Recent content by Biodlaren

Maybe there where something on the cage and the bees experience it as dirty?

Yes, I know that after 13 years with bees I should be proficient enough to find the queen in no time. But I'm not. For example, early last spring I tried to find a marked queen in a smal underdeveloped 5 frame nuc. After half an hour I gave up. Same thing a week later. Yet another week later I...

Hi. There are many benefits with having a young queen in the hive. Therefor my intention is to replace the queen yearly, or every second year. I have read in every source source I can find how this can be done. There are plenty of different kind of ways to do this, but every method starts the...

No, I hanen’t. But I have been brewing mead. Resolved sticky capping wax in water with yeast. A couple of days later I fiched up the now not sticky capping wax, and dded more honey filled sticky capping wax.

This is interesting to me. This sentence: "I am aware some web sites do a wax exchange for foundation." is saying me that this isn't any common practice. In Sweden we have well established routines for circulating wax. I just leave my frames with old black combs, have them melted and cleaned...

Grafting is not hard, it just looks. Try it. Be sure to have good light, and if you are in posession of a pair of reading glasses, bring them.

Yes, that could be a possible explanation. Yes, I know, this is no perfect method. But it is an easy method. A method that disturbe the hive as little as possible (at least it usually does). You don't get so many queens, but then I can do it again the other day in another hive. I'm getting...

Yes, I'm pretty sure heat was no issue. The whole Swedish summer was not as warm as I would like to.

Hi! In middle of July I tried to raise some queens. To do that I have to choose a good hive and make it queenless, and preferably even free from young brood. I hate to try to find the queen, often I can not find her and the bees getting more and more irritated. The easiest way to make the hive...

Really expensive things. It could not be too hard to build one for your self?

I have only polystyrene boxes. At some points I have had problems with wax moth, but I have never seen them damage my boxes. Do you have any pictures?

My experience is that people with diabetes are much more likely to be stung by bees and wasps. Perhaps they smell differently.