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Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly are these things useful for? Is it to take the place of a bain marie to melt wax or is there some other use? I imagine I'm really asking how you would process the wax using one? I was thinking of an old slow cooker but if this better I may get one as...

No sorry. I'm only a relative beginner myself.

Pargyle and I had a discussion on an unrelated topic some days ago. He'll understand.

I would say something....but I've just bitten the end of my tongue off.

A super UNDER the BB? That's what I didnt consider. I'd dismissed adding to the surface area thinking it would be too much but of course the heat rises. Never did that enter my head. Still a rookie. But I'm here to learn and thanks to you all I am. Cheers.

Thanks. I would have liked to but as you can see from my last snap that wasn't really an option. It was rammed and no more space was available for the queen. Even the brace comb had larva in it. The next 10 days or so (at least) are cold here so i thought it was the only feasible window and...

Mmmmm. That was a concern JBM which is why I chose the two standard frames with a healthy covering of nurses. It's not easy this bee thing. Taking the fondant away too made me think but there is 3 full frames left. Hope it's enough but they do fly atm and there's plenty blooms around. In future...

Yes I've done it before but always a little gingerly. I do shoogle the frame first to dislodge any field bees but of course you cant be totally sure. I had to lessen that hive as it was rammed and it's too early to split and too cold in scotland. Minus 3 tonight. They were two standard frames...

Ah I see. Yes not my first preference either but I had the italian queen well coralled and checked again she was in her own box after. I found nurse bees are accepted without issue in the past and waited to see if anything 'wild' happened when I did it with each of the donor frames, all seemed...

Is there anything that makes you think she's gone? There was eggs and capped brood in the black hive so I'm hopeful she is there but didnt want to spend too much time looking after I saw brood. What did strike me though was plenty drone brood in both hives and even a few drones ambling around...

Hello all. 2-3 weeks ago I posed a question as I was anxious about a booming hive. Finally had the chance to get into it today. A short window. The hive I was concerned about (think they're Italian as quite yellow as is the queen) had built brace comb on the QE I used to lay the fondant on, lots...

Amazonian slave drivers! What happened to male emancipation and equal rights? We demand an inquiry. 😉

Yes, I expect so. No doubt. But the squadrons in the hive would not all be winter bees, just far, far too many. I presume the majority of flyers will have been winters? The old adage holds true, more bees make more bees. Cheers

Murox, I initially went out to the hive 'bare', its an out apiary, but when I saw them I had to go back to the car and get a hat I keep in the boot as my bottle went. 🤣. No exaggerating it was like mid summer. Good sign. Then I took the roof off and saw them, think I panicked a little hence my...

Yes perhaps, that's part of my worry but I'll simply have to keep looking in every few days, even if just to top up fondant perhaps. I wont open them till its warm enough though or I see my first drones or both. It's still sub zero here at night.

Was actually quite daunted by it Ian. I've never seen so many bees so early and it was going like a circus at the entrance battering in the pollen. Its good but 😳 at the same time which is why I got a little perturbed but Pargyle pointed out the drone case and that's the fact of the matter...

Of course, no drones. Why didnt I think of that. Thanks Pargyle. I panicked.

100%. And it's a pleasing worry if you know what I mean however, we're all very well aware our weather is very unpredictable, even more so here and if they continue to grow at this rate before its warm enough I will have a problem which I want to plan for. Be gutted to lose them before i can...

I need some help on a hive I checked this morning. After taking the roof off I looked through the poly CB and saw the bees munching the fondant, 6kg given in december after vaping finished. Rammed. Bees on nine seams, 14x12. I'm concerned that at this rate they might swarm before I can do an...

JBM, would it be ok to use a snelgrove or horsley board as the split board? I have 14x12s and live in central Scotland and I'm sure I've read that demaree may not be suitable as the temps are not consistently high enough for good results. Is that fair or have I imagined it? TIA