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+1 for the body - the cage, coarse filter and lid get scrubbed with a Milton solution then all rinsed with the pressure washer.

I uncap in one of these http://www.lakeland.co.uk/20228/Oven-Rack-Soaking-Tray Good size and usually captures all the mess. One tip, check to see whether you have any crystallised honey in any of the combs, if the percentage is too high then take great care when spinning as the frame can...

My understanding is that at least until a good proportion of brood is capped and you can tell if she has mated ie is the vast majority of the brood workers. I was in the same position as you, AS built QCs, so I reunited once new queen was laying. It was a risk, but I had two other colonies that...

They can be, having learnt my lesson I now clear as many bees from each frame as possible when checking for QCs. Do not shake any frame with QCs on that you wish to keep though. Why? From your timeline I would say that your 'one big QC' queen is long gone in a cast, and that you have had at...

I was recommended Gain Express Holdings in ebay by someone on here. Have bought two of these (one with the calibration kit) Portable Honey Refractometer Tester Bees Beekeeping 58-90% Brix Baume with ATC Arrived as quickly as might be reasonable for postage from HK. Easy to use (just remember...

BBKA press release is reporting 33.8% in England cf. 16.2% for 2011/12.

OP's right to be registered as proprietor was gained after 13 October 2003 and thus LRA 2002 applies and for registered land the owner is entitled to oppose when the application is made at the 10 year term See http://www.landregistry.gov.uk/professional/guides/practice-guide-4

I did it the same day, had no more equipment and didn't want to lose them as I suspect they had issued at least one other cast and numbers were dwindling. I thought I had been thorough and destroyed all but 1 QC in the Q- part of an A/S. This was on Sunday, I plan to check them tomorrow to see...

Rhombus - 24 hours (afternoon to afternoon) but might be quicker, those are just the times that suit me to add/remove.

Be very thorough. Shake as many bees of all the frames you inspect, other than the frame(s) with the QC(s) you intend to keep. I missed a couple of QCs and they cast a small swarm. It only takes a small number of bees to sneakily cover a QC. For the frame(s) with QC(s) either brush or smoke the...

I use these : http://www.****************.co.uk/item/55/beekeeping-rubber-gloves-with-gauntlet I really prefer not to get stung if I can avoid it and these gloves seem to do the trick, yet I find them thin enough and flexible enough to handle frames etc. They're cheap enough (IMO) that when I...

I have two colonies where due to the weather, and some misjudgment/mistakes on my part I have allowed to reach capped queen cell stage. However neither had swarmed. By my rough calculations one had a capped queen cell for a day or so before I ASed them, but the other was more like 3-4 days. In...

Apologies if you're aware of this, but are you sure these are not the lines of empty cells that are in line with the foundation wires that the bees often ignore (too shallow I believe) ?

Now I know what it's called, thankyou. Ours seem to like it too.

Voted for 'Other', since holes are opened when needed for feeding, access to top space for frame cleaning etc. Other than that, closed all year with insulation above the CB.

In theory you have a viable queen in the other half of the AS so can always unite them if the new queen fails in anyway.

That's what I've always been led to believe.

All my Thornes supers have a slot next to where the runners attach for frame spacers (their term, but takes castellations), so you can chop and change rather than fixing permanently. I assume this was standard, is it not?

No. 1 - no experience, but seem to recall reading (Poly Hive I think) that recommendation is to put Q+ brood body on top, as they will be keener to get out, thus will chew and unite more quickly No. 2 - mine did the same, assumed that I didn't add a second super quickly enough and brood area...

Thanks for all your replies - experiment seems to be the answer. Is it important which way the frame is located ie top bar facing left or right in relation to spin direction? Either for more effective extraction given slight cell angle, or to simply prevent the frame from disintegrating? Also...