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... and mated well

When the hives where placed, it could have been the wind was coming from the other way. Whats behind the hedge? and they may be empty anyway. Go back during better weather and see. It's good to plan an apiary site taking in all aspects, sun on entrance in the morining would not be so good in the...

In that case, why not shelter the entrance, may save a bad back. Steven

Just a thought... what happens when the wind change's, do you change the position of the hives again. In the wild the bees don't change the direction of the entrance. regards Steven

So sorry for asking a question on your post. I don't think it was the amount of swarms this year, but, that queens did not get mated for the same reason as they were swarming, ie, rain, sun, rain, sun etc. leaving the colony with bad queens, drone layers, no queens. Could be the best way to...

Plenty of swarms around the Sheffield area! What's wrong with the BBKA? in your opinion. steven

No one has mention the varroa count, do a count and go from there, you don't say whether the nuc comes from a split or a swarm. Don't get rushed into treating unless you have a high varroa count. All my hives still have a very low count ie: 0 to 5 over a 10 day period. I think the most important...

It may have been a horrid year all around, as said, my allotment hasn't produced much at all for the effort, but as for the beekeeping, throw the book out the window and really start thinking. I have had the same trouble as you, as have most of us. But I have tried things out that have worked...

It's a national problem this year... have you seen the news, honey production is 60% down, which I have found with my hives, all my efforts now are to get stores up and get the bees stet up for the winter. The only good thing about this year are less wasps and a low varroa count on all my hives...

You need to tell us what the situation is in the main BB, is it full and fully drawn out, you will also need to do a varroa count to see what the volume of mites are. The bees should have been treated before you got them. The varroa count I have found is low this year. It is up to you whether...

I have had the same this year, Q cells with no other eggs around. Anyone please... is there a good answer to this?

With the problems of queen cells still being made, and the supers starting to be filled I have now moved the QE to the top of the first super. Which for me is the winter arrangement. I have still a flow on with HB and daisies etc. some of my hives are now on brood and half allowing the bees free...

It's not the comb that would be a problem but the propolis, which can glue everything together which would be very difficult to get apart. The comb will get old and diseased, the bees will die out (varroa) and be replaced by another swarm, the wax moth will come in and clear out the old comb...

Same thing, with a skep you have plenty of bee tight holes so are difficult to over heat. I use an old sheet. Cheers Steven

Just some advice on skeps, I always use a skep, once the bees are in from a tree or whatever, I put it onto a sheet, so cloth/skep sometime I put a bit of wood or something to lift the edge to allow more open area for the bees to enter. To close up I wrap the sheet up and around the skep and...

Hi Chris Luck Are you an ex-pat living in France now, and if so what do you care about what now grows in Britain. Just don't understand why you are so het up about HB. By my local river some 200 yds from my hives there is HB growing in damp ground that would just be bog, it's not doing any harm...

I see they weren't his, but how can he tell? Were there empty QC's? By looking in a hive who's to judge how many bees are around after a swarm. Cheers Steven

Spend 3 days in a loft trying to get a colony of bees out in the very far corner out of reach, got stung, crawled about, hit my head a couple of times and just couldn't get at them, the had brood and had to go. Sorry to say that I had to go back with a hoover, some survived and are in a nuc box...

I thought that the inspection should be on a full colony of queen right and laying with all brood stages covered, I was told that this was so, so didn't need record cards. Your association should of offered a proper hive for you to inspect as that was unfair on you. Glad you passed? regards Steven

Hi, make up your frame without nailing together, you may need to trim the foundation but you will know that it all fits. Take it apart again before the assessment. If the examiner want to talk and tell you things, let him, it's interesting and takes up the time. good luck and enjoy, I didn't...