Recent content by Terry G

Entrance reducers in or not?

Yes, I would have united them as soon as I knew they were -Q but I had nothing to unite them with, having ended the 2014 season with just one colony. I shall dump them out in front of the new colonies later today. As you say, at least it frees up some kit.

I tried to stay away. Heaven knows I tried. Despite the trials and vicissitudes of the last year I've managed to just say NO, and have fought off the gnawing craving to hit the Beekeeping Forum tab on my toolbar. But I've just realised how much I've missed the sneering sarcasm and put-downs so...

A painful inditement, but undoubtedly true. I must confess it has been something of a challenge keeping up with the rapid expansion and incessant swarming of the last few months. And it's all such a new experience. Knife-edge excitement though!

In answer to the first question Tom, yes (and I know what you are going to say!) But in mitigation we were just checking the hive the previous weekend to see what was going on as we thought we had heard a queen piping two weeks before and wanted to check that we weren't mistaken - and there she...

Suggest away! No, I've seen plenty of drone cells, especially this season. These have the familiar crinkly texture of queen cells and are pointing down - they just appear stunted.

The back-story is this: New queen post-swarm, not yet laying, bees filling up the brood box with nectar despite 2 supers of foundation. So moving on to today: no sign of queen but one frame-worth of capped brood and larvae. Forgot to wear glasses so didn't see eggs. Also about 10 queen cells...

Not off topic at all. I am engaged in a genetic research project to cross a pig with a bee, the objectives being: A. To increase the frequency of improbable occurrences in the world, and B. To create self basting honey-roast pork. So far, though, all I have achieved is some overweight bees...

Greetings to everyone out there in forumland. Let us pause for a moment to reflect on what a wonderful community we are. Let us engage with the new week in a positive and supportive frame of mind (Hello sky! Hello clouds! Hello bees!) and resolve to treat each other always with respect and...

'Chapeau', Phil, as the French say. Consider mine suitably doffed :)

How very interesting (for those without BBKA June, the postulation is that the bees were absconding, not swarming, due to difficulty in controlling the temperature within the hive with such a small colony). That certainly fits my scenario as the weather down here in the GoE was up in the 20s...

Definitely saw the marked queen. I'm beginning to wonder if some harm befell her after she was hived and the swarm was left queenless.

What, after all the care I lavished on them? I took them in, treated them as one of my own, fed them, clothed them, sent them to college - and this is how they repay me?