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Took the opportunity to check on a hive while topping up feed. Just wanted to see brood to stores ratio, but ended up spotting a handful of capped queen cells as well :eek: . I didn't go hunting for the queen, as I would have at a different time of the season, and seeing as I can't imagine a...

Thanks @Jules59 . A rational reason. And yes, I did mean washing soda.

Hi, Is there a reason sodium bicarbonate is the recommended cleaning agent for tools etc? Not wanting to blindly do things because it’s the way its always been done, I’m trying to understand why not just fairy liquid or some more modern detergent? I imagine soda/bicarb was all that was available...

Day for removing Apiguard treatment from all hives and starting winter prep. 1 queen almost completely stopped laying during treatment I guess - pathetic patch of brood and low on stores. Inserted donated frame of capped brood to bolster young bee population and gave some stimulative feed...

Thought the "half" was always at the top.. Shows I know very little..

Is this the case as well in a brood & half setup ? Just look in top shallow box?

I've just put apiguard on and noticed lots of bees not liking to be in the hive - lots hanging outside and some clustered under the OMF. I suppose this is normal, or at least I hope so... Lots of activity still but causes a furrowed brow. Am I the only one?

As 1st year newbie in this, I'm weighing my options as well following application of treatment this season and seeing the effect on the bees. Have absorbed a lot of knowledge from @pargyle but, not to be pedantic, are you saying you aren't treatment free, just only treat when you have to ? And...

So they'll still draw comb this time of year?

Hi Can you nadir the super if it has capped stores?

May I ask why?

Thanks Enrico, will check them a bit later.

Not an especially nice morning weather wise; about 8am, cloudy, mid-teens temp 1 of my hives has an unusual amount of activity at the entrance. At another time of year I would say there was a strong flow on somewhere as the number of bees trying to get in/darting out resembles that. I'm pretty...

Also known as pasteurisation I guess..

A fellow local new beekeeper highlighted this to me as recently being offered to him from T's. Mineral Bee Worth discussing? I'm sure a lot of new (and probably experienced) keepers are thinking about ways to get colonies through as best as possible. More snake-oil or not?

Likewise.. :(

Cool! Seen many an earwig scuttling about, but till now didn't even know they had wings... Every day is a school day!

Just an update: Have been keeping eye on the dead-fall on the hive and general activity around it and things have improved. After pretty much leaving alone for 3 weeks in it's new format I dismantled the open-bottom setup today, back into a regular format. I wasn't noticing many dead bees...

Would it matter the treatment used? Say Apiguard or Apivar strips versus OA sublimation ?