Recent content by Beemum

If I can jump in...that makes perfect sense, except would you remove the bottom BB during the autumn or even winter or leave it until the spring so as not to disturb/chill the cluster by messing about with the hive?

Unfortunately I've just done the divorce 😔 that's why I need to move! But yes, pros and cons to all the options, and I've found someone who already keeps bees in the new area, so I'm going to contact him to check on forage...which will be the start of the information gathering! I know I've been...

Thanks everyone, lots to think about...and I will recce the apiary situation in the new area before I go much further!

I may need to move about an hour south soon, and where the bees will live is a big part of deliberations. Current site - my own very small field, high up on a fell so long winters and plenty of rain the rest of the year. But, plenty of forage nearby with early season willow to heather later...

Probably me neither but we'll see 🤔

Definitely want to try some of these at some point - maybe next year 🐝

There was at least some heather in the mix then as it was hard work - tasted superb though!

Ah I wasn't spinning - crush and strain was hard enough!

I only had a couple of frames to extract last time - I guess they were mixed, don't know how would I tell, but it was fairly hard work...and the honey was so good!

Yay we apparently have heather in flower not far away 👌

Thank you both - as you say it’s about me working out what to do, but having your advice will really help as I’m just not confident enough yet to “know”, but it’s reassuring that I seem to be asking the right questions at least! I’m keeping my fingers crossed for a heather flow but have the...

2 colonies, one in a BB, no super needed as there are still 4 empty frames/comb in the BB for them to fill, plus I have a saved frame of capped honey to add as stores to help get them through the winter. Second hive I combined two colonies a couple of weeks back. Today all good, BIAS in top BB...

Based solely on my experience taking on a nuc last August, I'd stick with one strong hive. If there's not enough forage or the weather is unkind the colony may not get strong enough...but I'm way up north so circumstances could be very different where you are.

I'm very glad I didn't buy a new queen as I've just been into the hive to check if they'd done anything with the brood frame I gave them a few days ago; there was a play cup and something that looked similar/like a v prominent capped drone cell and I was just thinking "I don't know what to do...

in the Westmorland Dales, the new northern section they added a few years back.