Recent content by jarfoster

I will be doing vertical splits this year with division boards (Converted from crown boards ) what height flange/ frame thickness should be the minimum for the queen to get through as I've just bought some from Thornes to convert and they are not very deep.

Thanks all. I've moved it to my parents garden for a couple of weeks.8 miles away. I have heard though that if they are kept shut up for a couple of days they would re- orientate to their new site. Not taking any chances though.

I put a bait hive seven foot up on a shed 50 ft away from my other hive. It has attracted a swarm which is increasing nicely. Any suggestions how I can move it next to the other hive ?

Think there are three with eggs in. Thought I would use a mini nuc for continuity of laying for the other hive to be requeened and as a fail safe if one of the others does nt take in the parent hive.

Thanks for that. I was under the impression that they swarmed just before capping of the queen cells not just after laying. They were doing so well. Every cloud ...... May use one of the other cells to re queen another hive.

Yesterday ,after keeping an eye on some empty queen cups for the last 3 weeks or so.I carried out an inspection. I appear to have a fraction of the bees in the hive that i had with considerably less activity at the hive entrance . There are now eggs in some of the cups. I can't find the queen...

I have a down pipe on the outside wall from the kitchen sink,it leaks a little and is covered in moss the bees love it. Maybe the common denominator is moss.

Oops !! No did nt do that. Guess I'll find out in the spring. Although, I think my bees this summer thought that any square inch of comb was for building queen cells? Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

What is a test comb ?

No they were worker bees with her.

I watched the hive for a couple of weeks no sign of the original marked queen or other queens no eggs,lava eventually united it with a queen right colony. Have nt looked inside since. Plenty of activity on nice days since then. Just intrigued to know of any suggestions of what happened.

They were all in a cluster on the front of the hive so I was guessing that the cold damp night killed them. It was nt until I flicked them to the floor that i noticed the new queen in amongst them.

Early one September morning I noticed a cluster of approx 20 soggy,dead and dying bees on the front of my hive about 3 inches away from the hive entrance. I flicked the cluster and they fell on the slab beneath. Amongst the bees was an unmarked queen,dead. I was already aware that the hive was...

Do you still have them ?

Have seen better bargains.....Over £100 for a capping fork...Think not indeed !!