in nice, next week should be my first inspection after getting them.

Saturday 07th May 2011

Saturday 07Th May 2011.
14.30 hrs My Bee Buddy called round to sort my Hive out, which I have named LE-PAYNAU after being introduced to bee keeping in 2010 in France, Big thanks to Chris and Rachael.
My bee buddy did a couple of things, first put the entrance to hive the right way round, opps by me, so they now land on the landing board and walk in, he also added a feeder with ½ liter of sugar syrup ( Ikg Sugar to Iltr of water, stir with warm water then store in bottle will keep for ages, good for spring feed. while they get there foraging heads on, but when I checked the bees are all over our ceanothus bush.
I must let them settle now for two weeks then I will go and check the hive.
Added couple photos today.

My Bees

On Thursday 5th May 2011, i collected my carniolan x buckfast. neuc of bees and queen from Holbech in Lincolnshire see photo, now located at bottom of my garden. Came home this evening and the wife said they are out foraging all ready. Just have to leave them alone for couple weeks so they settle.

Building of BeeHive

Went round my mentor to-day to get help with the building of my first BeeHive all completed, just some pictures of stages built, Brood box, Super, and Roof.

Bee Course

Wednesday 12th January 2011 i attended the first session of On First time bee course at Chesterton College in Cambridge.
This was run by the Cambridge Bee Keeping Club.

The session was a introduction coure, equipment and whos who, i actually enjoyed it, like being at school again, with me folder , pens and pencils.