Recent content by JohnSB

Thanks PH. Worth noting that my parents have a hive in the same apiary, so we can use each other's brood etc when required.

I actually went back today and changed over my AS to how you described PH. I like it much better. I am new to beekeeping, and have the following questions: 1) Will the main hive be tempted to build new queen cells once the new queen comes online? There are a lot of bees in the hive (the same...

Thanks PH. I like that much better than what I ended up doing. It does beg the question why is this not standard practice?

Okay. Last time I put a link in a post it got taken out by a mod. I did read the rules however, and there was nothing against links to personal sites. This is less a site and more something people might find useful...

Just a Google spreadsheet with the rows and columns of the right size and shaded a colour. I gather that links are not allowed on the forum, however I can send you a PM with a link to my template if you like.

I started beekeeping this year. A few weeks in I saw five or six bees on one frame alone doing the dance. Was nice to watch.

Thanks for replying. I could move more brood in to my parents' two hives. They split their hive (due to he clipped queen swarming, rather than an AS) three or four weeks ago. Their virgin queen has now mated and is laying like a gooden. They currently have 5 frames of brood with the original...

Won't these sugary baits also attract bees? How far away from hives should the traps be?

I did my first artificial swarm. Go me!

I see. Then perhaps use a clearing board on one set, when they are clear put them on top of the other lot and follow the original plan? Are they both strong colonies? Having supers on each would suggest they might be. If that's the case, why are you uniting them?

I think I saw just this a week or so ago at my local beekeeping association's training apiary. I believe what they did was put one brood chamber on top of the other (with newspaper and queen excluder in between), and then put the supers on top of that. I would wait for another more experienced...

I had to do an artificial swarm for the first time today, after finding six queen cells with larvae. I only had a six frame nucleus box to do it with, and I am unsure whether I have done it in the best way. All the advice I have learned to date has involved an additional full sized brood...

Thanks all for your replies. Some really useful information here!

<beginners question> I note in the Ted Hooper book that there is no clear method for determining whether bees are superseding or swarming. Why then do we often talk about swarm and supercedure cells, as if we do know the difference? I understand that some cells are 'emergency' cells and are...

Sorry for causing a commotion all. I for one fully understand that as a noob I don't know it all, which is the primary reason I am here. As a noob I also know I am going to make mistakes, but I'm not afraid to make them :-). Returning if I may to the original advice offered, I would like to...