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Giving a bit of fondant cannot do any harm and, if they are short of stores, will do some positive good.

A trick that I should have learned in year one was hefting to check stores. Seems a bit strange at first but you quickly get the hang of it. Fondant should be an extra if hefting suggests few stores left - for me I like to give them a slab of candy as insurance just in case.

I have a hot tub and the bees will not leave it alone as a watering station despite having 2 garden ponds within 10 meters of the hives. So far this year they have yet to find it but last year I could not stop them getting under the cover and invariably drowning. And yes, I do live in Surrey !

Great question and one I am keen to understand. Mine all had 2.5k bags of fondant and they are getting very near the end. I had a quick peek on Sunday by lifting the CB and could see at least one frame of stores but I have no idea whether it is the fondant they are storing or whether they are...

Thanks for these answers - much appreciated. It seems to be that they will probably find it but will bring back less than if it were next door.

I have read the books and understand the theory but I am wondering about reality. Last year I had OSR less than 100m from my hives. This year the OSR will be a mile or so away. Given my learning experience last year with OSR and quite how "active" (swarmy) my bees became, my question is does...

The aubretia attracts some solitary bees with a really long proboscis which are a great sight to behold

Thanks - that probaly explains it

A few different types of laveneder although the few fancy French ones seemed to have expired in the recent cold spell. I think my bees always find brambles of ivy or something else more attractive. I once saw some honey bees on a flowering fruit tree and the odd one on a crocus. The Lavender is...

I have 4 hives in my garden and try to provide a good environment. I have planted over 50 lavender bushes, countless spring bulbs etc but I wonder whether any of this makes much difference to the honey bees. The lavenders are very popular with bumble bees (which is fine by me) but rarely have I...

My bees are next door to a field belongoing to a livery stable and I have horses daily going back and forth with no issues - yet !

1. I keep mine in the garden and have found out that their mood does vary. If they went mega aggressive they woudl have to be moved pretty quick. But it is great because you can observe frequently 2.I have a dog who has only got stung once. He is more cautious now ! 3. There are few better ways...

Both my friend and I thought that we were virtually varroa free. Neither of us saw a mite under our OMF for months. Guess what - Apiguard managed to find loads when we treated !

I definitely have higher mite levels than I would like. I used Api in August and thought that I had done the trick but warm weather has been providing a fertile breeding ground for increase. My solution has been a weekly hiveclean treatment but it was too cold to open the top last Sunday. They...

I am a year 2 beekeeper who has had a very, very eventful second year although 116lbs of honey is a nice reward. I keep extensive records including a section for lessons which I thought that I would share. • It is the numbers of frames of brood that counts – 8 in a national is a crowd as I found...

It is possible to get a free PDF download of a book called "At the Hive Entrance" which is great to refer to when you are observing your bees over the months

My wife is convinced that the bees make a different noise just before they sting you. Whilst I am very aware of the different noises that they make when you open them up, I cannot say I have noticed they make a different sound if they are about to sting. Has anyone else come across thsi notion

Whilst I accept that they will in all probablity becoem short of food - it cannot be that difficult to wack on a slab of fondant and keep them fed. Last year I kept having to get hold of some candy in a hurry so this year bought enough to start with.

I believe that there is a place for a Snelgrove - the whole idea, as I see it, is to ensure that the flying bees continue to provide a harvest whilst the Q gets on with building a new colony. You get a new Q in the top and can later combine with no honey lost and a new young Q into the bargain...

Should look really great when all of that cool glass is coverd with propolis and random bits of comb. Presumably when opened the bees know the way through the various rooms in the house, out of the door and round the back to their flower pot.