Recent content by Highlystrung

Hi All, thanks for your replies ... made feel more comfortable that she may be taking a break due to the recent inclement weather ... and it gave me another option that I hadn't thought of - to move a frame of eggs from my other hive into the problem one - then that gives the colony the choice...

I would like to ask some advice as I come into my second year of beekeeping - I've pretty much confirmed to myself over 2 inspections in 2 weeks that the queen in one of my 2 hives has virtually stopped laying any eggs ... She is marked and still in the hive. There are one or two larvae per...

I've seen them dragging out live bees.... but the bees that are being taken out don't look very active... they don't have much fight in them.... so wondered if they are the winter bees at the end of their life being disposed of..... I've taken the previous advice and taped up the entrance now...

Good idea, I'll give it a go!

that was a question I had myself.... not clear to me that this is the case... How do I determine this?

Hi, I haven't opened either of my 2 hives to have a look inside as temps haven't got much above 12C at best in my back garden. Today there were a lot flying out of the hive - I noticed that outside one there are several hundred dead bees.... I think they may have been put out recently as I...

Hi, thanks again for your replies, useful inputs! Neil

Hi All, Thanks for your thoughts. These people are through another friend and highly likely to be very pleasant so I'm more optimistic than many of you suggest on the relationship! I'm surprised that the rent is only 1 lb jar or honey per hive .... seems very little to be paying for usage of...

Hi, I have an offer to keep bees in somebody else’s property. As this would be partnership I would like to know from anybody else who has done / is doing the same - what type of arrangement they have between themselves and the land owners. I meeting them later this week. In my case they are...

Thanks for the responses, I have covered my cover board holes with tiles as suggested. I have also drilled 4 mm holes in the pieces of wood that I've put on the cones on the hive covers. That should ensure that the bees can't enter there and that the inside of the hive between the lifts and...

Thanks for all the inputs - I haven't covered my cover board holes with tiles but will do so.... Seems to be some debate on whether the cones should allow bees out - are they there for ventilation and / or escape....? Inside my WBC the bees can get down to the entrance on the front landing...

Hi, I noticed this am that bees are entering my WBC hive through the little plastic cone shaped roof vent on either end of the roof... (see pic attached). I'm unclear whether this is meant to be an entry route....but assume it is not!?! If not these could be robbing bees... and assume that the...

Thanks, some good options to explore! regards, Neil

Hi All, I have 2 hives and hope to stay at that number going forward so my honey harvest is going to be modest in it's volume. Does anyone have experience / advice on a good quality extractor that is well made / does the job well and will last. I'm assuming I only need a small capacity (2...