Bee Board Survey- poll reopened

[Mr Potato Head]

I am sure it will be a hive of activity....

I'll get my coat..

[Mikey]

Bees mart
Plan Bee

[chris]

In the Apiary

? we on about bees still and not BM? What on earth is an apiary. *google buzzz whirllllllll tick tick tickkk click click nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn *BING* - oh I see!

Beehaving is good

Sweet Beehaviour?

[Hilary B]

OH suggested calling it "The Sting", or something with that aspect included. Do you think he's afraid I might get some bees????

[lainey lou]

Bump as it's closing tonight

[Headfry]

How about simply 'The bee hive'

[zazen999]

I've opened the poll up again for some more votes!

[northmaid]

If we suceed it really will be the Bees Knees.

[Hilary B]

A thought (probably too late to change it) how about a voting option of "not interested myself but if others want it that's fine". I would hope that is what the 2 'no' voters actually meant!

[Nicos]

48 votes so far...anyone else wish to vote/comment???

[Mrs Dobby]

We took our mouseguards off and did a quick inspection of all 6 hives today, with the temp at 14C here and lovely sunshine today the girls have been out, very busy bringing in pollen! All 6 hives are buzzing with bees, still have plenty of stores left and lots of bees in them, a few weeks now and we will be starting our weekly inspections, cant wait!

Dont know if anyone else has found this, we have quite a strong antiseptic / menthol / pine smell coming from 3 of the hives, not sure if it was just the pollen they were bringing in, or something else, anyone any ideas?

Still deffo interested in a Bee Board on the vine!

[Headfry]

Mrs D you are so lucky - I was at work yesterday (its as well that I love my job) but I am desperate to get into my girls! we had woodpecker damage during the cold spell, Mr HF made a fab guard for the hives - trouble is it will take two of us to remove it- I really hope the threat has passed now as I cant take it on and off at will! grrrrr but I spare a kind thought for poor old woody I guess he/she was just so hungry.
Yesterday was a perfect bee day here double grrrr

The smell could well be the varoa treatment you applied - it always lingers!

Pollen this time of year - crocus and hellebore are the most common for my girls. What have you in flower round your way. You can get pollen colour charts (bit like a paint chart) I think they are fab fun and useful too. My friend had a panic once - bees had swollen black legs - it was pollen
We laugh now but at the time it really was a blind panic.

Great to have other bee keepers to chat to - I have no mentor as such or support where I live so a bee section really would help. The main bee site/forum can get a little odd at times - not very friendly sometimes sad to say.

I hope to get to my girls this weekend if only to remove cages, mouse guards and to feed them.

Nice to hear of your fantastic progress Mrs D

[Mrs Dobby]

Hi HF et al,

Woodpeckers arent too common round here, so thankfully we've not had that problem, but I do feel for you with the damage that they can cause, hope your girls survived the attacks and that the hives arent too badly damaged!

Have to agree, the Bee forums arent as friendly or as nice a place to visit as the Vine, they folks on them are either all noobs, or very technical, and dont seem the place for a general chat about anything bee related, I've even seen folks made to feel really bad about asking a fairly basic question, almost as though those who frequent the Bee forums feel they should be made pariahs if they havent got endless qualifications and know everything, a lot of folks with big egos methinks! One of the reasons that a Bee Board on the vine would be great, no room for egos on here and we're such a friendly bunch that I dont think any question, no matter how simple or stupid would result in anyone feeling as though they shouldnt have asked!

The pollen the girls were bringing in was a daffodil yellow type, although the daffs arent out, so I suspect it was probably crocus, or possibly willow / maple pollen. The good news is tho, if they are fetching pollen home, then it means there will be brood in the hives, so should have baby bees soon!

Havent any Oxalyic acid left now, so I cant sniff it to see what it smells like, but you could well be right, that could be the smell, especially as it was warm yesterday, so fragrances much easier to notice than when its cold!

We're fortunate to have an experienced beekeeping friend who has mentored us, hes always there if we need to ask him anything, tho with 2 years experience we dont often need to call on his advice now! Time we were able to pass on some of the knowledge to others!

[Glutton4...]

Bee-have yourselves!

Here's what was accompanying me this afternoon as I weeded out Ground Elder...

[Glutton4...]

Behind the Veil and Lifting the Veil - sound wrong!

Sorry....

As does 'The Honey Pot' Perhaps I just have a dirty mind... OK. Nuff said.

I like Ain't mis-Bee-havin'

A Bee in yer bonnet