Support for some of the trees.

Some of the larger trees the ones that are over 10 feet tall most of which are plum trees were beginning to droop, partially because of the weight of the fruit. I may have a good harvest of plums and apples depends on the birds etc, the pears were poor this year and I reckon the cherries will be eaten by the birds. Oh well

We have added additional support stakes, these support stakes are made of eucalyptus branches from a tree I trimmed in the garden a couple of weeks ago. Lets see how well they do. I have also adjust the tree ties on all of the trees that needed it.

Turned the compost heap, and reckon next weekend I will have to cut the grass again.

No pictures this week, I didn't take the camera, however the orchard as a whole is looking good.

4 stings in seconds

On Friday I wanted to check the bees at the bottom of my garden, I really only wanted to see how much of the sugar syrup that had consumed, and see if they needed any more. So I went down, with my suit on but no smoke. Big mistake. I opened the hive and looked at the feeder and bang 4 stings within 2/3 seconds.

Thankfully only one left any poison in the system and even that's fine now.

Didn't do much work on the orchard this week, but did go looking for pests, they were reduced in number, the natural predators are doing well. The trees are fine and plum trees are looking heavy, I am going to add additional support of over the comming weekend with help from my brother.

The trees are all growing and some have increased in size by more that a couple of inches in the past week.

The weather has been awfully and have not been able to check on the bees either at the orchard or at my parents, will do so over the course of the week.

Third Hive trees are fine

Last Thursday I got a call from Bernard telling me about a swarm in four oaks Sutton Coldfield that I could collect. That was it, I was off collected the swarm and took it home. I still had one spare hive and I put the swarm in, minus a crown board and the following morning I realised that I needed the crown board as the swarm had started to build new comb on the roof of the hive. I had to make some adjustment and a little later I had all the bees in the brood box and a single sting to show for it.In fact that night I built 5 more frames so now the new hive is up and running. I order 2 new rapid feeders and put one on the new hive. It can store 6 liters of syrup, which is going to be great for the coming autumn and hives at the orchard.

Then over the weekend we got the grass cut at the orchard. It looks great, I have seen less and less aphids though I have found some on the cherry trees. The trees are really growing and I recently looked at some old pictures of the trees when we planted the trees and the difference is stark. Im glad I do have pictures and records, as watching the trees grow is slow and hardly noticeable. Some of the mushroom compost is rotting down famously into a type of ash.

In the hive at the orchard I have found some eggs not many but they are there. I can also see less chalk brood, perhaps the ventilation is improving things. Bernard still recommending replacing the frames with newer frames and foundation. I have already moved the oldest darkest foundation to the ends of the hive ready to be replaced.They seem to be making honey and its not as hard as I was expected,

My cousin Jayesh his Wife Sunita came and visited, with the kids. They just missed out on a picnic which we the family were having when we got the call to say they were coming. We have also been looking at various chickens, for the house.

I am a little worried about the plum trees the branches are getting heavier and I am going to have to provide additional support and the past two days have been very wet, I have not been able to check on the trees.

The plan is I will get some additional support and the work will be carried out over the weekend.

Lots of fruit and Chalk brood

I have checked on the all the trees, we have lots of apples, plums and cherries but not lots of pears, in fact I haven't seen any. Most of the fruit is still growing and lots of sun water and time will hopefully ripen it. I am worried about some of the branches as the fruit is weighing down the branches, I am tempted to thin out the fruit, then again I want to achieve the biggest harvest. I am going to have to work out a balance.The ground is now a blanket of green grass and yellow from the flowers. My son loves wondering around looking at the horses in the next field and picking the grass and flowers. The grass is up to his knees.
The whole place is growing and even though we cut the grass recently around the trees it's in desperate need to get another cut. Lots of ladybirds I haven't seen any caterpillars recently, or bumble bees on the last few visits.

The bees, both the hives have less bees that I would expect, at this time of year I think that the ones at the orchard have swarmed. In both hives I am not seeing eggs and lots of chalk brood. I have contacted the Apiary manager at Sutton park and am seeing him and other bee keepers this afternoon and will get a chance to show them some of the chalk brood that I have collected. I am relatively new to treating chalk brood, as I have never had to deal with it before, so I will be trying to discuss this in detail at the weekly apiary meetings.

This is worrying and without the eggs and lave my hives aren't going to survive very long. I want to put a second hive in the orchard as soon as possible, and will be looking out for either a swarm or a small nuc. I will also have to buy some new bits like rapid feeders. The hive etc is ready at home. I may have to build a couple of frames with foundation though.

I have and will be showing a couple more friends inside the hives, this week.

Ed Swinton emailed me and has informed me that some of the Beekeeper pictures are on the BBC website. http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/manchester/hi/people_and_places/arts_and_culture/newsid_8709000/8709635.stm