Search results

I went to the BBKA Spring Convention yesterday, for the first time, and attended an interesting lecture on swarm prevention and control. The speaker extolled the virtues of using the Nucleus method and said it is now the only method of swarm control that they use in their apiaries. Its the...

Beekeepers 'run out of equipment' as swarms rise https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-65746081 Ive only been beekeeping five years but Ive not known it this busy.

Is there any evidence to support the use of thick vs thin syrup ? I know we are taught thin in spring and thick for winter feed but is there any evidence to say it actually makes a difference which form of syrup is used ?

Anyone undertake a Bailey Comb change with WBC hives? If so, how.

Just received the new price list from our usual club supplier (Rawlings/ Compak) and nearly fainted. Last year prices were up 5% and we were told to expect further increases. But the price for 12oz Hex jar is up a further 43% to 47.6p per jar & lid, delivered. :eek: The membership won't be...

Had a look at my colonies this week - all good, except one. I'm not entirely sure how it arrived at the situation its now in. Its a WBC double brood with a 2020 Q. The Lower brood box frames were empty apart from a solitary sealed QC. The Upper brood box frames had lots of stores and 3 frames...

I was going to trickle OA today but its going to be 12 C ! Is it too mild at the moment for OA? The daytime temp is not going to be down to 4C until next week at the earliest with night time temp only down to 2C. As you need a broodless period for OA to be really effective I wondered if I should...

The back story is Blue Q colony was a successful colony - decides to swarm, despite double brood & 3 supers. I performed an artificial swarm into a nuc. Old colony with new Q did well, so I hived the Blue Q (brood + super) . But later Blue Q swarmed again (caught me out) - I managed to catch her...

I recently made a warming cabinet from a fridge dumped in a nearby grass verge. Currently I have a 60W incandescant bulb as a heater, a computer fan to circulate the air and temperature controller with temp probe. I want to change to a tube heater ( I believe it will use much less electricity)...

Im in my 4th year of beekeeping and have on average 3 hives. I would like to have a more consistent honey product especially in terms of rate of crystallisation, as mine does seem to crystallise quite quickly . But I'm not sure if it possible as I think so much depends on what is being grown...

I have two rather lovely Indian Bean Trees in my garden (Catalpa bignonioides). https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/3201/i-Catalpa-bignonioides-i/Details They are native to SE USA (wrong Indian !). They flower in late July. The flowers are beautiful, a bit like snap dragons and have a nice fragrance...

Hi All Its been a bit more hectic than I expected. Obtained my first nuc colony in May. They exceeded expectations; built up numbers really well and gave a super of honey. But my swarm prevention failed (I was away at a crucial time and missed some new QCs) and the newly emerged queen swarmed...