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Two hives side by side. One rammed with bees and the other with few bees, little stores, bees lethargic and dead bees on box runner shelves. Also big hole chewed out in one of the brood frames. I am assuming this is the result of robbing, as all this has happened over the past 20 days. There is...

My bees are my darlings, and I do not encourage them to associate with other insects of unknown origin :)

Thanks enrico. I'm thinking a couple of feet so that should give them plenty of elbow room.

How close can/should you put hives together? I have a stand that could be too short for two hives. If the entrances are at 90 degrees to each other does that make any difference? (They are both nationals)

Uncapping fork every time.

Three finger lift= heavy Two finger lift= OK One finger lift= Too light. Feed! (without the roof)

Good point, Millet. I leave the inspection board on omf's all year round so maybe they have to work harder for the aircon. On the other hand I have a hive with solid floor, that doesn't seem to have a problem - but then I haven't reduced the entrance .

I gave up on Porter escapes because I found them useless. So I bought a crown board with a central rhombus escape that works like a dream. Also, if you unscrew the rhombus escape the central hole is just right for a feeder. I love multi-purpose kit!

My thanks, kind sir:)

Test frame? Could someone explain please:)

Mmmmm. Something to beer in mind! :cheers2:

So how "easily" do you find the queen in two boxes full of bees? (Serious question; no sarcasm)

I requeened this lot with a buckfast in the spring - which they bumped off after a couple of weeks and superseded. I think I'll put on a wetsuit under my bee suit....that'll fox them:)

Some small uncapped brood but I didn't finish the inspection! I had a beer at lunchtime - maybe they didn't like the smell? Only one (beer) that is.

Checking through a brood box this afternoon. Plenty of stores and sealed brood. Bees became really aggressive, pinging off my suit and I ended up with half a dozen stings on both arms and would have had more if I hadn't closed up the hive. Is it usual for bees to get short tempered this time of...

In Ukraine you make more money filling teeth than emptying supers.

I agree with CGF about smoke. We were taught always to smoke a hive before taking the crown board off. Now I find that at most one little whiff is enough and unless I am opening up the brood nest I hardly use any smoke at all. It may also be because when you've been doing it for a while your...

I am surprised there are so many different opinions about warming honey. Ted Hooper recommends: 32c for 2-5 days to turn crystallised honey into a slurry that can be bottled 52c for 2 days to liquidise but still plenty of small crystals 62c for one hour (when jarred) to fully liquidise. 30 lb...

Not really. With a 60 - 180 watt heat source, thermostatic control and a well insulated box, power input is minimal (apart from what is needed to warm the honey anyway).

Bees have distributed intelligence so their nether parts including legs can continue to function even though the head is deactivated.