Recent content by Taliesin

I agree. Alternatively, since sugar is easier to weigh accurately than water, it’s 1.6kg sugar in 1L water. Even easier, 4kg sugar in 2.5L water makes 5L thick syrup

Queen cages for introduction invariably have a candy plug. Is it necessary? A lot of people advise removing the workers from the cage before introduction, so the queen isn't being fed the candy by workers while she's in there. When the bees look at though they're behaving with the new queen, the...

Thanks all. Interesting too that all the bees around her stop as soon as she starts piping - it's especially noticeable the first time.

Lovely sunny afternoon here. 5pm inspection of a hive that I split 3 weeks ago when swarm cells appeared. Caught a nice video of a virgin queen piping: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_ReVRrTPKE

Thanks. Yes - exactly the same situation. Larvae & eggs in brood box and super (with QX between). Will find out at the weekend if all drone.

One of my colonies decided to supercede despite doing well. I'd put some foundationless frames in one super (with a queen excluder), which they were drawing out nicely in drone-sized cells, as they do. Four weeks later, and there is drone brood in the foundationless frames in the super - but...

Thanks all Swarm - that’s very kind of you. I’m going to see if they can successfully raise their own, so should know in a couple of weeks if that’s worked out. If it doesn’t, I’ll drop you a PM.

Thanks JBM

Thanks Mintmoth. Day 16 will be 16th July, add a couple of weeks for hanging around the hive and mating flights (weather permitting) and experience here is 21-28 days before laying. That takes us to approx 20th August. Doesn't leave much time to build up the brood nest before winter, does it...

I'd be grateful for your expert opinions: I've got a hive on double brood that has done really well in Spring and early summer. About 6 weeks ago they decided to supercede the queen and, although I spotted a virgin queen 4 weeks ago, she's no longer there - presumably either taken during a...

Thanks. All brood has hatched - nothing left except the few scanty new larvae and the new QCs (middle of frame in one hive (supercedure); and classic swarm cells on bottom of frames in the other).

One of my hives took off and expanded quickly in April, to the extent I had to split to prevent swarming. It was on double brood and bursting with bees, so I made up some nucs with uncapped swarm cells. All nucs made up with 1 frame brood, 1 frame food and bees from 4 shaken frames. Three weeks...

Thank you 👍

Thanks all - much appreciated Swarm - you've answered my next question about adding an extra brood box. This hive has a Buckfast queen. They were a new nuc last year and have done brilliantly. When I add the extra brood box, will the use their stores to draw the new comb on foundation or...

Great - thank you 👍 I would prefer to go to double brood if I can.