Recent content by knotty

Provisionally Sold. THANKS :winner1st: Provisionally SOLD with thanks

Oops! Should read *********** Thanks

Hi Folks, I have a couple of nucs and full hives for sale in Cheshire WA13 area. All with 2013 queens from my calm and productive UK stock Queens are local mongrels and "bred" by me by making splits. I have done my best to avoid imports. My breeding stock is UK stock. Cash on collection on...

Feed Hi BeeBo, Into my third year of this lark but here are my thoughts. If your worried, feed them. I'm still struggling with the hefting thing. I might invest in some scales :icon_204-2: Due to the cold weather fondant (like a sugary paste you get on iced buns etc) Ambrosia is the safest...

Adapted, yes. Well behaved, hmmm. Tetchy with my ham fisted manipulations, certainly not gentle and very easy to anger, but then there's the influence of the current rubbish weather. I have no control comparison as all my hives are local mongrels. They are definitely not in the same ball park as...

Especially if I'm in the way and unprotected, had to duck a few times from incoming. Might need some higher screening as it's only just above head height. Does anyone use fine builders type netting as screening? Cheap and less likely to blow over. Any recommendations?

Been to check on hive activity (from the outside) in the rubbish drizzly weather. All my hives seem to be very busy and flying in the rain / drizzle. They all seem to be coming and going from the same direction so I guess there's a flow on (brambles out in force). Are my "local bees" just tough...

Poll popped up, check box error, so thought it might help spread opinion. No, nothing to shout about, just asking for your help and expertise! If its been discussed before then happy to tap into that. Sorry to ask the same question again, but that's the new guy for you. You say manage the bees...

Problem: 3 Supers chock full of OSR honey. I have extracted (like trying to extract fudge!) and about 50% came out and has been jarred up. Lovely soft set honey! Supers returned to bees 50% full of "hiney fudge". The OSR is all finished here in my neck of the woods but the brambles seem to...

Thanks for replies folks I'm taking it in :bigear: Have done a recent inspection with a little pocket of fine weather, all seems to have calmed down! Good weather and time have solved my problem! I think this hive is still a little bit spicy and unforgiving of my clumsiness. With a gentle hand...

I have just posted a very similar thread! I suspect the weather and split have made em grumpy! My thoughts are: certainly older bees and lots of bees will be grumpier. Add to that, rubbish weather, and you've got (as I have) some grumpy assed bees! Happily my queenless spilt (had a hatched...

Thanks, don't think this is my ham fisted technique as I don't use gloves and even on days when I haven't inspected there are a few "chasers" about! And this is a new phenomenon for this hive.

I'm fairly new so take suggestions as you will! 1. Rubbish weather and low stores could have temporarily put queen on a go slow. My bees are a little grumpy too (I've just posted similar question!). So it COULD just be the weather. 2. Queen could have perished, use advise in 3 to find out! 3...

Thanks for your response. I'll give them another week and fingers crossed for some better weather!

Hi Folks, I split one of my hives last month to prevent swarming leaving a queen cell in the original hive and a load of mature bees to hopefully get a good crop. Two weeks ago I managed to take 3 honey supers off this hive (OSR) and spotted some eggs, no queen seen and they were a little...