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Walked through woods near home and noticed a felled ash, felled in the late summer, with a hollow, cut clean through with old comb showing. Must have died out. Crouched down, took a photo, and put my hand in to break off a piece of comb. Withdrew it smartish when dark bees came out to have a...

Your willingness to try an unconventional solution is the despicable (😀) sort of behaviour that beekeepers have had to use in the past to improve the survival chances of the colonies they have raised and nurtured. Such experimental behaviour by beekeepers has, and will continue to be necessary...

I don't suppose the old beekeeper was an Rbi? I was told by an old beekeeper that salt, dusted onto bars of broodframes induced cleaning and clearing of chalkboard mummies.

Treat and keep records, or don't treat at all. Or just give up beekeeping. Law of unintended consequences....

I suspect many on here recognise and respect ILTD's experience, and greatly value his contributions here. You have to give credit to a guy who moves 2000 hives halfway across the UK to the heather every August! Like CVB I fear the bureaucrats may view this as an opportunity to send all 44000 UK...

Thanks to you all for your informative or humorous responses. I've Googled phytolaccus Americana but that has single berries like an elderberry and red stems with pointed leaves. Phytolaccus is correct, but a check on acinosa rather than Americana is the exact match for the specimen. This is the...

This plant has turned up in a friend's garden for the second year running; dies back in winter, fruit segmented like a blackberry, and held on pink panicle (most missing from this specimen). Photo taken in a sink with bar of soap for scale. Plant height at the moment 100cm. Location 1 mile from...

Hi Andy, Not until the spring build up. I would remove access of the queen to the half bbox, and get them to expand their broodnest upwards into the commercial box, then with the queen in the Commercial bbox, split off the old National bbox placing it Demaree style at the top, over a super or 2...

Millet, that's a shed load of rats, surely?

On topic, Ling is only circa 5% of full bloom, Bell heather is at peak of bloom on top of Exmoor. Would pics be useful? My guess is that here it may be another week or even 2 before the flow. I'm taking hives to Abergavenny area this weekend so happy with the timing this year. Last year the...

They are building up quite quickly and as the initial brood laid a month ago has hatched and more following every day, maybe they need more space than 6 frames. Congestion is a trigger for swarming. Sometimes a duff queen in a swarm triggers queen cell production. But given space to grow...

As it's a swarm, you won't need to do the weekly checks as they're unlikely to swarm again this season, so just leave the broodnest alone, now you know queen is laying well. That'll save a few stings. Blame defensive behaviour (often thought of as aggressive behaviour!!) on the weather; next...

Welcome Wibble, it doesn't have to end, ever. Some beeks manage the fear of losing a colony by making sure to have more hives next year. But it can take over a bit, though nice to have the wife enthusiastic and I hope it lasts. I too live in Worcs, WR11 by the way.

JB, when cycling broodframes from the top box of a Demaree to the bottom, do you select frames to move down that are sealed and emerging brood or those backfilled with nectar? I am intrigued to find out if combs of honey or nectar when placed down in the bottom broodnest are cleared to the...

While demareeing one colony, swarm emanated from my strongest:I clip all Queens. Swarm settled 30 feet up a nearby horsechestnut. Surely I clipped off enough wing to prevent flight? Quick check through the parent hive (few bees left at home so was easy to spot the hidden queen cell) and a look...

I have the D of E scheme to thank for starting beekeeping in 1970. One part of the Bronze award then involved "taking up a new hobby or activity" - never looked back since. Wonder what got others started in beekeeping (I can sense a request for a poll to find out!)

I've lived here 19 years and have roamed extensively the fields and woodlands within a 1.5 mile radius of the apiary, and it's always nice to make new discoveries. Being proactive, I'm planting 200 borage seeds in uncultivated field corners, road verges and derelict land to encourage a bit more...

I've noticed many fields near my apiary that are normally ankle-high in cereal crops are only now being cultivated and drilled. Too late for cereal crops, so more acres of spring sown rape, field beans and flax are in prospect. From t'internet searches this phenomenon is widespread this year so...

Sadly mid Wales hasn't been exceptional this time. My 10 hives have struggled in the cool, damp weather. Half my hives have Half-filled supers, the rest have none. Hoping for warmer weather after today, there were 4-5 unopened buds on the heather spikes so a week or so more flower to come.