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You're so lucky, ours isn't out yet. If you want it in your garden, chop off a young whippy branch and shove it into the earth. Water well and watch it grow. Or grab some of the seeds, ours are self seeded from trees over 500 metres away. Saplings do take a few years to flower though so if...

So that's what's happenin', and there was me thinking they were pretending nonchalance whilst doing a sneaky bit of working out the most direct route either into my hair or onto my husband's chin. Bin liner won't do for me, nice cushion on top of the garden roller, otherwise after half an hour...

Really timely advice, and perhaps not just for the new keepers! There is an old saying that when the Ribes is in full flower is the first time you should open your hives. In the meantime, seeing lots of pollen going into the entrance and the bees searching for water, give a welcome indication...

Pussy willow is brilliant, one of my neighbours has a very mature tree and once the buds open the whole tree is thrumming with ours and a feral colony that has lived in the top of an oast house for as long as anyone can remember. I know I bang on about it but thyme planted round the hives...

Really like your whole set up, beautifully kept hives, everything protected and close to hand and no heavy drumming of rain on the rooftops that bees apparantly hate. No wonder your bees are all well and flying. Today been preparing a bed in the bee garden and sowing borage seeds - late I...

Why on earth does anyone believe in drone culling. 1. They are essential to ensure queens are fully mated. 2. Keeps a healthy diversity in the gene pool. 3.It has been reported that varroa mites either prefer drone brood or worker brood, so getting rid of the ones that prefer drone brood just...

Love it! A:cheers2: colleague of a friend of mine also keeps bees, he told my friend he gets great satisfaction knowing his bees are nicking nectar from all his neighbours - I thought at the time that is quite a horrible reason for keeping bees, so I look forward to passing the link on, he's a...

Thanks for that Poly Hive, one of my husband's godchildren is a science teacher, maybe really interesting for his pupils to do a bit of practical diagnostics in class and helpful to beekeepers at the same time. I will be lumbering - sorry asking him.

Interested to know what is involved in testing for Nosema, can it be done by anyone with a decent microscope. I understand now is one of the best times to carry out the test. All our bees here have come through the winter looking glossy, plump and healthy, yet I believe Nosema can change all...

I attended a thought provoking talk given by the Natural Beekeeping Trust, they posited the idea that even the presence of honey in the hive goes to creating a healthful environment. Ensuring the winter bees are in prime condition even though they will die off as the spring brood emerges...

So what has the dog eaten - only post if not too disgusting. Just checked in before heading up to bed and enjoyed the fun of all the horrible places bees drink, and I'll get the Chambers out and look up the big word, it will be my word for tomorrow. 'Night All.

You can get silicone brushes, quick swill in the soda pot along with your hive tool and they dry really easily, very soft too so don't hurt the bees. So why do hive tools disappear, eventually found one by driving the lawn mower over it, still a bit twisted after ripping the blades to bits...

Tom's post made me think, 3 of us share a mini sewerage system, the water run off feeds into a ditch that runs behind the hives, eventually into the river. Bearing in mind bees less savoury habits, they may well have been at the neighbour's water feature - although I doubt the one you meant...

Thank you to everyone for such helpful recommendations, especially as all of them mean you can as far as possible ensure the bees are getting clean water. However mine insist on continuing to suck on their rotting log, so moved their wet peat closer. Great standing in the sunshine watching...

So helpful to read such good advice, new to the site but have just taken pictures of our bees sucking water from our nature wood pile, near to the apiary. Woodpeckers have their uses in breaking the wood turning it into sponge. Have however put large tank filled with wet peat for tomorrow...