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I am fascinated by the comment to “Turn it upside down”, and wonder at the reasoning behind this suggestion. I know that bees construct their honeycomb cells on an angle, so that nectar and honey do not drain out of the cells. If the frames were inverted, then any stored honey could easily run...

I fully understand that good magnification AND good lighting are very desirable. I checked for various magnifiers on ebay, and at my local "$2 Shop". After seeing a variety of magnifiers, I was really impressed by (and purchased) a hand-held magnifier. It has a +3 lens (3 dioptre) which is...

When I first read about the cell-punch method, it seemed to me that a larva in a cell which had been made by the bees, and which had hatched in that cell, ought to have an advantage over a larva which had been extracted from its “made-by-the-bees” cell and grafted into an artificial cell of some...

I would like to hear about the experiences which forum members may have had in their attempts at grafting, and with the cell punch method. Grafting is a method which obviously works, but from my observations it works best for those with perseverance and experience, and from the skills that are...

Thank you, Poot, for your helpful response. I think that I will use a dual approach, of having a moist-soil area such as you suggest, in addition to the large bowl which I have used. There would be no advantage to having it in use all year round, indeed it would be a disadvantage to having it...

Thank you Dani for your suggestion. In the Australian situation this would not be particularly helpful because it would require continual monitoring of every hive, and active replenishment of water when the bees had used the water. I am much more interested in a method which can ensure that...

Nick, I think your idea of using a pipe cutter, which reduces the diameter of the pipe at the position of the cut, is a very practical one. I have made cell cutting punches from very thin walled stainless steel tube, and had cut this to the required length with a 1mm thick cut-off wheel in an...

Thank you Drex for a respectful response. You mention the heat and dryness of summer, and yet if in the heat and dryness of a UK summer you provide suitable water supplies, what would you do in the heat and dryness of an Australian summer? We do have wet times too, when the bees are able to...

In my earlier memo, I did not say anything about a chunk of comb, or a bowl of honey. Rather, I suggested a "small amount of honey (or honeycomb, etc)". I know that bees can sniff out honey from a distance, and I was not suggesting more than a very small amount which they could find. My...

Emyr, it appears that you are dismissive of the problem. What would you do if you lived in an environment which had this problem, and where there was a legal requirement for you as a beekeeper to provide drinking water for your bees?

Hemo, let me ask you a question. If you were living at Sussex Inlet (in New South Wales), rather than West Sussex, what would you do? There is not much point in banging your head on a brick wall (you chose the graphic!), because I have asked a real question about a real problem, and I am...

Different parts of the world have different climatic conditions . . . . . If, in the UK, you have lots of natural water supplies which the bees can use, then well and good. But, what would you do if you lived in an environment where water was periodically in short supply? In Australia, we...

I have been thinking about the problems which may be caused by bees drinking from "non-approved" water sources, such as neighbour's swimming pools. We don't want to upset the neighbours, but neither do we want the bees to drown. There have been comments about the difficulties of retraining...

Now there is an interesting thought! Would it be a good idea if cat lovers were required to fit their cats with collars which have effective bells which could warn birds which were being stalked? Should it be a requirement for cats to be registered, in the same kind of way that dog...

Putting 12mm mesh screen around the hive may not prevent the bees from passing through, BUT they will probably find it to be a hindrance for them. Some time ago I had a chicken wire mesh fence near to a hive, and bees which approached the hive from the other side of that fence did not fly...

What did I do in the workshop? I have just assembled forty honey frames, after having bought a box which contains components for 100 frames. I had helped a friend for a couple of days, and he asked me if there was any tool that I did not have, but would like to have, for my workshop. After...

Nicola, I have been impressed by your desire to be a friend to your bees. Here in Melbourne, Australia, we do not have these kinds of solitary bees, or native bees (or at least I have never knowingly seen or heard of any). I try to give my bees good, strong, weatherproof accommodation, and...

The wire mesh surrounding the hive box is an interesting idea. We do not have badgers in Australia, but I wonder whether all that mesh may make it easier for a badger to get a really strong grip on the hive, and tip it over? Is it possible for the hive box to be strongly strapped down to a...

I remember how I thought, while I was young, that the cuckoo had a lovely sounding call. This was based on a song which was popular at the time. I have never seen an actual cuckoo, although I believe that they can be found in Australia. I now find myself wondering what is so appealing about...

You have put up a very neat trapout hive box on the wall of this house, but when I see how high it is above the ground, I wonder how easy (or difficult?) it may be to get it down to the ground. I wonder what you, and others, think of my approach to this kind of situation. My approach has been...