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The kitchen is filled with the heady aroma of beeswax as we turn the cappings to good use. While thrones publish the recommended size of wick for their silicone candle moulds, I have some from Ab elo that have no indication. Any guidelines or published info? Cheers Sent from my iPhone using...

Well, no, there are no hard and fast rules. Your observations are all relevant but you omit one very important consideration. Bees cannot tolerate condensation and you are more likely to experience condensation with a solid floor. This, coupled with the advantage of varroa drop, leads me to...

Chalk brood is more likely to appear randomly, rather than in a clearly-defined cluster. Are you sure it's chalk? Perhaps mouldy pollen or some other agent? Unless a significant smattering of affected larvae, the bees may well sort it out for themselves, given warm dry conditions and hygienic...

As with any precision instrument, the calibration should be periodically checked. It must of course be checked against a known value. That known value may be a calibration block or some material that is stable. I have seen, so many times, instruments written off as rubbish, after they have been...

Each to their own. I sit here at work, some 25 miles away from my main apiary. I have just reviewed/ edited my online records and planned my next visits. Do that with quill and parchment! Whatever works for the beekeeper. Some with very few hives will cope with a very 'localised' system...

It needs to show the scale appropriate to the moisture content of honey. A marine fish tank model works in a totally different range and wouldn't cope with honey.

My bees don't sting. Ever. :icon_204-2:

There is a requirement to keep records of any medication that you apply to your bees. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

There are a number of software products available. I have two but prefer to use the one that uploads my records to the cloud so that I have access in the field. That enables me to have records wherever I am. I also have a written card in the hive for quick viewing. It's important that you select...

Hi sting-y. Although you may not see many beehaus keepers here, it's all about bees. Here's to happy and productive beekeeping! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Certainly it needs warming again to produce soft set. The degree of warming depends on whether you intend to seed it or not. Some obtain acceptable results by mashing to break down the crystal structure. For a full seeding operation, the honey must be brought back to a liquid state. Sent from...

Careful timing with OSR. Recent harvest of say 40 - 50% capped cells - immediately (and I mean within the hour) extracted. 17.5% water and straight through a fine filter. In buckets now so it can set like concrete if it wants to. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Chalk brood is caused by fungal spores. Your best bet is to reduce the spore count (shook swarm). Re queening with a young productive queen may help but clean comb, dry conditions and a strong colony is your first line of defence. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Check your bee spaces. Generally, if bees need a gap they leave a gap. If they have difficulty moving through a gap they will propolise it. Box dimensions are such that bees have free space where they may need it. Has your woodwork been assembled to exact dimensions? Sent from my iPhone using...

Who knows? It seems as if you have decided that culling the VQ, if she's in there, is your best option. But you need to be certain of the conditions. The bees have got her going for their own purposes. You could let them get on with it, especially if you can resort to emergency measures if it...

You have eggs. Don't risk rendering them Q- they may have already sorted things out for themselves. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Have you seen queen(s)/ eggs? Are you sure it has emerged? Have bees torn it down maybe? I would look for eggs (but be careful as you could have a q on a mating flight - you are still uncertain as to the q+ status) then go from there. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's very difficult to provide assistance with such limited information. Descriptions or better, photographs will help. What is the history? Do bees look healthy? Varroa treatment last year? If it's literally a handful, there is something seriously out of order. Are you sure there's a queen...

Declaration of expertise? Master beekeeper? Your take, not mine. I suppose that you reject my suggestions in similar vein. It's perhaps unfortunate that you seem reluctant to acknowledge that such a condition in your bees might warrant some thought and reflection as to how they got in that...

Sounds as if you may be seeing the effects of a high varroa load. Lots of bees with DWV suggest that your colony has been severely weakened, with varroa feeding on haemolymph and debilitating bees with their nasties. Your application of MAQS may well solve the problem but not in the way that...