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I have used MAQs on Nationals since it was launched in UK without any issues with its use. Plenty of ventilation (open entrance, OMF, empty super on brood box, healthy sized colony etc. Follow instructions). Also I put on early evening to avoid higher daytime temps so slower release (that is my...

Bit of a micro climate in East Riding / Holderness between the Pennines, Wolds, the Humber and N.Sea. We do get the N. Easterlies but you are further east and suffer more from those cold East winds.

Thank you for info. And guidance. Will wait a while for warmer weather to arrive then do first inspection and decide on treatment necessity at that time. Flowering currant (ribes) begun flowering this week up here.

How about MAQS? I did Autumn MAQS and December OA trickle (ApiLife). I'm still seeing varroa on the varroa under O.M. Floor insert. 10 to 20 a week. Do you think the colony will have expanded to be large enough to enable MAQs use? (How long is a piece of string I know!!) I have not done an...

I use the frame ‘gimp nails’ if I cannot find the escutcheons.

Seems to be a lot of sailors on here. Do they all drop anchor eventually and become beekeepers? Racing up and down the Humber. Racing Hull to Imudjen dodging squalls and then a week round the IJsselmeer. Bare foot sailing Sailing in and out of Whangaroa Harbour up the coast rod catching lots of...

I have used MAQS since it’s release without any problems, ever, (between 5 to 8 hives). 1. Used on single brood Nationals with OM floors. 2. I always use the full dose. 3. I put a super on (with or without frames and stores, ie completely empty super (eke like) sometimes or with stores frames or...

The hives are in an orchard. Numerous different fruit trees (Apple, pear, plum, ‘juvenile’ walnut). Anyway the point of this post is that 3 Bramley Apple trees with giant apples and one of them has 3 or 4 clusters of full on blossom! Just what is going on? No wonder the bees sometimes appear a...

Will do. Fingers crossed. Still seeing drones. Beekeeping - it seems will always be subject to the vagaries and whims of weather and nature (amongst other things, not least those of beekeepers!)

Sounds like she didn’t know whether she was coming or going!

Had a quick check on this colony I was just going to take the super off when I heard Queen “quacking”. Clear as anything. Nottingham Uni. Say that colony does not release “quacking” queens until “tooting” queens stop tooting meaning the “tooting” Q. Has gone, swarmed. Anyway on with the report...

Well I culled all the smaller Q.cells, something I just did not enjoy. 3 Q.cells left to develop. Couldn’t! Bring myself to leave just two possibly another stupid decision. Tips of Q.cells lighter colour as if they have been nibbled. I cannot imagine they will swarm, a suicide mission for the...

I guess that despite my thinking that I was gentle during the colony check, that lovely queen was somehow squished during the manipulation. So I will put this accidental regicide down to my clumsiness. The questions that someone may be able to help me with are:- 1. Will they swarm? 2. Will...

30 queen cells found in brood box Sept. what’s a man to do? Exasperated! Last inspection about 11 days ago. “No need to go digging around brood every 6/7 days at this time of year, not likely to swarm.” Last inspection brood box had 8/9 frames Bias. Plus 2 frames with a little bit of stores...

I might do just that, I really do not like the idea of dispatching a well performing queen. I might let her run through winter and see how she brings the colony through. But it is (for me) a complication to the national and supers system that I use. I have a ton of national B.boxes and supers. I...

How about this one “Let’s eat Grandma.”

For want of a comma wars have begun - just look what has happened on this thread!!! I agree with Arfermo your sentence implies you fed them every week but only one litre a week.

The tiny queen I had laid tons of eggs and produced lots of brood. The only problem was she could get through the Queen excluder and insisted on making the two supers her brood nest. I keep putting her back in the B.box. If she is back in the supers next visit she is a gonner despite being...

If laying MAQS strips on Queen excluders I first put a thin film/smear of Vaseline on the bars. I put Vaseline on the brood box frame runners as well it reduces the amount of propolis the bees stick the runners up with.

According to Wiki they feed on cast larvae skins some wax and pollen a little honey. I have always understood it is the larvae skins they target most and that the damage to the wax is through tunnelling rather than eating. If “skins” are the main food maybe they are less likely to target supers...