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As the title suggests and hopefully a thread that can be added to for future seasons like the 'what did you do in the apiary' thread. So, how have you done this year in terms of main flow honey crop? Has it been as bad as many thought early on or did your bees turn things around? For what its...

As per the title, could really do with emptying a few supers and sticking back on again (good flow on at present) but on inspecting today have found the bees have built comb from the top supers into the ones below (all capped and full of honey). Any suggestions? I could put a clearer board...

Just a quick question or two, to gauge what people experience; When do you find the main flow ends in most years? What constitutes a good yield per hive, i.e what do you expect on average? After splits, uniting and general faffing this year, I think will be lucky to get 50lb of honey (spread...

Further o the aggressive bees thread than was on recently, I was pretty much at a loss as to explain why the bees were so aggressive this year during inspections. I have, up until now been thinking weather and other usual reasons. However, I have been watching the hive entrances recently and...

A few observations of late whilst at work - honey bees going mad for angelica and also giant hogweed. I wonder if the latter produces honey safe to eat or if any toxins are present in nectar?

Inspected an AS earlier and for some odd reason, found the young queen dead at the top of frames. She looked fresh, so must have been extinguished recently, but why would this happen? She hadn't started laying up (emerged in May) - I wonder if the colony bumped her off as a dud (but no eggs...

I have now completely run out of equipment and need to unite a few hives (another swarm arrived yesterday while I was out in the apiary). I plan to unite 2 or 3 of my weakest colonies (young queens not yet laying) and wanted to know if it is best to wait to assess the queens before choosing...

Need a fair bit of kit but it can wait until the sales now. I was wondering how much general equipment costs during the sales from various companies. Maisies have a one day event late june but the fuel costs down to Gloucester rules it out as a sale for me. So, how much generally do things...

Hi folks, another forum member has posted cutting out a few QC's and placing in cages, left in hive to raise a few extra queens. I was hoping to do something similar, but I have no experience of making increase in this way, so I what extra equipment do I need to get a few of these queens. I...

three sealed queen cells built in gap under foundation and resting up to frame - not the only cells in the AS'd hive (some much better cells elsewhere) but what interests me is if these queens will emerge as stumpy little things due to their relatively short and confined cells?

Had this plant for nearly a decade, a mass of flowers but have never seen anything on it.....until today! The bees are working it frantically and in large numbers! Looks to be pollen coming off (greyish/straw coloured). Anyone else had bees working this plant? Cheers

With reference to the above, I am thinking of doing a 1-2 split on a strong colony. What I find interesting is wally shaw's comments on emergency queens being wrongly labelled as inferior - with a strong colony (enough nurse bees to feed queens), he argues that making increase in this way is...

Hi Folks, Not posted for a while and have a quick question.... Last season I let one colony have an additional brood box later on to build up some spare comb (for any swarms etc this time round). The bees did this and also filled a few frames of honey. I didn't extract the honey and I was...

Hi folks, I have an old galvanized extractor that is a little rusty and has several small holes in the base. Could anyone advise on how best to repair said extractor, maybe food safe paint to seal the inside of the drum or something similar? Suggestions welcomed. Thanks

Ok folks, in the same vein as the Limewatch thread, I am quite interested to hear what other plant species honeybees work. I have not seen them working the following but would appreciate fellow beeks observations...... Black Medick Bird's-foot Trefoil Great Willowherb Teasel Common Valerian...

As per the title - when do thornes, paynes, maisemore etc start their sales? Need a few hive bits n bobs for back up equipment so don't want to pay top whack. Thanks in advance

Hello beeks, Just a quick query about honey crop and the lack of it. 1 colony has built up from a split in may, had super on for a week and no comb being drawn on new foundation (sprayed with sugar syrup to entice them up). The other colony was united 8 days ago and super on today. However...

Hi all, Aside from observing the laying rate and brood pattern, can you assess the quality of a queen by her appearance? One of my virgins started laying the other day and is laying well, but she looks quite a runt and is like an Olympic sprinter across the frames. The old queen is also...

Hi all, Im going to buy a subscription to this magazine as a gift and wondered if anyone has a discount code (possible published inside the mag itself). Thanks in advance