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... And I had clearly misremembered that. I've just located the table below, which is interesting:

Hi all. I was wondering if anyone could direct me to any kind of succinct information about how to interpret changes in the acoustic output of a colony... An article, blog, section of a well known book etc... For example I think I know (from the Seeley and other sources) that piping (indicative...

I went into Lincoln for a wander around the Cathedral with SWMBO once the auction for live bees was underway (they'd paused the overrunning auction of kit to crack on with that). When I left, full, strong colonies of bees in tidy national hives (well, floor, BB and roof - not cedar, but good...

Fun day out yesterday at the Lincoln auction. A goodly number of lots (incl. >40 colonies of bees) and bidders. Must have made a lot of money for the Association. There was the usual mix of high quality lots and bonfire fodder. Even amongst some of the good stuff, it really surprised me that...

Probably a good smattering of Carnica in there. The black queen (progeny of the previous black queen) open mated in the local vicinity last year, and I do know somebody who previously kept some lovely (grey, gentle, prolific, but invariably swarmy) carnies around here a few years ago🧐🤔🤫 ...and...

Yes, maybe something of a quality which is reflective of my eternal gratitude, e.g:

Indeed it is. They're not yellow bees. I don't accept that. The queen is jet black.I am prepared to accept they are local mongrels, and some have some more yellowy striping. Sorry me less so. That's normal here, and what I see in feral colonies. Naming no names, but there are beekeepers round...

Not feeding. Dear All, ... so, I'll next update when the colonly is dead, or early spring, when we're clear of winter and thriving (the latter, I believe)..... but just to update that I checked properly today, in the least invasive way I could. I obviously described these as 'featherlight'...

Hi Nigel... If I don't feed them, they might die. They might not. Indeed, if they've packed away enough for the the winter and are healthy and frugal bees, they should not (?). In that, you will doubtless understand that I'm looking at this through the lens of a hobbyist dabbling in some...

Until now, Met Office have only been signalling low degrees of certainty / average temperatures. Now, they are coming into line and signalling a higher degree of probability, lower than average temperatures and snow. I have our local Oracle Phil Morrish, who never calls it early, and (whilst an...

WEATHER UPDATE Like most of us, I guess, I keep a keen eye on the weather. Not from the Daily Express or GB News, I hasten to add. Many will know about the recent sudden stratospheric warming event over the Arctic, and the possibility, at least, of a proper cold snap / Beast from the East...

Will do!

The inspector was out due to an EFB outbreak in the locality. She went through every frame on the two 14x12 hives in the same garden apiary (which were both clear). I suppose that, when we got to the Warre, there was probably a high degree of confidence that there was no apiary issue...

Yep... the top bars of the Warre mean that - with careful slicing of the comb adhered to the walls of the box, a comb can be cleanly lifted from the box and replaced - as with all TBHs I guess. I was inspected the year before last, and the SBI was pragmatic enough to allow me to pull just one...

That's the gist I have a 4th box in the garage, ready to move under, as they move down and store up. If they are sufficiently prolific, boxes will be removed from the top, the comb crushed, and the cleaned top bars put back in the box for the next 'under-supering' action... and thus the bees...

I am on balance going to leave them to it, but keep a daily watch on the traffic/ behaviour at the entrance, and the weather forecast. If I feel I need to act urgently, then at least I am better prepared.... .... But I am currently minded to keep faith in the bees knowing best. An interesting...

Right you are, Sir

I think that's what they say about me 🤣 Anyhow, whilst I do read up (Seeley et al), I am persuaded that Warre beekeeping has some interesting bee-friendly aspects. To be honest, it's just a bit of a fun adventure. I got bored in lockdown v1.0 and worked a bit of rough-sawn local cedar into the...

Agreed. Ideally, I'd have sent them into winter on 2 boxes. However, this time around (in Autumn) the top box was rammed with stores, and the brood nest was still extending into the bottom of the three boxes. Clearly at this point, that's not going to be the case, so I think yes, I will condense...

JBM, you may be right. You may also not be. I'd love to see some real stats on feral / survivor colonies. The ones I know about around here seem to persist. I don't buy the argument that that's just a case of new swarms moving into cavities previously occupied by deceased colonies.