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Destroyed Asian Hornet nest in an empty hive. Chris

If they go back in at night when the activity dies down it can only be crowding inhibiting the free movement of bees/stores/air in the hive. Your idea of plenty of room in an active colony might not be the same as the bees. Chris

Mine always do, it's a natural thing to do. Why wouldn't they? Chris

One of the big drawbacks here are the summer storms, I hope it isn't too bad in the light of day. Bees clustered under a solid floor hive today, all up the shaded side as well. Chris

I don't know. Here everything,g was fine until the OSR finished and the weather turned crap and then there has been no forage until a few days ago. I've never seen such strange bee behavior and I suspect more than few colonies are Q- . Others are packed to the gunnels with bees clustered outside...

Chem trails, neonics, BT toxin, varroa, UKIP or good old simple natural causes? Chris

I prefer not too feck with my bees. Some, shock, horror don't even have honey harvested, they just live in their different boxes. Truth is that I find with foundation less frames, bars, whatever there are very few colonies that produce a cast although one did the other week. Ain't nature...

Interesting use of the word legitimate. It depends on what yardstick you are using as there are no rules or laws regarding what you can do to honey bees. Personally I stopped mutilating other species when I was about eleven but I do of course have a different attitude to life than most people...

Do you have particularly dangerous wasps in Australia? Chris

My bees are all allowed to swarm and I still harvest plenty of honey even when they are late swarming as last year. All the old professionals around these parts allow(ed) their bees to swarm. Chris

I've finally seen three European Hornet Queens this last few days and one Common wasp Queen. It's really grim already without more scare stories decimating our precious native hornet and wasp populations. Chris

It's true about the drones, my place sounds like an airport in the afternoon with thousands and thousands of them however this is what they do naturally and I can't see how that could be a bad thing. One things for sure my virgin queens don't have a problem getting humped. I guess as usual if...

Better than the smell of this the other day which is about to be prohibited during the day in France but don't hold your breath, (wear a mask). Chris

Brrrrrrrrrrroooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, ooop's, I wonder where that was headed? Had three easy ones yesterday all at about 1m50, beats the day before with five - three of which required ladders and branch removal. Happy days eh? Chris

Don't you count your bees? Chris

Plenty more.....and lot's of Queens here at the moment, only one European which is sad. http://www.planetepassion.eu/WILDLIFE-IN-FRANCE/Asian-Hornet_Vespa-velutina-nigrithorax_Frelon%20asiatique_France.html Chris

One more time from the horses mouth. I have had Asian Hornets here since 2006 and have never found them to be more than a minor irritation. Could they cause the demise of a colony without additional factors? Well, maybe if there was a large nest nearby and they were concentrated on one or two...

I'm sure I have, probably several this year. Chris

I'm not sure it makes any difference vertically, horizontally or zig-zag, no doubt someone that likes engineering will answer that. Given that even when I need to look at frames I always keep them vertical it's not something I have considered. Chris

Asian Hornets in small numbers have been as far as the channel for 2 or 3 years now. Where I am I have had them since 2006 and have yet to be concerned. Yesterday when dealing with swarms in my apiary I saw several Queens "floating" around and if I wasn't so busy dealing with my swarms I'd...