Recent content by ericbeaumont

Wainwright's Bee Farm is David Wainwright's 750-colony outfit based in Aberystwyth which has been going since the 1970s. The packaging and branding of this West Country offshoot Wainwrights (no apostrophe) is woeful and the label does not include the country of origin, such as Produce of...

Forget old legends handed down that take no account of reality. At certain times of the year bees will draw comb faster where temps are higher, and will then use it sooner. Probably not a good idea in spring, when day temps may be high and night low, but I've been putting foundation frames...

Denrosa Apiaries is Murray McGregor's company. I believe he produced early UK poly in association with Swienty; SWI-BO probably means Swienty Box.

That must be a very early Swienty because it bears little resemblance to the current model. A bottom bar fits the later entrance neatly.

Stick it in a nuc, and if the flow stops and robbing starts, watch out. An occasional frame of emerging brood from another colony (if there are enough bees to cover) will boost colony strength.

Make sure to seal the Porter holes unless you use them for the rhombus.

Bottom bar fits.

Yep, got to get rid of those leather gloves.

I reckon stripping out, boiling and refitting is worth it if you have several hundred and don't have to pay a lot for labour. My daughter has taken six weeks to strip out combs that would have taken me about three hours, so I hope she's not expecting much... Cost and time analysis would be...

Today I checked an apiary of 15 and was determined to terminate the queen of one underperforming colony. Checked the brood (scattered) and on frame 8 saw that the bees agreed with me: one supersedure cell. I left them to it.

Fewer than three usually suggests supersedure, though during the swarming season bees are just as likely to swarm on supersedure cells. Repeat supersedure may mean that each mating is unsatisfactory, or that bees have other reasons. As we're now past the main swarming period, you may decide to...

Where in the box? Get them working it faster; stick one in the middle of the nest and repeat when they've drawn it. While they're doing that, put the other two on the edges of the brood nest.

Memo for next year: use double broods. The more space the queen has leading up to the June solstice the less likely she is to run out of laying space, and consequently the colony is less likely to swarm. Brood & half is neither here nor there: be bold and give real space earlier in the season...

Not easy to deal with, so best get someone with experience to help you, Jennie. Local Association member? Give them a call and I'd expect someone to come out.

Good spot. I had a deal to keep bees in the Olympic Park the year after the event, when the original wildflower planting was in full flow. Contractors funded four colonies & kit, but in the first winter water rats went up into them and that was that. Since that time the main buildings and...