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I'd recommend https://www.northernbeebooks.co.uk/products/heaf-the-bee-friendly-beekeeper/ All centred around the principles of managing bees in a Warre setup ... and has the hive plans (also availaible for free at the website previously linked). I found it a good read, and used the plans to...

Hi All, sorry to keep this "Queen Sickness" thread/saga running, but I have some videos to share from an inspection today. Apologies for the poor resolution. Hopefully they display OK. This colony was last fully inspected on 26/06 (again, remiss of me, but this box had already swarmed in...

Also, having done my Module 3, and (more importanly, as I am not the big "I am") see https://nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=1057 ... I am not aware that Thymol has any known effect on acarine. The NBU suggest formic acid.

Thanks @drex . I accept this is not the best dissection. The bees were only 'fresh' to the extent they were frozen within 20 mins of collection. Even then, on inspection of the bees (following only brief defrosting), the ones from Colony B were decomposing, had voided their guts, and had a...

At least one - and probably both - of these Queens were not killed by accident, though. As per previous posts in the thread, a number of colonies, across three apiaries (and, by a number, I mean over 50% of >20 colonies) have experienced: - premature swarming - swarming or supersedure giving...

So I did have a look at varroa levels. For a couple, it was a bit too late (what's the conclusion you can draw from counts of drops from heavily depleted colonies, with (being queenless) no brood ?). In doing so, I monitored a couple of queenright, and relatively well populated colonies...

I still can't believe how much we undervalue our product. The packaging and distribution alone for one jar (jar, lid, label and time, fuel) probably has a c.a. £1 cost which needs to be factored in - even before the value of what is in the jar (both intrinsically, and in relation to the...

This, this, this and this ... Much more succinctly put than me. In my despair and confusion I had considered the likelihood of "queen rustlers" ! I had previously tried to locate and get to grips with materials on the increasing cases of both queen failure and colony collapse in the UK, but...

Monitoring for varroa, for sure, JBM - for sure. I need to do that apiary-wide, and it might explain the swift vectoring of virus (of which there is evidence). It's too late for the colonies in this state IMHO. I have some new Queens I've reared, and assuming they don't go down the swanny in a...

Just an update on this, having done another full inspection today. I find I have lost a further 2 queens, and have another colony turn drone laying. Two weeks ago, whilst not showing huge vigour, both the queen-losses had young, laying queens (the one in the poly was a 2022 queen, arising from...

... Basically the end result, JBM, where they issue cast swarm upon cast swarm... instead of just superseding and cracking on with it. I am well beyond being overly influenced by the look/location/number of cells as to their cause/purpose. Like I say, it's just been swarming madness for me this...

Having kept bees for a number of years now, I think I have seen most things; at least to the extent that, when things start to happen at a colony (or bee) level, I can generally work out WHY. This year not so, and it's becoming very dispiriting. The first thing to say in general is that...

@Boston Bees - I see a little slippage (with the hard plastic to hard plastic interface between the 'old-style' Abelo boxes) - for sure ... but even then, and however they do it, the bees seem to propolise the interface to the extent that a) the slipping ceases to be a problem, and b) certainly...

Hi Neil - good to be back. I have the same problem with the English Feeders vs. Abelo boards. Generally, these are in use in Autumn, when it's still broadly warm enough for me not to get too stressed about removing the four outer caps, and opening up the central hole. Otherwise, as you indicate...

About 12 months ago, I lost patience with some of what I perceived to be the petty, cliquey comings and goings on the Forum and - probably after a few beers - blew my stack, had a bit of a rant in an ill-advised post, and vowed never to darken the doors of the Forum again. To anybody I offended...

Mark, I am interested in your proposition, and somewhat disheartened by the current response by some others, including mods and other 'senior' forum members. I started beekeeping a long time after varroa made its entrance into the UK. Nonetheless, I speak to many older beekeepers who - back...

Interesting. Though I will say this; nature has a way of confounding us. Bees (like us all) are programmed to survive, and I now take some convincing (test-frame or not) that a hive is actually queenless. Even having said that, this year, I have lost two queens I have introduced into hives I was...

1. Yes, exactly that 2. Regarding nucs... Fair advice. Thanks 👍 3. I'm not suggesting any such thing. In fact my question is really about the behavioural characteristics. On one level, I don't give too much of a monkeys how pure the Northumberland dark bees are - I'd just like to know if they...

Interesting. Studying for BBKA Module 1 led me to conclude otherwise - so much so that I have changed back to 227g labels/jar filling from 250g (same price, so more profit for me 😉).... I am probably wrong, and I am professing no expertise here, but the The Weights and Measures Act 1963 (Honey)...

A little talked-about brand... after much research, and having pulled back from buying a Giordan at a similar price, I bought this Logar 9 frame electric extractor. https://www.honey-extractors.co.uk/extractor-radial-9f-motor-110wbarrel-52 The quality is peerless - both of the materials and...