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Understood. Will do 👍

Thanks! I've put a thick piece of polystyrene insulation but over the metal roof. I'm concerned that it will block air flow as well as insulate if I put it above the cover board. Unless I put a hole in where the frame cover hole is? I've also heard they love to feed on polystyrene 🤷🏻 Great...

Temperature has now gone up to 32/33 degrees celcius over the last couple of days and "bearding" is extreme. See picture... I'm concerned that as soon as the new queen emerges they will swarm again. Are they out of room or just trying to allow air circulation to ripen the honey? Thanks

Thanks for your comment... If honey weighed the same as water then you would be absolutely right and I wish you were! Unfortunately honey is 30-50% heavier than water so I've used 35% but I may be still too optimistic. Therfore 120ml equates to about 160 grams hence the 16kg. I can always reduce...

Just another question (sorry)... It's sunny here with temps in the high 20's and very low humidity. How long should it take for them to cap the honey in the super? Thanks

They're tiny already! 120ml each 😂. Anything less would be embarrassing 😂😂. It's honey not Chanel number 5 😊

Well I think that ship has sailed I'm afraid. We will need about 100 jars of them for the wedding and that means 16 kg of honey so my neighbour down the hill is on stand by. I don't think I'll get 16kg in the next month from one poor orphan family 😊😊

Yes green sorry 😂. One big extraction sounds good but it's more than just the bees I'm contending with here. My daughter gets married on June 22nd and in Italy is tradition to leave guests a little gift and my daughter has had the wonderful idea of giving honey as a gift (see example picture...

Ok so second super added ( OK so new super added with 10 frames of new foundation. (blue one in the picture). Upper super looks like Acacia honey. It's very light in colour and is the Acacia session here so makes sense. Il check the super for capping in a week and leave the brood chamber for...

What about the risk of more swarms?

Great yes. Makes sense. I will do that this afternoon although I only have foundation. No drawn frames (yet)

Ok will do. Thank you so much for your advice. It makes all the difference not feeling alone. The only reason I mention a split is because all frames are full and there still plenty of foraging going on... I will follow your instructions of course. Is it OK to take a peak at the super in about...

Ok so I checked the brood box following the swarm from two days ago. Took the super off...frame cover was full of bees. Every super frame was full packed with bees and uncapped honey and beautiful white wax. Brood box was overflowing with bees on every frame. Still plenty of capped brood on at...

Just a thought... Would it be asking too much if I find more than 1 QC to split the colony or best wait for a new mated queen and then evaluate? Thanks

PS yes here in Italy I live in a rural area in the north. Plenty of beekeepers around so getting a queen will not be an issue.

Understood. Will do. I'll keep you posted and thanks again!

Yes Ok I'll do that tomorrow thanks. Perhaps I will find a virgin queen walking around 😊

Hello again everyone. Just a quick update since yesterday. After the swarm I checked the super this morning and surprisingly it is still full of bees on every frame and full of uncapped honey! I didn't open the brood chamber to avoid disturbing them. My idea as suggested by you would be to...

Thanks for your reply. Your words are really comforting and I hope I can do what you suggest. You're right.. Every mistake is a lesson 😊

Thanks for the quick reply as usual. I was going to do exactly what you suggest but later in the spring summer... I only have one hive and wanted to end up with two by the summer. I got greedy I guess but this is my second year and haven't collected a drop of honey yet. 😔Depressing.