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My GasVap has arrived but in Northern Ireland butane gas cylinders are not available. However, butane/propane cylinders are available. Has anyone used b/p cylinders without problems?

There is so much posting activity from members in the (usually) hot dry south this Spring, that much of the posting I scan seems not directly relevant to mild wet north members (interesting yes, but directly relevant no). What about a separate section?:)

I have wet supers which I plan to return to hives for the bees to clean. Because of a shed problem they have been stored outdoors and are not in good condition. Some frames have fermenting stores and mould. I will put a Q excluder than a plywood separator with a small hole above the brood box...

My inspections after recent super extraction showed BIAS and high population densities but very few stores in my apiary. Wet supers are on each hive. Now that Ivy is starting to flower in the small farm field, hedged landscape and the weather is set for dry warm weather I am dithering as to...

Could I feed extraction cappings back to the bees by putting them into an eke (empty super) separated from the brood box by a board with a small (size?) hole in it? Would this result in honey being moved down into the brood box or result in a waxy mess in the eke (my past experience without a...

I treat with Apiguard In June, a time when my colonies may or may not be swarming and I am still queen rearing for nucs. Each colony is in a different condition, for example size, temperament, Q status. I would usually treat them all at the same time for convenience. Is there any advice on...

It has rained most of the day here - a fine Irish drizzle with a cloud cover, 17C and breezy. My local, open mated bees have been on garden Borage and Rose-bay willow herb (and hopefully nearby Lime trees) whenever I have ventured out.

Today I damaged an emergency sealed Q cell in a five-frame nuc from which a cage-introduced mated Q had been introduced and then went missing more than a week ago. The damage was on one side of the Q cell which was in the centre of a frame. A patch of cell wall had pulled away when I loosened...

I responded to a “bees in my chimney” call earlier today. The chimney had been sealed internally when the house was converted to electric heating and was not in use. Another chimney close by also had honey bees. There was also mention that someone else in the group of a few dozen houses, had...

In my apiary today I saw a small swarm form a clump in a tree (midday) and when they had settled I knocked it into a box. When I returned early evening to transfer into a hive of drawn frames most were hardly mobile or dead - hairless black and shiny (classic CBP). I destroyed the swarm. My last...

In error I ordered a deep Abelo poly National brood box (31cm deep) which I probably will not be able to sell on. Can anyone suggest how I might convert it to a standard brood box?

Local black bees in 6-frame nucs. Queens mated July 2022. Derrygonnelly area. P-mail for details.

Has anyone resealed the crown board after opening during winter management?

I am considering using my store of beeswax to make and sell 28g beeswax blocks in a local shop. Can anyone with experience of this advise me on how to pack and display them? The small number of blocks involved seems to preclude a “bespoke marketing design” solution”. A ziplock poly bag and a...

I treated my colonies with Apiguard 10 days ago, a period coinciding with a brood, during which most had no or very few eggs. Varroa drop was small so I am considering forgoing the second tray of the treatment (so I can put supers back on) then treating with OA dribble. Is this wise?

Hi all, I have a National hive colony (late June 2021 Q) with a record of running, stinging and following since August 2021, including during Winter OA treatment. I plan to requeen it ASAP this Spring. The colony was highly productive last year currently, has seven seams of bees (perspex crown...

Last season, following increase, one of my colonies was very cross, you might say “bees from hell”. They reacted quickly to hive inspection, stinging and chasing with ferocity. I realised that this trait (?) was very different from the occasional crossness from botched inspection, post-flow...

I see yet another hyped story of lost native honey bees found - this time in today’s Guardian. Anyone fancy a swarmy Queen?

I have a colony with a 2019 Q which has only drone brood. I would like to unite with a 2021 6-frame nuc with a laying Q. Could I unite with newspaper (nuc on top) or should I shake out the colony before uniting?

My bees are bringing in lemon-yellow pollen loads which I think might be Hairy willow herb (Epilobium hirsutum). Does anyone know if honey bees exploit it for nectar? I have not seen honey bees on it, but It flowers July/August and is reasonablycommon in Fermanagh.