Search results

Ill check, but would like to think they are fairly varroa free. Certainly were a couple of months ago and also used MAQS to keep them clear. There were cappings this morning and I wondered whether they might be drone pupa. I will feel a lot better if that's the case. I've added some fondant as...

Thank you everyone. I found it most unsettling. I think Pargyle, you might be right (I'm hoping!) My hives are well fed. They are deep and also have a super plus fondant for insurance. I have noticed the odd dead wasp by one or other hive periodically and today there is one dead wasp outside...

Hello all, I just went to check my four hives and one has white larvae outside on the landing board. It's the only hive where this has happened. Does anyone know why please? Do I need to take any immediate action? thank you

Thank you isc26 for posting that link. It makes interesting reading. Yes Barbarian, I'd have thought that most allotment societies would be crying out for a colony or two of bees. The difference they would make should be enough to encourage anyone and maybe one or two people may even decide to...

Thanks everybody, for all of your responses. Yes, I am signed up with the BBKA and my association has a meeting this week so I can always canvas opinions there. I suspect however, that I will leave it as I'm not keen to add stress to my life! The allotment association is a fairly recent venture...

Hello all, I have approached my local allotment society regarding keeping a colony or two of bees on their ground. The committee would very much like that but have been told that the insurance would be prohibitive. I'm not sure of the protocol regarding bees on an allotment. Does anyone already...

I'm sorry, I dont understand. I thought you were supposed to leave just the one queen cell, preferably uncapped so you could see it was ok.

Ah, you are thinking a queen may have already hatched? Supercedure? I'll try the frame of eggs and see what happens. Thanks for your advice. :thanks:

I have an experienced friend who came to help check my hives. Saw queens in the other three hives but not this one. There has not been any uncapped brood since the MAQS treatment although there were five queen cells,one of which was capped. We chose one uncapped cell and destroyed the others...

:sos: I've recently treated my colonies with MAQS and possibly due to this process, managed to make one of them queenless. I have an uncapped queen cell but I'm not sure at this late stage whether it will produce a viable queen. Would there be anyone out there with a SPARE QUEEN, possibly after...

Ah, thanks Itma. It sounded too good to be true!

Does anyone know what their National Stainless Steel "L" shaped Queen Excluder with slide means please? Is that another way of describing a Cloake board? Thanks

I have a Horsley Board MasterBK, and might try that. I defer to your much more sound knowledge! My plan as such, was to get eggs from the original Buckfast queen in the cupkit, then separate lower BB from upper with QE. After transferring day old larvae, I would put cell bar in the upper box...

Thank you Enrico. I hope so as I didn't get any last year! Looking forward to meeting you on Thursday, Madasafish. The club has been most supportive and such friendly people.

Has anyone used the Ben Harden method for queen rearing. I've just got a cupkit and want to try it this year. I'm hoping I can keep my colonies strong enough to get some honey aswell. Is this likely or is there a better (simple) way? Thanks

Hello and thank you for all the fabulous information posted on here! I got my Buckfast babies in June last year as a full colony. On first inspection, I noticed some DWV and they went rapidly downhill. After some very sound advice, I've now got (as far as I can tell at the moment) three very...