I honestly don't know, I should find out. I have never had a chance to compare with other sorts. Had an episode of attempted robbing last year by some nasty yellow things so I know there was a big difference. They are incredibly good tempered and quite dark (?Carniolan on a quick search, worries...
As a newbie of only three years, I haven't had this problem before as I have had no worry about overwintering on a single brood box ... as I could always see space to spare. The books seem to say that a single brood box is sufficient to overwinter a colony. But now both of my colonies, now only...
I suspected I hadn't got the queen when I caught the swarm. Rather odd, it saw it disappear from the skep and then 30 minutes later it seemed to come back. But clearly not, as six weeks later all they have managed to do is make lots of honey and pollen. They are all surprisingly good-tempered...
I really should be working but got distracted reading all this. Thanks, looks like I was not totally off line then. Certainly, for me, three years ago the idea of catching a swarm had the same likelihood of becoming an astronaut but now I almost feel like advertising my services. I like the idea...
She will be unmated, but surely the bees have other things to think about for the first three days? Or am I making her unnecessarily frustrated? Is it known, in normal circumstances, approximately how long after swarming does she mate?
Just a note on the original point, I never really meant "non-interventionalist", more "semi-interventionalist". Couldn't it be true that a lot depends on circumstances? As predicted, the bees have swarmed - three times. But I have a pretty enclosed garden with low hanging branches all around and...
Yes, one of each, taken from the hive from which they had swarmed, with the rest of the frames just foundation. (I have an enclosed garden which really has really helped as they always swarm to a convenient low tree or bush nearby.) I had read somewhere that as long as it is not from a...