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Update. I've recently been called to collect a swarm from inside a duvet on a line. I've put them in a hive and they seem to be doing fine. I've put them in my quarantine location as I've no idea what their resistance to any mites etc are. My question. How long would you keep a ferral hive...

I got a phone call from a lady panicking saying I have a swarm of bees in my mother's duvet ! I thought gosh how have they got there ? I was thinking bedroom window flung open. Got my kit together and off I went. Couldn't help but smile when she ushered me into the back garden. There hanging...

They look really delicious :giggle:

I had no idea you could turn bees kind of upside down and they adapt. They are definitely smart and I've always thought that bees are amazing. You have taught me a lot Garry and I am very grateful. In a way its good to know that others make the odd mistake, doesn't make me feel so stupid 🙃

Part 3 Followed Garry R instructions and noticed i can now see into the feeder box. It's a lot lighter so had a good look. No eggs or brood. Some capped honey but not much. This was full to bursting before and very heavy. So I've instigated part 3 of instructions. Queen definitely in brood box...

I've looked in my book and it was from the 1st of May onwards. They were filling the frames up quite quickly. All my other hives are fine. Maybe it was just one of those times when bees confuse us 🤔

Ah yes. Realise now what you meant. Yes I mulch mine. I read it as something else ( stroke head ) :D

I roast my rhubarb with a sprinkling of brown sugar. It freezes brilliantly. I've got rhubarb crumbles in the freezer. But the next lot is definitely being made into rhubarb champagne 🍾 Cheers !

Detailed inspection of absconding hive. The only thing I found was a weird looking large spider. Huge bulbous body short legs with a very intricate Web all down one corner of brood box. The laying pattern in box is good. No shotgun laying. 2 frames beautifully drawn out all ready for queen to...

Probably a daft question, but if you got a mated Amm queen and introduced her to a queenless colony of let's say one of my hives. Would the next brood be black bees ? So making a colony of Amm bees that you could rear more Amm Queens from ?

I noticed you said mulching rhubarb. Are you talking about the leaves ? Is your rhubarb growing like mad this year ? Mine has gone potty. I think it's the amount of rain as they are thirsty plants.

My broad beans are doing well also. No sign of blackfly. Yes. My spinach is almost triffid like and my rainbow chard has gone bananas lol. My rhubarb is growing ike mad already got 2 drawers full I freezer. Next pulling is going for rhubarb champagne

They seemed to be fine. Lots of activity in the brood box. Lots of capped brood. Queen laying and she looked fine. A lot of bees in the super. I waited and watched and quite a few flying in and out but it is my 2nd smallest colony. The ones that absconded were my smallest. I've looked in all the...

I tie a piece of red wool round the base of old growth. Paint is a good idea and easier than red wool tying.

Doing the 2nd part of instructions today. I found a rhombus board in the bee shed. I just didn't recognise it last time. I'm going to take photos of anything other than standard equipment and write what it is. Gosh this bee keeping with a stroke head is certainly frustrating. I'm determined to...

Came back from Spain late Sunday evening. Monday very busy day as sewage pumping station is being renewed. ( Enough said about that ) Noon noticed small swarm in front garden. Hmm no qc in any of my hives. I checked the day before holiday. I thought I will try and collect them later. Went out...

That is good to know Steve. I've put your information in my notes and I will certainly look it up when I'm back from my holiday. The book looks a good one to add to my Christmas list :)

I've only smelt a weird sweet smell from a hive once. Some 40 years ago during a bad storm in Lincs I heard a crash. Outside light went on and I saw one of my hives had been blown off the flat roof where I kept them. I grabbed a golfing umbrella, leather cycling gloves and went outside. Stuffed...

A temporary change of scene. Salou in Spain. Beautiful and sunny. Walking around seeing lots of honey bees on what I think is Mesembryanthemum. Another flower that looks like begonias but i know isnt lol. Some of the palm trees are flowering and I'm sure the bees are up there too. It seems...

Plus a section on Sky news. They said the AH were confined to Kent and Surrey. They then gave a detailed description of one. Plus a good photo.