Recent content by Karsal

No scouts as yet visiting mine here in Lancashire. I did pick up a prime swarm middle of April last year which was a full month before the swarms started to be reported around here. Every year is different and with this cold snap I presume middle to late May this year.

Just one old frame with drawn comb and seven frames of foundation. A cotton bud with lemongrass oil on rubbed around the entrance and popped just inside the entrance hole. Six foot up on top of our conifer hedge in the shade. one swarm arrived lunchtime one day and another to a new bait hive...

Yes Paynes poly nucs with the feeder cut out making 8 frames. 4 swarms in my back garden 2019 and just two last year.

I Agree, They are becoming a bit pricey. Looked at buying a spare floor and a roof for my poly hives. Not a chance, made a floor and a roof for under a tenner.

We use a small table from a nest of tables, The right height to use the extractor on and just right for the honey bucket and sieves to go under the tap. Picked one up for a fiver from a charity shop

At what time of the day are you doing you're inspections? This can also be a factor as to why you have aggressive bees. It's easy to blame the supplier but it is not always their fault.

Should have read Showa 377 Gloves

I was in exactly the same situation several years ago and found Showa 306 gloves on Fleabay. I also use a cotton liner inside the glove and never get stung through them. Best tip I ever had though was to use sweat bands over the cuff of the glove with the sleeve tucked underneath. Stops the gap...

No it's not over yet. I think they are a bit later 3+ weeks this year with the wet February we had knocked them back

I often find fights breaking out amongst the bees at the entrance for who want to stake their claim. Loiterers seem to be staking their claim. Tends to be busy straight away after baiting with lemongrass then goes quiet for a while then a swarm will suddenly move in.

I often find fights breaking out amongst the bees at the entrance for who want to stake their claim. Loiterers seem to be staking their claim. Tends to be busy straight away after baiting with lemongrass then goes quiet for a while then a swarm will suddenly move in.

I 'm the same, it's been a reasonably quiet swarm season so far. My bait hives were buzzing with loads of scouts during May and I caught one swarm. Hardly a bee inspecting them so far since the beginning of June.

Just come home from Manchester on the M61 towards Preston. Just passing a row of trees at the side of the motorway I drove through a swarm of bees at 70mph that were flying across the carriageway. Had to use the screen wash to clear the windscreen. Must have killed hundreds. Hopefully I missed...

I did a shake out several years ago of a laying worker colony. Absolute carnage at the hive I was hoping would accept the ones that were OK. It was like a battle scene from Lord Of The Rings at the front of my good colony. Never again. I will dispatch them humanely.

I have exactly the same problem. Spray them with cold water and scrape them off onto some dry cardboard shaped like a dustpan and tip them into the top of the hive. Brush any remaining off the hive and hopefully they will fly in.