Poorly chicken

[Old Speckled Hen]

How often are folk inspecting now?

I have just finished Apilife having taken away the last few bits yesterday.

Last week there was brood in all stages so I just put on some sugar syrup and didn't look in the brood box at all this time.

[MedusA]

I have stopped full weekly inspections now. I had a quick look last week when I put my Apiguard on. Just checked a few frames of brood to make sure the queen was laying (she is) and that the bees have stores enough to be going on with.

 

I'm planning to start feeding next week when I put the 2nd Apiguard on, but probably won't inspect then.

 

I'll probably do another mini inspection (weather permitting) when I take the Apiguard off and monitor varroa drop too, of course. After that it will just be a question of keeping the syrup topped up and a quick peek through the holes in the crown board to check the bees are OK, before tucking them up for the winter.

[Peaches]

We're still doing weekly inspections, but I think by October we will cut them down quite a bit. It's raining today so the bees aren't doing much, but yesterday it was lovely and sunny so they were going mad. We've just extracted our honey and so will put apigard on.

[Olly]

I would just caution you all not to be complacent .... there have beeen FIVE swarms in my local area recently I mean within the last week, and in different locations although all round about here. It's worth keeping an eye out that your bees aren't building any queen cells! It seems the late spell of warm weather may have confused them.

[MedusA]

Wow! I am to hear that Olly!

 

I never would have expected swarms this time of year. It just goes to prove, as Winnie the Pooh asserts, "You never can tell with bees".

[Old Speckled Hen]

I looked through the broods on Sunday and laying has picked up nicely after the last Apilife. One of the boxes is near honeybound ( a week of rain is just upon us so that should sort itself out) so I can see how swarms can happen even at this time, given good weather.We have a week of rain forecast so that should sort that problem out. There are also still a few drones about.