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Hello all, I have to move 3 of my colonies quite soon. Got a couple of complaints from a homeowner about bees in her garden/house and a horse owner who wasn’t happy that the bees were collecting water from her buckets. I have another possible site lined up but it looks about less than 0.5...

Well my split yesterday didn’t go as planned (double brood split) Returned today and there are only a few handfuls of bees in the hive. Removed them form the BB and put them in a Nuc box with the new purchased queen. I will go back later tonight and give them a feeder. Any other advice?

Hello all - just planning ahead for splitting a double brood for increase. My initial plan is to use a QE between BBs, leave for a week then split them. I was intending to leave the queen in the original location but have read that it doesn’t really matter? What do you think?

Hello all, I am going to try two of my colonies on double brood this season (first time I have tried it) so I can split them for increase. I am intending to use a QE between the two BB when ready as I have read it is best to keep the Q in the bottom box. Once the top box is removed and moved...

Hello all, Just been over to my apiary this evening and came across this (see pic). What is going on? I split this colony by 3 weeks ago and put the old queen in a Nuc. I inspected the colony in the pic on Saturday and all was well. Plenty bees very calm and saw a new queen and marked her...

During my last inspection a week ago I found a couple of charged queen cells in a colony. I took them down to buy a bit of time. Plenty eggs present. I went back today with the intention of finding the queen and putting her in a Nuc box. I was expecting to find more charged cells. However on...

During my last inspection a week ago I found a couple of charged queen cells in a colony. I took them down to buy a bit of time. Plenty eggs present. I went back today with the intention of finding the queen and putting her in a Nuc box. I was expecting to find more charged cells. However on...

Hello all, Looking for ideas/plans to make a homemade honey warmer. Thanks

Hello all, Am waiting for couple of Virgin queens to be mated. Will be checking to see if they have been successful this weekend. If they haven’t I may buy in new queens but to save some cash I was thinking I could unite a Nuc (made 3 weeks ago) with a Queenless colony? I was thinking of...

Hello all, Anyone else having to take OSR honey off? I checked moisture content today and all frames tested were showing around 16%. Have out clearer boards on.

Hello all, I have a hive that hopefully has a newly released virgin in it. The apiary is surrounded by OSR. I am leaving the BB alone for 3 weeks but can I still check the honey situation in the honey supers? Thanks

Hello all, In had a hive that swarmed 7 days ago. I left one sealed queen cell in it. I did an inspection today and the queen cell has emerged. How long before the new queen starts to lay assuming she makes its! I have read varying accounts of timescale for new queens to lay. To thought I...

Hello all, At the weekend I carried out swarm prevention on a colony, leaving a queen cell for them to make a new queen. Hopefully she will mate successfully and start laying in due course. In the meantime, once all the remaining brood has emerged is it likely that the bees will back fill the...

Hello all, What do bees do in a hive with no brood to look after? i.e. when they are waiting on a Virgin queen to be mated and start laying. Do they all take to foraging duties? Thanks

Hello all, Today, for the first time in my beekeeping journey I removed a queen from a hive (after finding charged queen cells) and made up a Nuc with 3 frames of brood some stores and a couple shakes of bees. I left one QC in the hive and was planning on returning this weekend to see if more...

Hello all, I have a hive located within a few metres of a field of OSR. The farmer has informed us that he intends to spray the OSR with fungicide. What are the possible consequences for the colony and the honey? Thanks

Hello all, Was passing my apiary this morning and thought I would pop in (don’t usually get the chance to see them during the week).There were a small amount of bees on the underside of the OMF on all hives. Not clustered just 12-20 bees hanging about. Are these foragers that have returned later...

Hello all, I did a check of my colonies last weekend in the warm weather. All building up with brood on 5+ frames. The OSR is beginning to flower here in Lothian (there seems to be a lot of it around again this year) but the weather has turned very cold again. I am having to go away from the...

Hello all, I keep wet supers stored in my garage. Each super is wrapped in a plastic bag. The garage also houses our oil boiler. The boiler is being replaced soon as it is quite old and has been smelling strongly of oil. Could the odor from the oil affect the wax in any way? The supers are...

Hello all, I am looking for recommendations for kids beesuit suppliers? Any that stick out and any to avoid? Thanks