Recent content by Graham40

Has anyone used a Queen tower to mate queens. 1) were the results good 2) What is the advantage over other types of mating nucs and Apiedia?

Tracheal mites actually, Varroa I don't have a problem with, as it gets bombed with enough chemicals.

I'm looking to use a grease pattie for the first time I've found several recipes online and in books but have no operational experience. I intend laying it on top of the frames as I would candy. However as this is a Pattie the chances are it will dissolve and drip down the frames. Does anyone...

No I don't use them unless I have shallows directly over a single standard or 14x12 brood box, my preference is double or triple brood box's this normally suffices as space for the queen they do like to go vertical but after swapping a few frames around to provide a honey barrier in the 2nd or...

6 Glen Hives made by Aberdeen Beehive works in 1910 (Stamps in the Roof of each one) were my Great Grandfathers, Built to with stand the climate in the frozen north. They sport modern poly inserts between the outside world and the inner box (made up in the 70's by my dad), 15 Bar BS frame brood...

Too early the wax will have lost its attraction also the wax will be brittle at this time of year so even if its been in the warming cabinet or airing cupboard once its in the frame if the box gets dropped or bashed you could end up with shattered foundation. If you do put the wax in now you...

Id just add more 14x12 to the mix it depends on the bee, some can fill the 14x12 some cant, I have a mix of 14x12 and standard. The 14x12 has the advantage of the depth which allows more bees to cluster on one frame. So what do your bees say ... are they large clusters or smaller blackbee...

First are you sure its abandoned and do you have the land owners permission to look at it. I find it suspicious that its got a feeder in place maybe someone else is looking after it?? If its survived this long they will be doing a good job at keeping varroa at bay themselves. Internally I...

When is a Buckfast a Buckfast? They've been exported to most of Europe so if you buy a Greek or Italian Queen 9 times out of 10 its a Buckfast strain. Personally I prefer a black bee fly better in colder climates gather more honey, smaller colonies and easier to overwinter.

They weren't in use when they got munched, cat was summarily fired for neglect of duties. As for the mice they were given a good send off. The broodbox's are just too convenient as adhock hive stands

Finman uses some sort of glue which is a 2 pack I'd like to know a bit more about that, theres another artical from 2011 in the archive, things move on, also all the damage is at the edges of the box not easy to fix unless I shutter the damage area so might have to do as finman suggests and chop...

I have come to the point in the season where I need to repair a few old crocks as I've used everything else. I have a couple of Payne poly's that require some TLC, they have been chewed at the edges, mouse damage, so they are no longer water or bee tight what is the best material to repair them...

I've seen brick paper used in the past, there's a modern equivalent these days it would protect the gap between the box's from driving rain. We just use Duct tape as a sealer, if they've been on the heather or near pine trees they usually have an effective seal built themselves with propolis...

The ripener is for extracted honey. It is there to allow the honey to settle once it has been run through muslin or filters. The honey can be jarred from the ripener or it can be run off into pails for soft setting later.

Yes but that won't stop them taking off with the first available virgin, occaisionally they wait until the first virgin hatches anyway before they go, it allows them to set up home and get a first round of eggs laid while the virgin is mated, then old hm gets the chop anyway. Which is why you...