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Thanks Snelgrove, yes just one bar per hive. The others are all fine, business as usual, just this one hive that seems to object. I've used Apilife Var before and never had bearding like this colony is doing. It's not in the sun or any stronger in numbers than the others, just one of those...

I have one of my hives which is insisting on bearding all over the front of the brood box. It looks like every last bee is hanging out there! They have been there for 3 days now after I put the Apilfe Var on. Today I swept them all up in several dustpanfulls (is that even a word?) and chucked...

I stupidly carried some supers indoors today wearing a favourite shirt which now is stained with a nice brown line of propolis. I've tried soaking it in a strong soda solution but it's not lifting. Any ideas?..

Took the last of the supers off the 7 home hives and put on Apilife Var just before the heavens opened. One hive is bearding all over the front, the others don't seem to have noticed! I'm treating earlier this year as I have seem some varroa damage coupled with high drops from the OMF in a few...

Discovered I've lost a swarm from a large hive which is now full of queen cells, one or two of which look newly capped. Could have sworn I'd clipped the queen but seemingly not as bee numbers are definitely depleted and supers much lighter than 7 days ago. Checked notes - no record of clipping...

Two weeks ago I turned down offers of selling some of my honey at local Christmas fayres as I thought I wouldn't have enough honey left for my other outlets and surplus for the fayres...what a difference 2 weeks can make. Unbelievable. My spring crop however was half the quantity of last year...

Just been out for a wander and 3 of my 5 bait hives have renewed interest this morning. I collected 2 good sized swarms this week locally, one with a virgin (now requeened) but I suspect the other may be a prime based on size but haven't been through it yet to check. So I think I will keep up...

It seems to me that round here there have been 2 waves of swarming, one in early May and the other over the last 10 days or so. I blame the wet miserable June!

Arrived home to find a large swarm has moved into a bait hive on the shed roof today....yessss! Still a lot of scout activity around 3 other bait hives.....here's hoping for some casts. Plus seen the first ghost bees returning with the 'balsam backs' this evening. The hives in the garden are...

Had a stroke of luck yesterday after a schoolgirl error that I won't be making again....! I introduced a new queen in a cage into a queenless hive and left her to settle for 48hrs. She was a home grown queen from my other apiary and was laying beautifully .......and I was convinced I had already...

Lucky you. I've got 5 bait hives up now but not a sausage. There have been very few swarms reported around here. Reckon the local beekeepers have been swotting up on swarm control! The only one I've heard about turned up in next doors garden and was one from my own hives when I missed a queen...

Just looked again and they are definitely on it now. It's very humid and oppressive here at the moment and was 21/22 degrees earlier. :)

Just been for a wander around the village, a couple of trees here are in full flower from top to bottom whereas most others are just showing signs of opening towards the top. Lets hope they do their thing this year.

Good points today... Marked 2 recently mated laying queens. Reorganised the two parts of a sucessful unite. Less good points today...... Shook out a colony which had developed laying workers. Investigated a sealed queen cell due to have emerged last weekend. Dead bee inside. :(

Slower here too, less than half the spring crop of last year. I think the main difference for me is mostly down to having 2 and 3 year old queens this year. Plus stupidly lost 2 swarms.... Rectifying that now, I am hoping that some newly mated queens and a bit of uniting before the limes and...

Curse that annoying hidden queen cell that I didn't spot last weekend! Today I duly collected a swarm from the immediate neighbours garden. Ho-hum! Luckily they were very sympathetic and delighted with the gift of a jar of honey. That's now 7 virgins in total waiting to be successfully mated...

Relived today to see a new queen has survived her introduction using one of the nicot push on cages. Phew. Last time, I wasn't so sucessful. Took another couple of OSR filled supers off. Reckon the rest still need a few more days of warm weather. They are still coming back with OSR faces so...

I have exactly the same dilemma as you Drex. Wally Shaws instructions are very precise, he says that no thinning of these queen cells is required as they are purely emergency queen cells and the swarming impulse should have abated. Having said this, last year when I tried this method...

Very envious of all those who have been basking in the sunshine today. Only 12 degrees with a cool damp lingering mist in my neck of the woods. Our cats delivered us the gift of 2 mice today (bleugh) which motivated me to put the mouse guards on the hives. Topped up the feeders on the 2 hives...

First time for me today. Was in awe of some of the displays, some fabulous honey and wax being exhibited. Stocked up on some new foundation for next year in the trade hall and bought a few bits of woodwork. A nice day out.