Search results

They always know the weather before we do! Also porter bee escapes are only meant to be used for clearing supers. When left on the bees propolise them open or shut!

Not in a skep but when I have collected swarms late at night (pre polynuc) in a cardboard box I put them in a shed overnight (cool/dark). At least it keeps them out of the weather.

Just checked 2 Nucs that I pulled from the fields last night prior to customer collection/delivery tomorrow. Plenty of different coloured pollen going in. Back to preparing my show entries now!! Melt wax.. Jar Honey.. Mount photo.. List never ends!

I have only briefly seen the maisemores and have had quite a few of the Paynes. Personally I block off the feeder with foam as I don't use it.

It depends on your circumstances and the state of a colony. Personally I have just added a super of part crystallised honey onto 2 different colonies that are short of stores for building up brood / foundation. I sprayed each frame (both sides) with a water mister and added the super as normal...

Spring crop not highest but pretty decent. Large colonies and not too much swarming so waiting for the weather and a decent Summer crop!

Not OTT very sensible advice imho however OP did mention it is their 1st hive so no problems of possible spread of disease to existing colonies this time. I do exactly the same, it's the only time I have bees in my garden besides Nucs being collected. As to the advice about when to feed, before...

:yeahthat: I never put on only foundation. I always checkerboard supers when I need more frames drawn, best way to get frames drawn imho.

I started using one this year and tbh I find it much better than cot as you can get rid of the worker bees and I can walk away to the back of my vehicle to mark her and let her dry before releasing her back into the hive. I always found with a cot that the worker bees covered the top and either...

Due to work commitments I ended up with sealed QC's about to emerge in my top box last week. They were literally emerging as I did the inspection. Ended up with some nice spare virgin queens to introduce to any colony I had that was Q- ps. The main colony had not swarmed and the original marker...

As others have said it's not unusual. I have encountered it a few times. I usually just leave them to get on with it. The drones tend to fly out when I do an inspection and then the cells get filled with honey. I've even seen a few QC's in supers !!

I wouldn't worry about one bee! Look on the positive the smell of wax is appealing to them.

Yes, rough neighbourhood. The lady who called me was nice enough but had Neanderthals living next door! I just wish I could have posted the swarm through their letterbox.

I use wood shavings (bought in bulk from pet suppliers) although tarry they light easily and stay alight a long time. I have only lit my smoker once so far this season instead I use a water mist spray and find it less disturbing to the bees and myself!

Had a report of a similar event last week at my home apiary. "They've swarmed again" Only to be told they never settled and disappeared. Except my niece took a photo of the front of the hive covered in bees. When I saw the photo I thought they have probably witnessed a mating flight. Haven't...

I was once called to a swarm in a back garden and arrived in time to witness the next door neighbour throwing stones at it and obviously had turned a hose on them before hand! A sorry state they were on a low bush / floor. I placed a poly nuc on the ground near them and found the dead queen in...

All down to the weather. The mature lime trees that line a field I have an apiary in flower well every year and when you stand under one you can hear the buzz. Whether they yield a good flow is all down to the weather. 2014 was excellent but last year next to nothing!

If you want to see a video of how many bees use a landing board or land direct, there is a super slow motion one I shot last year. https://vimeo.com/124211010 It's interesting to see both the bees taking off (some backwards) and the final landing manoeuvres including a few that look not as...

It is a really interesting debate. I see both pros and cons for landing boards and have colonies with and without. I don't see a big difference in yield between the colonies with and without and yes I have seen lots of bees in the grass in front of hives without when there is a big flow on. I...

That's only because they chopped down a lot of the original trees to do building / roadworks! Been to that city many a time. They have beehives on the catherdral roof (Dom)