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Hi All, Viewed my hive yesterday morning before work and all was fine. Got home late and noticed a cluster under the hive in the dark. Also, there was quite a volume of dead bees on the ground under the entrance. This morning, bees flying as normal but cluster still present under hive. Can...

Hi All, I understand syrup has no scent, and bees therefore may not find it. I did dribble a trail of syrup recently which successfully lead them to the feeder but they seem to have forgotten where to find it again. I'm reluctant to make a trail each time I feed as I have to open the hive to...

Hi all, Two weeks ago my bees looked low on stores so I decided they would probably benefit from feeding. They haven't taken any in two weeks. I insulated the hive last week which appears to have greatly improved productivity although I have not opened the hive in two weeks so this is only...

Hello again, I inspected my top bar hive yesterday and noticed they were already beginning to group up in the cooler weather. Consequently, there were one or two empty combs. If I use my follower board to reduce the size of the hive so that it's easier for them to regulate their temperature in...

Hi All, After 10 weeks I've yet to spot my queen. I'm not too worried at the moment but recognise that there are times when I may need to identify her in the future. This would of course be easier if she was marked. I am wondering what method people would advise. I try to keep my beekeeping...

First of all, thank you to all who gave me advice when, 10 weeks ago, I had my first colony thrust upon me in the form of a small cast. I gave them a home in my small self-built top bar hive with nothing but sugar syrup and coffee stirrers to get them started. I've learnt a lot in the first 10...

Hi all, Just wondering, how do you ID where your honey crop has come from? Is it by pollen (colour) coming into the hive, or some other method? Sent from my HTC One_M8 using Tapatalk

Bees were particularly busy this morning while I was gardening and I couldn't help notice the 5 or so dead bees on the grass in front of the hive. Then as the morning went on, I found more and more bees just wandering about on the ground in the garden (not flying). None of them had any real...

Hi all, This weekend will be the third full week since I hived a small caste in my top bar hive. I last checked inside after the first full week (2 weeks ago) and corrected a crossed comb and noted three large combs already drawn. Being a top bar hive I'm keen to keep a check on any crossed...

Just thought I'd post a little update on yesterday's inspection for interest. On day seven I went to the bees with the intention of topping up feed for the last time, checking their progress, insulating them, and potentially reducing the space so they could better regulate their temperature...

Hi All, I housed a swarm on Saturday as my first ever beekeeping experience. Am I right in thinking that a swarm is made up of older worker bees, therefore I might expect the colony to shrink in size initially as older bees die before new bees are hatched? I'm just concerned after seeing...

Isn't it funny how plans change? I decided a short while ago that I'd like to keep bees, so built a top bar hive with the intention of baiting and waiting patiently... Not even having the appropriate clothing, thinking I had time on my side... Well, today my dad (who's kept bees for a number of...

Hi Everyone, I'm brand new here. Here's a bit about my bee background; My dad has kept bees for a number of years and I've always been fascinated by them but I've never really helped at the hives. I did once help catch a swarm, holding the base of the ladder with no protective gear while dad...