Search results

How old is your Queen? How big was the hive? If it's an older Q (or a very young one) and a bigger hive, perhaps her pheromone levels are up the Swannie and some of the workers went into laying mode. Their own pheromones would then blank hers and spark the mini swarms.

I agree, rock up to the next meeting and say hello. My association were wonderful. Everyone started somewhere and the thing I've noticed with Beekeepers (I'm new too) is that people tend to specialise in different areas. Asking questions is normal and how you learn fresh skills. Some get into...

Inspections at the association apiary this evening included a thankful confirmation that Hive 3 - AKA the Devils - have at long last accepted a new queen via newspaper merge with a much nicer colony. This is the firth attempt to deal with these monsters, who are not only evil, they will follow...

Our association swarm officer (Kent area) said that swarm calls were very late starting this year, but were coming thick and fast around end of June, start of July. Three calls in one day at one point. So much so it was a problem as everyone was running out of equipment. Haven't seen Q cells in...

According to Ted Hooper they love Kale, which I never realised until recently. My way we have fairly big Lavender fields in some areas. But as Millet says, the list can go on and on.

I've seen tips about rubbing wax on foundationless frames to encourage the bees to build out from them. Usually Top Bars when I was looking at those. I believe I've also seen suggestions about rubbing wax in bait hives or to mask other smells. We have Poly hives down the Association Apiary...

I just did the tour of all the local farm shops my way. All already have stocks of local honey - well, from Beekeepers 2 or 3 villages away. The common price seems to be around £4.80 for 12oz. So when the time comes I'm going to have to think of a plan B. I can't put a sign on my garden gate...

Hi Beeno I was sorely tempted but I'm not yet properly kitted out enough, and after talking with the people down my Association, they think it's asking a lot of a swarm caught round here now to be ready for winter. (They are keeping their ears open for any established hive going as some people...

Hi B+ If there are migratory Beekeepers they are small time and no one down the Association talks about migration between forage sources. I know of one chap who has around 25 hives who will move them around a bit. The majority of Beekeepers I've met round here have between 2 to 6 or so hives...

That's interesting. It does make sense, as I said, this isn't an isolated middle-of the-outback type area. It's on the outskirts of the city, albeit up a quiet country lane in with typical farm type landscape. I suppose I would just like to think these Bees are as hardy as they appeared to be...

I have today visited my friend who rents a small farm cottage. She is surrounded on 3 sides by very old farm buildings - probably from the 1700s - which are Grade 1 listed. It's wild Beehive central! 10 feet from my friend's front door is a small grain store or barn. I counted 3 separate...

I regret by asking a few questions (which I felt were reasonable) things can descend into a vortex which is bound to become personal. I have formed enough of an opinion about this subject now. Good luck everyone! xx

Well Karol we seem to have reached an impasse. Yes I do need to see peer review of a product that costs that much and I will not rely on the claims of a manufacturer alone. I find it sad and regretful you get called names. There's no need. I wish you well in your endeavours but I have seen...

Having looked up the name of this trap following the link Beetoo posted, (thank you Beetoo), I can see a couple of issues which might be causing unease with some people. I had heard this trap mentioned elsewhere but not looked into it before. I have now done some rudimentary reading and looking...

Yes I was thinking that when I watched those clips. I have seen - first hand - a honey Bee trap out. Wild hive had grown inside a tree near to my husband's industrial unit. Not feasible to cut the tree down. They make a cone out of mesh with a very narrow entrance point and seal it over the hive...

Thank you, Karol I looked at those clips and believe there's flaws with all of them in the construction and the location. I wouldn't dream of putting anything like that near my house! Or too near my hives for that matter. And why the fudge would you poke at it with a stick...

Thank you very much, Beefriendly. That's what I was looking for. Not just for around my (future) hives but I get pestered by them at home as we are surrounded by apple and pear farms and come late summer they terrorise us in our own garden. I shall definitely try this idea. :thanks:

I have seen them being used in videos and I'm always stuck with a few issues... What happens should honey granulate in the hive as does happen occasionally, and how do you clean them? Haven't come across any simple answers to that. (Not that I search much as they don't interest me enough)...

I saw this come up as a recent thread and it's something I'm interested in too, but after 30 plus minutes of wading through personal spats that seem to go back years... way, way before I joined... my head is spinning and I didn't learn much. I dislike wasps and am interested in any ideas for...

If I've read it correctly, Millet wrote the resultant Q cells suppressed the laying workers.