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Not done many but settled on this way . Tack frame pins on either side if the top bar , about 3 or 4 . Wind thin garden wire round the pins and the bottom bar on the same side . When you have comb cut out , lay it on the wire then wire again over the unwired side . Takes a minute to do . Wire...

40 mile round trip to the Wentworth Estate to a good sized swarm hanging at a convenient height . Skepped it and popped it in to a Commercial this morning . Sounds like all the newbies who want bees at the local assoc have taken all the swarms they want , we should now end up with anything else...

As suggested above but to get them working on the adjacent 14 x 12 frames you will need to fill the void below the standard frames . Otherwise they will expend a lot of time and effort building brace comb on the bottom of them . I am thinking large block of something like a taped together shoe...

Had a call from a local Golf Club who had bees 'swarming' round a hole in a tree 25ft up . Not too much of a problem normally but they had Andy Murray playing in a match there and the spectator seating was built about 10 feet from the entrance to the nest . By the time I arrived the orientation...

If the price quoted above is correct why would you use it anyway ? Bakers fondant is over a pound a kilo cheaper . G

9 deg and alls well . Just had a peek at the front entrances and several early risers are in and out in the sunshine . I have 5 hives to move tonight , new tenant in rented house near our bee shed has 'Allergies ' so is paranoid about having them so close . High rent sees our bees ,and raises...

Put the 14 12 under the National , remove the supers to concentrate their mind into drawing foundation . Also helps maintain hive temerature . Once drawn and the queen is laying in it you can split it how you wish . Going by the weather so far this year you may have to give up any ideas of a...

Prime swarm contains an older mated Queen . A cast is a secondary or 3rd , 4th or etc swarm with a Virgin Queen . Casts are more likely to abscond than a prime . But a prime may go if it feels too resricted in the box you have put them in . Putting a frame of open brood for them to tend is a...

Through everything yesterday . All good apart from 3 which had sealed QCs but original still there . Made up QR nucs and moved them off site . Released virgin into what was left and destroyed the rest . This morning a 14 12 nuc into full hive . One single box national with 2 supers all clear ...

In Suffolk yesterday helping a friend out . Bit of a bonus , 2 swarms set up home in old hives stacked in a quiet corner . Moved them in to my own hives and will move them the 100 odd miles back home when its colder . I have 2 nucs which are bursting and need to go into a full hive but my...

Saturday morning a very nice couple who use this forum came and collected a 5 frame nuc for their garden . No money changed hands , just did a swap for frames and foundation. This morning i am loading up 120lbs of honey in buckets for a different member to collect as he is honeyless at the...

I have hives on a golf course MM , they do well on wild plum , blackthorn in Spring , crab apple and cherry a bit later on . Sycamore , Lime a plenty then Blackberry and ivy . Not sure why you would think that wouldnt be enough . Far from being a green desert I would prefer to be where I am...

I agree , either bin bags or clingy does the job but you have to get everything chilled down far enough to kill any moth or larvae present . G

In the last ten days or so they have gone from close to starving to 1 or 2 supers filled . Caught us out on Saturday with a beginners course , expecting to lift the supers off easily and finding they were nowhere near as light as we thought . Will spin this off next week before it goes brick...

Look like old Rowse jars . Air bubbles on top explains the scum and a mix of honeys with differing crystalisation in the jar . When you jar next time , if you have a honey bucket with a tap at the bottom , let the honey sit overnight and all the bubbles will rise to the top . You can then jar...

I would go with PHs advice . 3 days and i would expect her to be accepted without problem . G

I would think so , but information recieved suggests he isnt likely to be a clipping sort of beekeeper . And thats not knocking those that dont clip ! G

Borage from no 1 to 20 . I really miss the Borage round High Wycombe , they moved it all to the north of the county . Shame .

I reckon Silly Bee has it about right . Work round the out side of the frame first , she will be trying to get to the other side out of strong direct light . And practice has a lot to do with it , after half a dozen colonies its suprising how quick you get your eye in . Not much help to those...

Even better if you have a hive already is a frame of open brood . Very unlikely to abandon them ( but not always the case). Makes a good varroa trap at the same time . G