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  1. P

    Swarm - but no queen cells - is this impossible?

    Just watched one of my hives swarm - it's well out of reach. Had checked last weekend - no QC. Just checked the hive again now - no QC (checked really thoroughly) But there are what I would identify as Supercedure cells (between halfway and the top of the foundation) - could they be swarm cells...
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    Wasp Out

    Hi there. Yes it did work out. I blocked one end of the conduit with a square of polystyrene. This meant only one route in and out of the hive. The added tunnel was to make it more likely that wasps would have to pass guard bees o their way in if they chanced in the right entrance. The drilled...
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    Saving a dwindling hive

    Seems to have worked - thanks
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    Saving a dwindling hive

    Nothing ventured, nothing gained. I tried what was suggested in response to my original post (reduced hive down to a nuc, shook out bees from drone laying worker hive and some bees from supers from other hives onto a board sloping up to hive with the hope of dissuading fighting ) Six dead bees...
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    Saving a dwindling hive

    Not sure! There are approximately 4 sides (2 frames) of capped worker brood on 14x12 national frames. There are just about enough bees to cover the same. I think that I’ve got a very recently mated queen (last year’s seems to have disappeared) and the bees left to rear seems to be dwindling...
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    Saving a dwindling hive

    Hi, I continue to soldier on with a real mish mash of hives which, once things have settled down, I hope to rationalise. The issue I currently have is a hive that I think has a ‘late’ mated Virgin queen. I’ve now got a really nice brood pattern... but there are very few nurse and foraging bees...
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    Now what?...!

    Me too!
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    Now what?...!

    new queen emerged from a capped cell as I was going through the hive.
  9. P

    Now what?...!

    If I've got both open cells and capped cells is there a preference? Is this something that can wait til tomorrow or does it need doing now? Thanks
  10. P

    Now what?...!

    I also have a DLQ in a 14x12 with drawn comb and stores - no worker brood or eggs in it that I need to sort out. Can I just evict them all by shaking out away from the hive and pour the swarm I have just caught into that Hive? Thanks
  11. P

    Now what?...!

    Thanks for the replies. Should I add the extra frames to fill the void straight away (will that make them less likely to re-depart) or give them time to settle? Thanks again
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    Now what?...!

    I just watched my hive swarm. Have been away for a couple of days - did an inspection yesterday and full of capped swarm cells - as stood wondering what to do 1/2 an hour ago - they were off - thousands of the little blighters. I've managed to shake the biggest clump off the Ivy bush they had...
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    What did you do in the 'workshop' today

    Might a plastic A4 spine bar (the sort of thing that acts a spine holding a document together) be a solution? They come in a variety of thicknesses and would simply clip over the frame rail giving it support - even better if glued on - this is the sort of thing I mean
  14. P

    Doh!

    Great -thanks
  15. P

    Doh!

    Thanks everyone - I wish it was as easy as the ‘grooved’ national frames..do you think that the wire loops would hold the foundation if I stapled them to the top bar, or will the wire snap with the weight of the foundation once the comb is built out and has honey stores? Everything I’m doing at...
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