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You don't have to stand over them. You can go away and do other things while they soak.

The swarm trap won't encourage your bees to leave your hive. They'll already have gone and be looking for a home. If you're not around to catch them, as Newbeeneil says, it's better that they colonise a handy bait hive rather than end up somewhere that they cause a nuisance or die for the want...

Do you have OSR locally? Some beekeepers have reported that this makes their bees aggressive.

Our experiences differ.

You're the one criticising them. I'd like to learn from your wisdom.

Perhaps you could explain the problem you have with them.

Queenless colonies are often grumpy.

Have a look at the Texas Beeworks YouTube offerings. The beekeeper collects swarms and uses rubber bands to fix wild comb in frames. I've found her method simple and effective.

As our rose hive has hoffmans, after reading this thread my bee buddy and I will try using a dummy board and see how it goes.

I feel exactly the same way about hoffmans

Hoffmanns if propolised, are difficult to get in and out. You lose a frame with spacers, but I find them much easier to manipulate. In what way have you found them a faff?

JBM may not like spacers but they're a damn sight easier to work with than hoffmans.

It should include the risk that a small number of hives can too easily become a larger number of hives and that one morning's beekeeping every week throughout the season can turn into three days.

Has anyone here tried putting a food dye in the syrup they feed the bees in the spring? That should ensure the syrup doesn't pollute the crop.

But how do you ensure it?

When you inspect you'll have loads of bees flying around the shed and once you've closed up, unable to get back into the hive unless you leave the shed door open till they've all found their way out.

I wouldn't bother with a contract. If you need to start quoting a contractual term the relationship has broken down and you should simply pack up and go.

It was a Yorkshireman who took a case involving the ownership of a swarm all the way to the Court of Appeal, so I'm sure there are a few Yorkshiremen reading this thread and weighing up the possibilities.

That's my point.

The more litigation the better.