Autumn Watch

Cooler nights now - 3C last night. 14C today. Stopped feeding now - I did wonder if I was over feeding them and not leaving enough room for the queen to lay but today there were plenty of eggs, larvae and eggs on the central frames and in a good pattern. Saw the queen and added a bit more green paint to her thorax as my last effort had left only a feint green tinge!
Went to a NFBKA meeting on Friday with Steve - Clive De Bruyn (pronounced - Brain). He has so much experience from all over the world; he was fascinating. Easy to remember life cycle - it goes in 3's: Egg - 3 days, larva  - 6 days (2x3), sealed - 12 days (6x2). 3 + 6 + 12 = 21 days to hatch. After 3 years beekeeping you think you are an expert - in reality you never stop learning because no one year is the same in terms of weather, pests, colony characteristics etc. 1 hive for 100 years = 100 years experience OR 100 hives for 1 year = 100 years experience

Cooler weather

This weekend was decidedly cooler (my good lady insisted on having the central heating on this evening!) but the sunshine meant the bees were out foraging. I did notice that the propolis was harder and everything cracked as I moved frames around rather than the usual sticky sound. Saw workers bringing on propolis too. Now feeding with 2x1 syrup.

More guests

My good friend Kevin came with me to do a hive inspection this weekend. Although he was initially nervous, he did really well and even held a frame! He took some video with his camera but thought he was taking photos so it wobbles around a bit but here it is:

We saw the queen and Genesis is looking pretty good - plenty of eggs and brood and stores building up. Gave them the first feed of 2x1 syrup today. Will continue with this until mid October - depending on the weather. All frames are now either being drawn or filling with honey.

Inspection 6 - Queen spotted!

My daughter's boyfriend's dad came with me today. He has no experience of bees but was very calm around the hive and enjoyed his visit.
Saw the queen today and managed to get a spot of green marking paint nicely on her thorax - sounds easy doesn't it? It wasn't! I got her in the queen clip OK and then put her on a frame of foundation. I don't have a press in cage but got some paint on her (and also on a few workers!). Anyway, job done and that should make her easier to see in the future. She looks a bit like this:

Plenty of brood and eggs today. They are now drawing comb on the final frame of foundation now.
Girls were very quiet and calm today but got quite agitated when I was dealing with the queen so I shut things up and left them to it.
Gave them the large feeder full of 1x1 syrup today - 5 litres.

Inspection 5

Today, I brought along my good friend Steve to watch. I think he enjoyed himself and may be inspired to take up beekeeping himself - I know he has been thinking about it for a while.
Genesis is building up stores nicely now. The shallow frame is almost full and they have completed the natural comb underneath it - this is now filling with worker brood - I think it is too late in the season for them to build drone comb (I was advised by someone to keep a shallow frame in all year round as part of IPM) but it is and will be additional stores for the winter. Fed them another 2 litres of 1x1 syrup.

Inspection 4

Did this one after work and so it was 6 in the evening by the time I got there. It has been wet most of the day and although it was then sunny and windy the girls had a bit of "cabin fever" and were just a bit more tetchy. They are drawing comb on one of the frames of foundation and on the shallow frame they have completed the comb off the bottom now and are filling the frame with honey. I gave them another 2 litres of feed. No queen seen but there are plenty of eggs and brood.

Feeding

Checked the feeder yesterday (with my youngest daughter - she is now a beekeeper's daughter!) - empty! Put 2l of 1x1 syrup in. Had a quick look at a frame of foundation and they are drawing that now. Some capped honey on the shallow now too. Away for a few days now so let's see how they look on my return. Very crowded with bees in there now - brood is hatching - thinking about putting that super back on!