Recent content by Rowena

All thank you for the various responses, think I will give the utilisation of the existing brood frames and then swapping them out slowly.

Hi, it started with me being given a dartington hive, Which was on 14x12s but quickly learnt the problems with the hive, but I also liked the larger frames and found the bees and management better. In the past have tried brood and a half and double brood but my back will just not take all the...

Just a quick question, I have one apiary on national standard and one on 14x12’s. I have moved a hive from one to the other and I now want to move a standard hive onto 14x12 frames. Which is the best and most efficient way of doing this? I am assuming that the existing queen will be laying...

Hi get a BBwear special order suit, made to your exact measurements, the forms are on their web site. I purchase suits for our local association and we always recommend BB over cheaper versions. A couple of our members have used this service but just make sure you measure yourself correctly...

Thanks for all of these replies, I will wait a bit longer and see what they get up to. It’s neighbouring hive is lovely so have potential of eggs from there plus also an overwintered nuc near by. I hadn’t thought about a split which is an interesting option. Also on thinking about the local...

I have a rather tetchy hive which developed this trait late last year, I suppose with the new queen, and as this hive is in someone else’s meadow I thought it would be safer to requeen sooner than later. My view was compounded when I treated them last month and on removing the crownboard my...

Hi, the temperature was based on my car reading when arriving, admittedly the site is sheltered and there was a little sun, but even if that raised it slightly I was still surprised. I didn’t see pollen going in so must have been nectar, however on thinking the plants will have been in the sun...

Went to check 3 of my hives on Friday and was so gobsmacked I videoed one of the hives as they had not realised it was only 7 degrees and we’re flying merrily between a large mahonia on the site and the hive! According to the owners of the garden the bees have been all over the plant on a...

Reminds me of a sting on my chin whilst up a plumb tree collecting a swarm so like you couldn’t get it out immediately. Ended up in A & E as my throat swelled up and I was struggling to swallow, they gave me 8 of those little steroid tablets which worked wonders almost immediately. Now like...

This year has been bad and I deployed my traps early and my Perspex entrance covers but funny enough my strong hives were the ones being battered and not my 2 Nucs quietly sat behind them. Not sure why this was the case at all maybe to do more with the bees themselves and how they decide to...

I was asked by a chap to go and look at some hives he had ‘rescued’ from a farm and was struggling with them. He was a small holder and had just 1 hive himself but had no mentor or any real experience of keeping bees. I got there to find 6 of the most aggressive hives I have ever come across...

I was having this discussion with someone yesterday who had 5 seams of bees in a full brood box and a group of us agreed that a single or double height nuc would be best, one in the group stated that when he last gave an extra brood box to a nuc the bees came out of the winter as one of his...

Brilliant thanks, I have to admit I was curious as to what 5 would ever be used for..

Hi, just bought myself an old style 14 x 12 Abelo hive and have a few queries regarding the 5 ventilation holes in the crown board. I have an English feeder on at the moment utilising the central hole but am not so sure as to if I need to seal up all the holes with the supplied bungs during the...