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Checked today & no eggs/brood, but still very early if a virgin.

I know the lack of drones! Collected the swarm 7 days ago so Q will already have been on mating flights .

Collected a swarm that will probably have a virgin queen. Rather than wait for eggs I’m thinking of merging now with a Q- hive. If the virgin Q hasn’t finished mating flights would it reorientate if I moved the nuc 3+ miles & merged?

….and cosier for the bees, as nest heat will be retained more easily and with less bee effort. But will it? If you nadir there is a super below the BB, if you don’t and you have an OMF then the bottom of the BB is open to the elements (thro the OMF).

I’ve never euthanised a hive before. Is it just soapy water and can you use the frames ok afterwards?

What is your extra label, do you print them yourself?

I don’t think a granulation label is a legal requirement. I lost a sale due to the label as the Thornes label has a bold headline of ‘Granulated Honey’! It’s made me think, perhaps it’s unnecessary… but I do know there is a warning about honey being unsuitable for infants under 12 months. What...

Checked today, now 14 days sine removing the Q & no QC’s. I wasn’t sure I had shaken the Q out hence not replaced immediately. So it’s a really angry hive and Q- for 14 days plus, so should it work (adding a mated Q with brood) using newspaper method? Much difference if merging hive with Q is...

I have a very angry hive with bees bouncing off my bee suit and hard to see due to the cluster on my face hood. I have followed advice on here and moved the BB so bees the flying bees fly back to the original site. I have shaken the bees out and hopefully got rid of the Q. I have been back in 7...

How long would you leave a nuc after moving it 3 miles before returning it to its original location?

Don’t want to take over posting, but it’s a related topic. I have a hive from hell, so aggressive/attacking! I have moved the brood box to isolate the queen & brood letting all the flying bees return to original location. Like Sutty I’m thinking of shaking all the bees out of the brood box...

Hum, always a possibility but I don’t think so. Will check tomorrow and if still balling the Q (if still alive) I’ll nuc her.

The hive next to this one is a demaree which had a sealed QC. Thinking of scenarios why the Q left maybe the virgin Q from the hive adjoining returning from a mating flight entered the wrong hive and forced the existing Q out of the hive. Anyone experienced this, does it seem plausible? Way to...

Fully Inspected Sunday evening and yes it is the same marked queen. It was a purchased nuc with Q which I’m helping a beginner with. No QC’s. We saw the Q Sunday. Am still puzzled why the Q would leave with a lot of bees (not all)

New nuc 4 weeks old and Q laying well. Last inspected Sunday, 2/3 days ago all well saw clipped Q & No QC’s. Today found clump of bees outside the hive with the Q. Put back in hive and looked like they were balling the Q. Put Her in a small yellow Q cage and placed between two brood frames...

Remember when collecting swarms, if left overnight in a nuc to collect stragglers to always look when collecting under the nuc for clumps of bees… and to avoid getting stung!

Slightly off centre of the brood nest. Def no more just the one fully charged.

A queen right hive, with brood & eggs. Found just one charged queen cell, good shape & well attended to by worker bees. Def no more QC’s. I know I could nuc the queen but decided to leave well alone as I have enough hives & nucs. Am presuming supercedure is that likely with just one QC what...

I normally store extracted OSR in buckets and leave to set hard then use the dyce method to make soft set honey. Has anyone tried making soft set this way but from immediately extracted honey before it’s set?

Anyone taken supers off yet in areas of rape in north of England? If so is it 18% or less yet? I’m in East Yorks, will test some of mine this week.