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I build my own hives at the moment but don't expect to build 50+ this year so Ill have to sell some splits I cant hive but I expect to get 50+ splits. The year after Ill have to build as many as possible and buy hives in from some of the profit. So Ill buy polly hives because they are cheaper...

All survived so far so should be able to get to 50+ hives this year and by commercial I mean being able to make a big profit and use my beekeeping as my main income. All being well Ill have a few hundred hives in a few years. That's some serious skip digging and splits

Most of my hives have low stores and I'm feeding them all. I've lost 4 hives and all had run out of honey. And had a fair amount of brood including drone brood

Now can I ask you a question? Do bigger hives have more defences to ward off an attacker? and do you find first year queens to be better egg layers than a 4yr old queen? and do you like Buckfast bees? and if I'm wrong or you have a better way can you tell me why so I can try your way?

I don't have the answer to every question were all learning. That's what learning is all about trying new things and finding the best way for you. And if someone gives me 5 answers Ill often try 5 different things to see what works best even if that means trying something ten people shot down

I never said requeening prevents swarming and yes its easy to requeen every year with Buckfast. Bigger hives seem more defensive to me maybe because you get more bees have a go if they get a bit defensive if the weather is cool or they are low on stores. I requeen because I like the vigour of...

Does the expense ever stop? Depends on your skill level and success rate, I started with two nucs and go commercial this year but I've spent 3 grand had half back but expect to get into profit this year. next year I expect to make my 3 grand back 3 fold plus expand further. Is anyone selling a...

Leave it and see what the weather does, on warm days check for queen cells and be quick its a weird year unusually warm. If it reaches above 16c rehouse as fast as possible and give them some insulation and a wind break and put varroa board in. Make sure you don't forget the entrance block. It...

Bigger Hives are more defensive but I think he's using local bees not bees reared for temperament. I like Buckfast and renew queens in every hive each year but my main mother queens I use are really good

Anyway this guy can explain the principle better than I can on a forum. He just made his own size box for obvious reasons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMcBiCcuC8w

I haven't had a problem but its all I've used. Have you tried a uncapping roller?

Your welcome. I have a few 14x12s and that's what I've done with them, but I'm going to sell them because I found the system I like with all British standards and I've always got a surplus of drawn brood frames for as many splits as I like because I use them as supers. That increases the speed...

Yes I have normal supers but I've never used them because it doesn't make sense to me because I'm strong enough to lift a brood box full of honey. Why use a super when I can make things simpler. I sell my old supers with hives I sell to get rid of them

I wouldn't go two 14x12 I would use one 14x12 and use bs broods for supers and give them a bs brood if they need it. If you have good genetics a queen can lay in as many as four bs broods. If using bs broods for brood boxes and supers you can have hives go as many as 10 boxes high but that's not...

Exactly

Most people would say that's impossible :rules: It all depends on what the bees are using frames for and what you do with those frames. Oh and the virility and genetics of the queen. A queen cant lay in frames with nectar or pollen in them. That's why using one brood chamber is holding a good...

Timber hives wont be obsolete for me until I can get a polly hive with two brood boxes and three supers for £30 because that's what I make timber hives for and use two brood boxes I make them out of pine and use brood boxes as supers but wont disclose my source of timber because id be stupid to...

So your saying That slapping on a bit of fondant and treating the bees for mite wont benefit the bees at all? Are you serious? its no kind of advise? well you must have established treating bees for mite and adding fondant is no kind of advice or offers no reassurance to the whole beekeeping...

Yep my polly hives have put my timber ones to shame. When at the start of a season I can fill a hive body with a nucleus I left with two brood chambers at the end of the last season there's No comparison. Polly rules and when you get the hang of it late splits turn into full hives over winter

Because at this time of year I don't want to rip a hive apart it can do more harm than good. Also they could be low on supplies and treating for mite kills mites that carry anything that stressed bees are dying from and it wont hurt anything. All this is based on something IS effecting the bees...