Recent content by WingCommander

Really?

Rather helpfully both QC on one frame...

Update: Almost 100% sure the old queen is gone. Sad. I marked her and she wandered off happily last week but I must have done something to end her as I put the hive back together. On a more positive note there were several more QC in the hive so I decided to leave as is. I had taken a nuc...

I've obviously made a mistake, again. I will check the hive again today and see what I can learn.

I tore down 6 QC from one of my hives yesterday - 3 capped. Feels a little early for swarming but it is a strong hive and was a little cramped (2 supers now on - one added yesterday). I didn't see the queen during the inspection but saw her last week and there were no QC (that I saw) last...

It's a poly-nuc without a removable floor.

I want to merge a Nuc and a hive. The Nuc has a queen and I will replace the queen in the Hive. I have merged hives before but not a nuc. Normally I would do so over newspaper but I don't have a spare brood box to put the frames in for the merge so what is the best approach? Amended title to...

I have a swarm in a skep having picked up this afternoon. It's on a sheet at the house in the village and should be ready to pick up. Problem is I have no hive until tomorrow. Should I leave in situ or wrap up and leave wrapped in my garage overnight until the hive is ready?

Here is a link to a short video I took earlier of the lazy bees in Hive 3.... https://www.facebook.com/chris.parsons.5070276/posts/10153472622176371

I concede that I should have checked for other QCs in Hive 1 - that is purely my bad. I didn't see a queen in H1, having left the QC in situ as assumed that they had cast out and left that QC as the viable queen. I will inspect again tomorrow to find out. It's probably worth treating H3 for...

I didn't notice any 'shiny' bees but can revisit and check.

Hive 3: The bees just don't do a lot. My other hives I inspect with gloves on, this one without. They don't move around nearly as much as any of the other bees - in fact they don't move much at all and if they do its very slow. The queen is wandering around but not the rest of them. There...

Just been down to inspect for the first time in a few weeks, partly due to weather and partly business. I have 3 hives. Hive 1: Was formerly super busy, extracted 30lbs of honey a few weeks ago, did artificial swarm after seeing a QC and have left for 3 weeks to ensure new queen born. Current...

So I have been back to the building, got up my ladder and had a closer look. Honey bees. I was only able to look at one 'entrance' as I was on my own and the other is about 25 foot up. I am going to speak to my bee mentor and see what he can come up with. Do you suspect two colonies or one...

I will go and have a closer look (up ladder) and see what I can see.