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Replaced an old solid floor with a closed OMF.

Friday/ Saturday were the first days warm enough to inspect my 4 allotment hives. I swapped the fondant for a few pints of 1-1 syrup. The strongest colony I gave an extra brood box, in the hope that it will go to a double brood and be strong enough to raise some queens later in the season...

Glenview, get to as many local apiary meetings as you can and stand close, she's longer, paler and moves differently, these things help, but it takes time to "get your eye in" and get the mentor to point out the queen to you, watch her closely, see how she moves. The early inspections of your...

All the above and maybe, if all else fails: 7 ways to find the queen (And 1 way to get a result without finding the queen) 1. Go to the Centre of the Hive. a. Use minimal smoke, 1 – 2 puffs, take off the honey super and queen excluder; b. Space the frames apart in the middle of the brood box...

Beeno, this sounds like the old accepted wisdom,as i said I never questioned it myself years ago, but is there any evidence that this will speed up brooding, I cant see any, only really the opposite, or that it makes absolutely no difference, so why do it?

I always did use 1-1 for 'spring boosting' back in the days when I was previously bee-keeping, accepted wisdom etc. Since I've been back bee-keeping I've been looking for some evidence for things before I automatically do them again. Lots of beeks( some on here ) don't bother with 1-1 at all...

Went collect a nuke to move it it to another site, being drizzly and only 8 degrees I figured I was in with chance that they wouldn't be flying, but they were, in large numbers. Will simply have to go back at sundown..... Took a 2nd brood box filled with healthy stores and pollen, from my only...

removed as in wrong thread

Fondant tpped up on two hive and pollen patty rtop up on 6. Bees flying in good numbers form all hives on my allotment site at 11 am.

Collected 2 more colonies and a load of kit from yet another new beekeeper who has decide not to do another year, he did the course bought the kit and in three years collected 30lb of honey. He was just happy to see it go to a good home....... Nice dark bees too :-)

4 possibilities I follow: If its good quality cedar do nothing, will weather nicely. If its "seconds" or budget cedar give the brood box a coat of clear Ronseal and the supers (only out in the summer?) a coat of boiled linseed oil. If its second hand/damaged/tatty prime and paint it.

Having concerns about the environment and looking afresh at things is generally considered to be pretty healthy, Finman. Your Brother Adam quotes about IOW disease and 30 year old research references are fascinating and quaint but having more hives than everybody else doesn't actually give you...

No, this forum was already mad....... which is one of the reasons I stay

A friend was speaking in Cornwall recently and when we discussed the possibilities of grants for bee improvement he used the phrase "we've been Fera'd" which refers to the way in which money that could usefully go to practicing beekeepers to achieve something useful, seems to get siphoned off...

Finman, shame on you. Interestingly I do actually have a life.

Not to mention production up 20 to 30% Same argument used by farmers to continue with Neonics ......

The only difference "between a single-use polystyrene cup and a beehive that is supposed to last at least 20 years." is twenty years..... and the "supposed" is also rather telling, I wonder how many will genuinely still be service in 10 ?