On the frame with the largest single Q cell there appears to be some capped worker brood, if so then the Q cell probably contains a female larva. Maybe destroy other apparent Q cells and see what happens.
''He also said people rear :eek: wax moth as fishing bait. Is that true? Maybe we could start a beekeeper-fishermen war,''
why not try 'I plant himalayan balsam' as a starter.
Looking good here too, particularly considering the huge amount of rain. Everything has been saturated here all winter; we can hardly believe in the predicted drought.
Jan and Feb may be the ideal time for the hedge, but not necessarily for the adjacent field, which is often waterlogged and vulnerable to damage from heavy machinery.
1. Split one of my colonies into 3 or 4 nucs- 1 or 2 to give to new starters.
2. Build up other colony so we get to taste our own honey at last.
3. Catch a swarm.
It seems to me that most people who have had bad varroa infestations leading to sickly and dying colonies are unlikely to want to try the no treatment route in future, whatever the advice given about resistant strains (of bees) etc.
The opposite is likely to apply to anyone lucky enough not...
If apiguard is used in autumn then sterile drones produced will not often be needed for mating at that time of year; or is the suggestion that drones produced the following season will also be sterile?