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I can only second Drex on the whole queen rearing thing. 10 years fiddling with bees and this year for the first time I had a go and it opens a complete new avenue for me. Onwards and upwards - give me another 10 years and I too could be called 'seasoned' ( some would say' wizened'!).

I have been using maqs successfully in the autumn for a while with no problems now, but space does seem to be key. Double national broods are fine, singles a different story, I always put an empty box above the single when treating and all seems well. When I look at beebase and see 137 other...

I just get the pressure washer out - they come up like new.

Pulled honey yesterday, only about 180 to 200 pounds but very happy with that as I have nearly tripled my number of hives this year. I am using my brand new Lyson swing cage extractor this year which is a real treat for me as I have been using a third owner hand me down for the last 9 years...

Checked on my nucs for laying queens and got 8 out 8! Chuffed to bits as this is my first attempt at grafting and they are laying like crazy, 3 of the 6 frame nucs have 5 frames of bias. After 10 years of this beekeeping thing it still is great fun and new things to learn all the time.

Had my first attempt at grafting today - time will tell whether I have been successful or not. It certainly tests the eyesight! On another note I have been keeping bees for 11 or 12 years now and I have never seen them pack the nectar in or build wax quite like they are at the moment, it is...

Cleaned out some boxes that I had stored from last year to re use as I am getting very low on everything! 2 boxes left, dropped a cloth over them and went for lunch - came back to finish them and a swarm had moved in already! Can't have too many bees it seems.

Managed to mangle a supercedure cell yesterday - annoying! Must get new glasses..........:hairpull:

I have lost 2 this year - both from early season matings. I have some nucs from very late matings when the weather was far better and they are romping away.

Just walked half a mile across a flooded field in heavy drizzle with a 3 gallon bucket full of 1.1 to feed a few hives. Next on the shopping list: a helicopter! Quite a few hives getting very light on stores.

Spring was rubbish here due to more than 6 weeks without rain and no rape crop this year. Summer slow to start but it seems to be going nicely now with a few hives with around 100 to 150 pounds on at the moment. Clover still going quite well, brambles (not blackberries) in full bloom and...

Not been able to visit the girls for 3 weeks until this last weekend and I was pleasantly surprised at how well they have been doing (more supers needed and no swarms!) after such a slow start here this year. Everywhere around here is awash with clover and I guess that this must be what they are...

It is dire here - dearth up to now and now the blackberries are out at least. My rape crop was non existent this year as just too dry and cold at times. Roll on next year!

We had 2mm rain for the whole of April here on the Bognor riviera, the bees are going well but stores are not great and the chances of a rape crop this year look about zero. Time to raid the buckets in store!

I had a good look through all the hives, a few cups but nothing else so far. One hive is on 4 deeps already and going ballistic. Trouble is they are a very unfriendly lot so a new queen looks in order. What a contrast to look into the hives headed by hivemakers queens - very friendly and no...

Went through 9 hives today and only found 1 making preparations for swarming. Although I am on the south coast the nights have been cold lately and I honestly expected a lot more qc's and cups. Give them time and they will make up for any cold weather!

Further to my hive moving at the weekend, they were out in sizable numbers today and no strays that I could see. Magic twigs work!

Consolidating the hives today - in other words getting them all in one place instead of spread out over 25 acres. We will have men working here later in the year and I can put a high fence around them to keep humans and bees separate as far as possible. It was nice and cold but I stuffed the...

A break in the rain this afternoon and temps of 10C so loads of activity large loads of deep orange pollen coming in. 12 into the winter and 12 alive so far but a quick heft indicates that some will need fondant before too long. So far so good.

I just use polythene sheets as per Richard - if they get gummed up with propolis chuck them out. Feeding slabs of fondant? Cut a hole in it and place fondant over. Only downside I have found is on a very windy day you need three pairs of hands to keep everything in place.