Recent content by JCD

Yes ... but I haven't looked at it closely yet.

I have two strong colonies for sale on standard national hives. Both have 2014 queens. They are South Gloucestershire mongrels, of average to good temperament. The queens are not marked or clipped. They were treated with oxalic acid in January. £150 each. You bring your own hive and we'll...

Thank you all again .... very helpful.

My purchaser is still keen .... just one more question if allowed in this section... what would be a fair price to ask for a 2014 colony overwintered, and lets assume average strength, (I haven't been in there yet this year) being delivered as a shook swarm? The bees are local mongrels.

Thank you all for your replies .... I definitely want an easy option if possible, so shook swarm appears to be the answer. Will have to speak with my potential buyer and see if he would be happy with that. Why didn't I think of that!!

Anybody any ideas? My bees are in National hives, and someone who is interested in purchasing some of my bees has Langstroth equipment. Is there a way to transfer National brood frames, to a Langstroth hive? I can't think of one. Thanks J

Thank goodness I read and digested the thread on the forum this morning called "Swarming tendencies after Artificial Swarm" !! Following a Pagden AS on 21st April, I too wrongly thought that I should leave well alone for 4 weeks. So this afternoon, armed with new knowledge, by the skin of my...

I applied oxalic acid yesterday, and took a look at the varroa board today......approx. 100 varroa dropped already! It just goes to show that the treatment needs to be done. Back in the summer it was impossible to gauge varroa numbers. I was optimistic that the numbers were low, but also thought...

No problem at all with Beecraft online, and I have upgraded to ios7

I put a post in the 'What did you do in the apiary today' thread yesterday, and wondered why one of my hives had eaten a whole super of stores in the last fortnight. "I've got two very strong colonies....checked them both out today. On 31st August both colonies had one full super of honey which...

I've got two very strong colonies....checked them both out today. On 31st August both colonies had one full super of honey which I'd deliberately left for them. Today, one colony still has a full super to go into winter, (good, good!) and the other one, the one in my back garden, has nothing...

So, am I correct in assuming that varroa levels will still be at least average inside our hives, and that we are just not seeing the drop because the wasps are eating them? ......wasps for the most part are not gaining access to my hives. Or, are varroa levels low this year inside the hives too...

Hi, I have just treated two hives both with a low weekly count, one with the new MAQS strips and one with apiguard. There is a zero mite count in the hive which had the MAQS strips! and a count of 12 after the first fortnight of apigard on the other hive! I haven't seen any earwigs...

Smallish jars of Honey Mustard sell well......also Honey Marmalade. One of our members put together a collection of recipes using honey, printed them off and stapled them together with a coloured cover front and back. They all sold @ £1.50 each. Good luck J

I stored mine out of doors with a crown board above and below, and covered up by a large plastic sheet weighted down to keep them dry last winter. All the frames went mouldy. Have been told that I should have had some air circulating to prevent mould. What do you do? How do you store your...