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I'd also suggest checking that the proper entrance hasn't become somehow obstructed, and ask what is inside the hive. "Wet" extracted supers are VERY attractive to robbers ...

Your profile says 9 colonies. Really, you should invest in at least one spare brood box. Sell about 4 or 5 jars of honey and buy a cheapie non-cedar ("deal" or "softwood") flatpack brood box (eg from Paynes) for about £25 (in-season pricing -- such things are cheaper in the sales, but you need...

Excellent idea to keep all "flow hive" specifics in their own playroom. Of course any non-specific things needn't be segregated ...

Just to make plain that you should aim to keep the frames in the same order and orientation (same faces together) UNLESS you are taking the opportunity to do some deliberate re-arrangement.

Have you tried the extractor manufacturer/supplier? 42mm cutout seems to be one 'standard'. Thornes could sell you this alternative to a classic 'gate' that would fit a 42mm-ish hole http://www.thorne.co.uk/honey-and-wax-processing/tanks-valves-storage-and-strainers/valves?product_id=6779...

If the hole is about 2 inches diameter, that should do fine. However, what you may not appreciate is that you want a couple of inches of "headroom" between the topbars and the plastic clearer. At a pinch, an Apiguard eke under your clearer board would do the job for you. Take a look at a...

The bees will find it easier to draw comb below than to jump all the way to the top of the box above (they start at the top of the frame). Easier means that they can do it faster, with less beepower, freeing more beepower for foraging, which means more need for comb and fuel for comb-building...

As above, really need more info on the state of the colony. I'd add two suggestions. 1/ Forget any idea of a honey crop this year. You can't even pinch one of the brood box stores frames as that will be full of the syrup you have been feeding! Your aim now needs to be maximising the number...

Never say "never"! // But it was rather a big bird box ... :)

Putting supers on wet does not help oil and water mix. Lecithin does. (... emulsify the aqueous and organic phases ... which is why its an ingredient of so many salad dressings, and this tonic syrup recipe).

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree:

For bottling, you need to have the nuts at each side of the gate giving a roughly equal pressure. Such drips as you may get - during the bottling process - are more likely to be from the gate "wiping" honey rather than from the seal. However, when one has to store honey in a bucket with a...

https://www.google.fr/?gws_rd=ssl#q=lécithine&tbm=shop Regarding Thymol against varroa, I'd strongly suggest that you start your beekeeping with a professionally formulated product such as Apiguard or ApiLifeVar. Simple, cheap, less to worry about. Maybe consider savings when you have 50+...

Lecithin (and lots of other 'food additives') can be bought in most High Street "health food shops" - mine came from Holland and Barrett. My Thymol came from C Wynne Jones.

Please read the linked article so that your comments can be better informed. Firstly, Massachusetts isn't in North Africa. The chance discovery in a botanical garden in France of the specificity of its strong attraction for the Asian Hornet is what makes this news. As the article...

Interesting discovery in France ... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-33847252 ... but not enough just to plant them?

In essence, yes... They suggested a round soup tin as the cutter (with a sharpened edge - allowing a 'twisting' cut), but I guess a 'cut comb' cutter would do. Being on a brood comb, a pair of scissors is likely to be needed to deal with the reinforcing wire. 24 hours in a domestic freezer...

I was at LASI (University of Sussex) yesterday for a varroa 'workshop'. They are great believers in vaporising Oxalic (after ensuring the hive is broodless, and treating in December - not later), and "Hygienic" bees (especially in combination with Oxalic vaporising). They are prepared to do...

Ooooh Erica - too too cruel! not worthy

Your question raises the question of why you might be feeding thin syrup at this point in the year? For building winter stores, a stronger syrup is more easily (thus quickly) stored. But it seems early for that ...