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My 2 hives are 'chalk and cheese'. One added 28lb in the last 9 days (and half of them were wet). Demareed and added a drawn super so I'm going to need steps. The other added 1lb. They look healthy, slabs of good looking cappings, glossy, white, segmented larvae, all the right stuff but they've...

(I can't bear to listen to Mr Vine.) Maybe it's the time of year when swarms are about and new beekeepers have hives that are getting big for the first time. Or it could be a researcher for newspapers and TV looking for a story ie. making entertainment.

On my beginner's course the advice was 'If your neighbor complains, just move them. You will lose if you fight it'. However I'd have to be convinced that my bees were troubling anyone given I have a good amount of space. The only time I've heard from my neighbor was when I brought in and hived...

Yes, 4 years old when superseded is my best. Strong until the end. A prime swarm I took in from a friend's apiary. Her daughters are 3 and 2. Both still going strong (I hope).

Just a thought. To anyone reading this thread. Try giving them away to someone who understands what to do and has the space. I guess I was that person to my friend with the defensive colony. I had a school friend who is a farmer and who let me put them in a quiet corner of his field. You then...

My thread from 5 years ago!! Reborn. This colony was just a queen becoming a drone layer. Followers, not extra defensive. No need to consider culling them. Helped a friend since this with a big defensive colony. Not pleasant. Didn't have a replacement queen or QC to kill old queen immediately...

I think that's a piping queen. Bit longer note than usual. @ecudielle Not an expert here but my thoughts are that this is a new queen making her presence known to the hive. Challenging any other queens to a fight. 10+ days since swarm and QC capped, 4-5+ days since emergence, she's still a...

Interested in how hive weight changes but stack of boxes getting awkward so screwed together some pieces of roofing lath to give me some mechanical advantage.

Added third super to one colony, the other hasn't moved out of double brood. She's only 2, should be more productive. ? One colony, Q cups (one with egg), lots of drones, the other, no cups, few drones. Marked both queens. Great success. (y) Two colonies is not enough. :LOL:

I like the idea of involving the local beekeepers association. If this neighbor is a member they could have a word. If not (they could still have a word but) they could find a member who would put a swarm box in a nearby garden and collect it when occupied. Yes it could attract bees from...

Looking back a couple of years there was interest in my bait hive from now, early May. This year no interest yet so, yes, delayed but better than average temperatures in the forecast that could all change. Swarm that arrived May 11th last year now my best hive. I could do with some more free...

Continuing to weigh my colonies beyond just making sure they don't starve. This week one has regained the weight it had last October (with 2 extra supers, brood lighter than stores, incomplete supers?), the other gaining but still 20lb down.

Two very different hives today. One which got going early, found some stores, weathered the last couple of weeks of cold, now given second drawn super. The other, big hive last year, has made no gains this year. Lost weight, stopped laying, lack of open brood. Needed feeding. Thinking, disease...

No . . . just no. Not heard of this before. Oh no! Not this again. :LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

I suffer from this. Bottom of my garden is a footpath between football field (where there are bins) and a round about (where there is a bin) but people decide to lob it over the fence. I don't understand, you've done the worst bit picking up the poo. Just risk being seen carrying it a few yards...

Reading this again I think there's probably a basic mismatch in how I see things and how my landowner sees things. I'm talking about "my bees" in "my out-apiary" and assuming what happens with an out-apiary. My landowner being very territorial is seeing bees arrive in their hive (we set up...

Yes.

Such a shame that for decades, when I see a St George's flag I think National Front.

If the bee inspectors have tried to contact or get access directly I'd get the blame. And I'm the loser. Another scenario I have no evidence of. I said to the inspectors back in June(?), good luck getting access.

Thanks to all the suggestions above. Any idea of climbing gates or cutting padlocks does not appeal given the barky dogs. Not keen to find out how fast I can run in the new ventilated bee suit. :LOL: However I don't need the stress of dragging this out or the worry of possible retribution...