What did you do in your Apiary/Bee yard today?

[The15thMember]

My bees are really out and about this morning.  I keep having different members of my family ask me if they are swarming or something because it's so loud in the garden.  I think they are just looking for water, since it rained two nights ago and a lot of them are in the mud and lined up around their water bowl.  It's sunny, but not even 50F out, and our low last night was 22F, so I'm a little surprised they are so active.

[G3farms]

Mine are just as active as well, all looking for water.
Big frost this morning and has finally make it to 50* F.
Had to put feed on several of them along with a little pollen.
Got 31 hives still, will see what happens in the next month or two.

[The15thMember]

I took my mouse guards off today and replaced them with normal entrance reducers, since I can't stand how much pollen the bees drop when they stupidly squeeze through the tiny little nail hole instead of using the actual doorways!    I spent the afternoon building frames and listening to the Dale Jr. Download.   

[Michael Bush]

Another reason I love only upper entrances.  When I did use lower (and therefore mouse guards) I had the same problem.  They tend to lose pollen and in the fall I hate to put them on too soon, but if I wait too long the mouse might already have moved in.  Then in the spring it's the opposite problem.  Not quite as bad because if I do remove them too soon, the mice won't have as long to wreck havoc.  With only upper entrances I never put on mouse guards and never need them.

[Lesgold]

Hi Folks,

Just working through the process of streaming a few frames from a couple of dead out hives. The hives swarmed earlier in the season and the new queens obviously didn?t make it back from mating flights. It has been a job that I?ve meant to get around to but it?s been too hot to get a fire started. Wax moth and beetles had a play with these hives so they were a bit of a mess. Steamed 20 frames yesterday afternoon which resulted in a bit of wax recovered. Will finish the job later today. The frames are now clean and the wax will need to be melted and strained. I will expect to get just over 2kg of clean wax from the 20 frames. Steaming gives a good wax recovery from old frames.

[AustinB]

Spent yesterday working about 70% of my colonies, reversing brood boxes and inspecting brood frames. Laying patterns look great, lots of fresh pollen at the energy interface and most colonies have a surprising amount of fresh nectar. Spring is here early, although we are still in for some late spring VA freezes before we are out of the woods. No winter losses this year either.

[The15thMember]

It's been damp and rainy here for a few days, so I changed all my moisture quilts yesterday.  I found several of my covers have mold growing underneath them.  I would just remove quilts, but we're supposed to have more cold nights coming up, so I just sprayed the covers with some vinegar in the hopes that will arrest the mold at least somewhat.  Also found some ants setting up shop under one of my lids.  Perhaps the vinegar convince them not to return as well.   

[Bob Wilson]

I need to set my swarm traps out, but they are leaking some. So, I am making some aluminum caps for them from sheet aluminum from Home Depot

[The15thMember]

I need to set my swarm traps out, but they are leaking some. So, I am making some aluminum caps for them from sheet aluminum from Home Depot

I really need to do that to my wooden migratory covers before they get so rotten that it's not worth it anymore. 

[Bob Wilson]

That's what is happening with me. I hope this will elongate the trap's life, but especially keep the dampness out of the box, and make it more appealing.

[Ben Framed]

If you'll don't mind telling me, what did y'all make the failing migratory tops out of? (what material)

Thanks,
Phillip

[The15thMember]

If you'll don't mind telling me, what did y'all make the failing migratory tops out of? (what material)

Thanks,
Phillip

I purchased most of mine, so I'm assuming they are just pine.  I do have one that my sister made for me out of plywood when I was having an equipment emergency, but it's quite warped, so I don't use it unless I have to.  Although one of my store-bought ones is getting pretty warped too.  My telescoping tops have held up much better, which I credit mostly to them being metal topped. 

[yes2matt]

I made 4x splits using the "double screen board" method we learned last year at BeeFest. I made one regular split.
for the small, queenright, "upstairs" colony I wanted frame feeders but they're like $25 a piece (WHaT?) so I got a squeeze squirt bottle and used it to fill drawn comb with 2:1 syrup for a "frame feeder" a deep comb holds almost a quart.  I figure it's just in case, the bees will clean it out and the queen will lay it up and I'll use the extra brood for my cut comb producers.

I'm not sure what to think of the mean bees.  I get in there and about 15 minutes later it's time to go. And they chase.  But there's thirty pounds of new capped honey on that hive and it's not March yet. It's worth it? I debate.

[Bob Wilson]

Ben Framed.
I believe I made my swarm boxes from 23/32 bcx plywood (made with water resistant adhesive), NOT ccx pressure treated plywood, which is poisonous.
They are 5 years old and not made very well. The degradation at the top is partly my fault.

[Ben Framed]

Thanks Bob and Reagan for your answers.

Phillip

[Michael Bush]

It just made it above freezing and now it's raining.  I have done nothing in the beeyard all winter except look for flying bees when it was warm enough.

[cao]

Yesterday was warm and the bees were flying.  Did a walk through my bee yard at my house and all but two had bees bringing in pollen.  The two had bees flying in and out but it looked like robbing a dead hive to me.  Will open these hives later to comfirm.  The winter isn't over but two dead out of 35 isn't bad considering about 10 of them were very light going into winter.  Still need to check my other yard.

[Occam]

All I did was enjoy watching the bees flying about when I got home from work. Both of my hives busy, especially my Lang hive. Bunched up around the top entrance. 73 today, lows around 50, repeat tomorrow.

[saltybluegrass]

All I did was enjoy watching the bees flying about when I got home from work. Both of my hives busy, especially my Lang hive. Bunched up around the top entrance. 73 today, lows around 50, repeat tomorrow.

Why won?t my phones pictures fit in these posts?
How did you get the pic in here.?
That?s why I post videos because the dang pictures don?t work.
Anyway my girls are enjoying some of the heaviest pollen of the season but the neighbors favorite approach to the first blooms of dandelion is call the poison sprayers to kill them
So I?m watching for any poison problems
But honestly the few lizards and birds eating the small amount of entrance bees isn?t bad at all

[The15thMember]

Why won?t my phones pictures fit in these posts?
How did you get the pic in here.?
That?s why I post videos because the dang pictures don?t work.

You just need to resize them.  Check out this thread.  https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=51631.msg499186#msg499186