Now! if you would have read my original post, it stated that I was having a big problem with wasps. If you (and others) wish to get on your holier-than-thou soapbox about dispatching wasps that's fine by me. I don't kill wasps for fun as have far better things to get on with. I will admit I'm...
Best you keep wasps instead. Sorry to tell you but if someone wants to steal from me or harm my friends ( the bees) they are going to get it. No emotion. Besides as someone has rightly said wasps are at the end of their life the bees have a chance to carry on. maybe you won't be so gracious when...
1st robbing bees now my poor hives x 2 being attacked by robbing wasps as well. Have put 3 home made bottle traps out and caught loads just wish I could locate the nest. The wasps seem prefer early morning maybe they operate at a lower temperature. Once the hives warm up I have found fewer wasps...
Saw this on jobs to do from this months post from National bee supplies re single brood box and wondered about the pro's and cons of the practice. Maybe an empty super underneath would negate the need of a mouseguard but then would it not make the hive colder ? Quote : If you are wintering your...
Real problem with wasps must have caught 200 or so in home made bottle trap filled with cola. Only 1 hornet amongst them. I also try and keep everything covered as it seems the wasps just need the slightest sniff of honey and they appear from nowhere.
stung
Three times last year. None this year. Put it down to a combination of good bees and gentle handling. Ditched my big rubber clumsy gauntlet gloves for nitrile gloves this year which may offer less protection but result in far better handling. When I visit my hives if I loose one bee it's...
Robbing
Had same problem with a rouge hive couple of fields away owned by someone else. They decimated one hive but kept away from the stronger one. Replaced the hive lost last year and they have come back and robbed again. The harassment has meant little or no honey in the supers. I heard...
bee stings
I first started with big rubber gloves which I found clumsy and figured I was more likely to be stung as a result. I now use blue nitrile gloves and find my gentler handling goes unnoticed. But I guess it also depends on the bees you have and their situation at the time.
Enrico forgot to add that yesterday made an error hence the remedial action today. The empty brood box is actually sitting in the middle so should I re unite the queen into the lower busier box or can I get away with replacing some of the empty frames in the middle box with drawn comb and place...
Over wintered double brood box with super on top (no QX) Bees and brood/Larvae now in both top brood box and super. ( wont be putting a super on top over winter again) Seen queen who is moving between middle BB and super. What is the best way forward to get back to a double BB set up should I...