Natural Beekeeping International Forum

zaunreiter · Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2015 11:20 pm Post subject:

This is how the brood combs look like in the lower brood box right now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QSpfk9Mq1k

zaunreiter · Posted: Sun Jun 28, 2015 3:19 pm Post subject:

Summer lime tree...

...in (almost) full blossom.

Leaves are sticky from the sugar running out of the leaves and blossoms.

But only few bees forage on the lime tree.

Many aphids can be found in this tree.

And ladybug larvae.

Silver lime trees don't blossom yet, needs some more time.

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:30 pm Post subject:

Interesting enough, the cornflower nectar flow is still going on, although most blossoms faded out. The bees fly at the brown blossoms, which do excrete nectar at the sides of the calyx. You can see the nectar droplets with your bare eyes.

On this picture in the middle, a shiny spot - that is the droplet of nectar.

On the video you see the bees flying at brown withered blossoms.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RoAaK3ez9i4

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:38 pm Post subject:

There is a heat wave coming next days. Using some match sticks under the inner lid, I create a small gap which allows the hot air to escape at the top. The outer roof is tilted.

Tilted roofs prevent the buildup of hot air under the roof.

A chicken watering gadget serves as a bee watering place.

Bees can sit on the pebble stones and have a drink or two.

Some leaves prevent the water from evaporation.

Additionally I opened the flight hole on each brood section, so the bees can vent there if they like.

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 5:58 pm Post subject:

Black berries blossomed at June the 10th, 2015. For two days there was lots of black berry pollen and that was it. Today the big surprise: supers were filled up to the rim with black berry honey! The taste is plain fantastic. Fruity taste, very fruity.

The stronger hives have filled three supers (approx. 36 - 45 kg) and urgently needed a fourth honey super which I gave today.

We ate the wild combs with the fruity black berry honey all day, straight from the hive, which was very freshening in the heat of this sunny day.

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 6:07 pm Post subject:

Things are doing well in the sweet chestnut, too.

Bees work the sweet chestnut blossoms and are flying like mad. Honey supers are flushing with nectar.

zaunreiter · Posted: Wed Jul 01, 2015 8:07 pm Post subject:

Today I caught a swarm from a chimney.

The swarm wanted to settle down in this disused chimney.
View into the inspection chamber in the basement.

No new honeycomb to be seen.

Bees had been living in the chimney already.

Looking through the upper inspection chamber right under the roof - nothing to see, only individual bees. On suspicion I smoked the upper chimney.

Then an uproar in the inner courtyard (in the city). The Swarm!

The bees ride on the passenger seat. Bringing the bees home.

Here they were allowed to spend the day in the cool shade of an apple tree.

Rescue at the last minute. One of the residents - an elderly pensioner - already fiddled around with a hair spray and lighter: he wanted to burn down the bees.

Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJteAlzA-Zk

luk_lak · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 10:30 am Post subject:

Wow, you rode with the bees free ranging on the box (not inside) in your car? Respect!

*******************************
Lukasz - Friendliest gardener in E14

zaunreiter · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 12:17 pm Post subject:

Do this all the time. No problem.

ingo50 · Posted: Thu Jul 02, 2015 7:21 pm Post subject:

Windows open or closed ? Swarms only?

zaunreiter · Posted: Fri Jul 03, 2015 5:23 pm Post subject:

Doesn't matter. Usually swarms, but also nucs and splits.

The watering place is well visited by the bees.

Airation of the hive is effective as can be seen by the missing bee beards. Instead bees forage on the sweet chestnut and lime trees.

See video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC_HgbThM3Y

Regards,

Bernhard

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 7:34 pm Post subject:

Checking a swarmed fixed comb hive for new brood.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBLGIVQJirE

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:29 pm Post subject:

Some more TBH impressions. Hive swarmed, not much honey has build up yet, new queen is laying a firm egg pattern though.

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:21 pm Post subject:

We cared for the summer forage, because noone else does.

A mixture from Borage, white and red clover, phacelia, marigold, corn flowers, malva, sainfois and: sun flowers.

We ate honey all day. From black berries, lime trees, sweet chestnuts and some more.

First time without veil for my friend Bircan.

A nice day out at the bees.

heathervale · Nurse Bee Joined: 19 Jun 2015 Posts: 33 Location: Ireland

We now have 3 cast swarms and depleted colonies. Can we simply shake the cast swarms back into the hives????

zaunreiter · Posted: Sat Jul 18, 2015 8:31 pm Post subject:

The bee bee tree is about to blossoming.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQ2Z-VSSpWA

zaunreiter · Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 7:22 pm Post subject:

Many wasps this year.

zaunreiter · Posted: Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:51 am Post subject:

Bee tree Euodia, wonder where that name came from...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZ9tbnjE93g

zaunreiter · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:07 pm Post subject:

Wasps, wasps, wasps...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTT7g2nEito

Too many of them. Already killed some hives. Those were smaller hives. The wasps don't attack the bigger hives...yet. In 2013 they did, late August. So be on the watch.

A dry July with no rain lets the wasp population explode.

zaunreiter · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2015 7:22 pm Post subject:

Bee bee tree...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Domsywdn8YI

zaunreiter · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 6:04 am Post subject:

This is how the hives look like just before I start preparing the bees for winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mA_BjTQDoww

Lizbee · Posted: Sat Aug 15, 2015 10:48 am Post subject:

Wow Bernhart

Those combs, bees, grubs... They are beautiful, they look so healthy. Was there something particular you were pointing out on the combs?

I am going to get myself some better glasses as don't manage to see the eggs so well when I inspect. Don't inspect very often.
I have two colony's in KTBH's.

Thank you.

Liz

Odisej · Posted: Mon Aug 17, 2015 3:16 pm Post subject:

Hi Bernhart

Which race of bees are yours ?

Also I wonder if your hives are your invention ?

Thanks a lot.

Marko

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Aug 18, 2015 8:37 am Post subject:

Most of my bees are Buckfast bees now, since they are very healthy by itself. No fiddling and pushing necessary. No inbreeding.

No. Not my invention. Just Gatineau hives, which were developed on the basis of Warré hives.

Odisej · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2015 9:27 am Post subject:

zaunreiter · Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2015 7:53 pm Post subject:

Care yourself for bee food and make fields of flowers - especially in the time the bees prepare for winter...

Lacewing · Posted: Mon Sep 14, 2015 8:13 am Post subject:

Lovely to see these on a wet, autumnal Monday morning! Thank you.

zaunreiter · Posted: Tue Sep 22, 2015 12:40 pm Post subject:

End of September impressions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNvlVjtjv6Q

zaunreiter · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 2:16 pm Post subject:

A wild bee hive in a wall surviving for years without treatments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzhSjk-XSbc

ingo50 · Posted: Thu Sep 24, 2015 8:12 pm Post subject:

Nice video Bernhard, how long have the bees lived there? How was the colony discovered?

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Conserving wild bees

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