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I am scaling back my honey production this year and have around 20 colonies available to purchase... Also the potential to take over apiaries in East London if interested. Colonies are on double brood (mostly Abelo poly) very productive. Would prefer to sell multiple colonies in one...

Here was my project over the winter, My old honey warming cabinet only took 2 buckets which wasn't great for large batches so i decided to design and build a new integrated unit. I've integrated it into storage racking. It is fully insulated with 50mm kingspan. I have made it fully temperature...

This is probably aimed more at those in the South East where it seems we are all but done on honey for this year. Normally my season extends at least to the beginning of August at which point I begin to look at taking the honey off. I normally leave all the boxes on hives and take them off in...

I'm currently saving for a van to replace my ageing estate . I'm aware you need different insurance for a van but don't know much more. I read a little that if you are us in it for a hobby with some income involved then you need commercial insurance? I think I'd need that anyway as I'd be...

I'm looking to move away from using the standard tamper seals for my jars that you get from the big stockists and be able to custom design my own. Does anyone know any companies that do this?

New one for me... Swarm arrived at bait hive yesterday so showed up today to fill in wax foundation frames... Found them clustered under mesh floor. Got another box and plopped them in there. Shortly after they swarmed out of the box and disappeared over the road and fields. 4 hours later they...

I have a 12 frame abelo electric extractor which is in perfect condition, only done 1 and a half seasons, cost £800 new. I am looking to potentially sell this as need a larger extractor. Abelo extractors are excellent and I will be replacing this one with another abelo. If you are interested...

Later this week it is looking likely that we'll get warm and humid weather moving up from the continent with showers mixed in... could bode well for lime! Thought I'd give you the heads up ;)

Hi all, bad day yesterday... went to my farm apiary and popped in to an old shed I have there where I store poly nuc boxes and feeders... I was shocked and really angry to find a rat had moved in, chewed through 3 poly nucs with 2 ekes and set up a nest at the bottom... those are wrecked and due...

Ok, stick with me here... I may be shouted down or told it is stupid... that's fine as i'd rather that than waste my time. I predominantly use swienty polys, now I know these are designed to use without crown board but I got sick of the roof being stuck down with prop and wax. As a result I use...

Went up to the Apiary today to find in front of one of my hives a big pile of dead/moribund or spaced out bees... I'd say it is in the 100s. Those in the pile that were still alive were huddled together but not really moving much or when they did, they appeared very dozy/drunk. I was last at the...

Waiting on the arrival of another swarm this season. Scouts have been pretty interested all day in the box at my mum's house. Its the one I have a webcam set up on so can watch behaviour and hopefully arrival. Apparently swarm just flew through garden and now interest has increased again after...

Very quick question... I have a colony I want to requeen as she's getting on a bit and the bees have gone from placid lovelies to rabid monsters over the winter. I have a queen in my mating nuc ready to go in and wanted to get things started this evening. I'm going to put her into an...

Had a bait hive out on my window sill, this is about 300m away from a couple of hives I have. Been watching scout bees at the hive (lots of them) for the last week or so. Got suspicious as the bees looked like they might be mine. Sure enough on inspection at the weekend I noticed one of my...

Hi all, wanted to pick your brains about something... does anyone have any experience with selling royal jelly or propolis? This wouldn't be my own production but I have a friend who has a contact in Europe who produces these in large quantities and is looking to access the markets here. What...

Hi all, advice please. I normally produce and sell honey in 1/2 lb jars and am now looking to use tamper proof seals however from lots of research the standard ones are 100 mm long which will be too long for those jars don't you think? I've been in touch with a label printing company that can do...

I have been contacted to ask if I'd give a talk on bees and beekeeping and have been asked how much I'd look to charge. I'm quite busy at the moment but might consider doing it. What kind of price do you think is reasonable to charge? It's not a charitable organisation, more commercial. What do...

I know this is geographically dependent, but maybe more for those in and around London, has anyone had need to feed yet? Seems very little in the way of nectar coming in now, i've two swarm colonies that look like needing some fod this week and wondered if the same for others? Would you stick...

Guys, all apart from one of my colonies produced lovely light coloured honey, one colony however produced this honey It's a reddy chestnut brown. Has anyone come across this before or am I looking at a 'man made' source of nectar? It has a rather odd and not particularly nice aroma, kind of...